Nexture to acquire Dubai-based La Crema
The acquisition will give Nexture its first manufacturing footprint in the Middle East and add chocolate products to its global portfolio of value-added food ingredients.
UAE – Nexture S.p.A. has signed an agreement to acquire Dubai-based La Crema, a manufacturer of chocolate and value-added food ingredients serving ice cream, bakery and fine pastry applications.
The transaction will establish Nexture’s first manufacturing presence in the Middle East and strengthen its access to the region’s ingredients market.
Nexture is an independently managed investment company affiliated with Investindustrial VII L.P.
The acquisition follows Nexture’s purchases of Frulact and Sipral Padana earlier in 2026, as the group continues its international expansion and buy-and-build strategy. Completion is expected by the end of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
Founded by Bilal Khalife in Dubai in 2016 as a trading business, La Crema expanded into in-house manufacturing in 2018. The company now produces chocolate sauces and cream fillings, bars, chips and buttons, assorted chocolates, ice cream solutions, ready-mix powders and fruit fillings, sold under its own brand and through private labels.
Its Dubai manufacturing facility employs approximately 170 people across production, operations, sales and marketing. The company serves customers through a distribution network covering wholesalers, distributors and retailers across the region.
Valerie-Diele Braun, chief executive officer of Nexture, said: “This acquisition marks an important step in Nexture’s global growth strategy, establishing our first manufacturing footprint in the Middle East and giving us direct access to one of the world’s fastest-growing ingredients markets.”
“La Crema is a natural fit for our portfolio, adding a rich and diversified chocolate offering to our value-added solutions and unlocking meaningful synergies across the Group,” Braun added.
Bilal Khalifeh, chief executive officer of La Crema, said the UAE and wider Gulf region represent an important part of Nexture’s expansion plans.
“The UAE and the broader Gulf region represent a strategic pillar of Nexture’s expansion plans,” Khalifeh said. “The region’s strong macro-economic fundamentals, rapid population growth and increasing demand for high-quality, specialised food ingredients creates a highly compelling environment to grow.”
He added that combining La Crema’s regional presence and portfolio with Nexture’s international reach would provide a platform for further growth.
Investindustrial has completed three add-on acquisitions in the Middle East since 2024 and 281 globally across more than 30 countries, with a combined enterprise value of €14.1 billion.
Following completion, Nexture’s manufacturing network is expected to expand to 30 factories worldwide, from eight in 2021, while its workforce is expected to exceed 2,900 employees.
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