Almarai’s pursuit of quality ensures unique success story

As part of its interests to maintain transparency and to highlight the quality of the day-to-day operations that reflect the company’s dedication toward producing world-class food and beverages, Almarai provided an opportunity for 60 representatives from the local and international financial community, accompanied by members of the press to see its state-of-the art facilities in Al Kharj, some 100 kms from the capital of Riyadh on Wednesday.

“We are pleased to welcome the local and international financial community and members of the press to the heart of Almarai’s operations. This tour gives us the opportunity to demonstrate Almarai’s relentless pursuit of quality firsthand, and share our latest developments and future vision with these very important partners,” Talal Alotaibi, Almarai’s public relations manager said, while welcoming the visitors to the farm.

The comprehensive tour showcased a number of Almarai’s state-of-the-art facilities including the company’s dairy farms; its juice and dairy processing factory, its bakery facility, as well as the region's first infant nutrition factory.

Furthermore, Almarai officials briefed the guests about the company’s latest financial and operational results including the recently announced SR 15.7 billion five-year capital investment plan.

Almarai is the largest integrated dairy foods company in the world with an unrivaled reputation synonymous with delivering excellence and quality across its entire range of products.

Currently operating across the Gulf region, Almarai employs over 22,000 employees servicing some 40,000 retail outlets with a turnover that exceeded $ 2 billion in 2011.

The Almarai success story began in 1976,when its Chairman Prince Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Kabeer recognized the potential to transform the traditional dairy farming in the Kingdom to meet the needs of a burgeoning domestic market.

Under his visionary guidance, numerous agricultural projects were developed toward achieving this objective. What began with the processing of fresh milk and laban, soon expanded into modern farms and state-of-the art processing plants.

In the early 90s, Almarai entered into a restructuring and reinvestment phase moving away from decentralized to a centralized structure. The first Central Processing Plant was commissioned replacing five decentralized plants. It also established four large dairy farms in the central area replacing 10 decentralized small farms. The investment phase created the base for Almarai to become a low cost producer in the region.

Since then, the company has continued to invest in technologically, advance production facilities and recruiting the right caliber of people. A second and larger Central Processing Plant, incorporating a new cheese plant, was commissioned in late 2005.

Two new super farms were commissioned, bringing the total number of farms to seven. Today it is capable of serving high quality products to more than 43,500 customers within the GCC on a daily basis.

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