editor
Into The Middle East’s Manufacturers
Inaworldofastonishingtechnologiespropelling
businessenthusiaststoupriseintheever-evolving market,theagiledevelopmentofindustrialistshas expandedthespectrumofglobalmarkets.
Managing Editor
Bhushan Bhad
Knownforthemarvelsthatthetechnologicalrevolutionhas broughttotheforefront,themanufacturingsegmenthas nevermissedtheglobalspeculation.Withglobalization encapsulatingalmosteverysignificantsector,geostrategic regionshavefacilitatedthegreatopportunityforthe industrialestablishment,labormanagement,easeofdoing businesses,andtheglobaltransitionofregion-specific industryintotheglobalmanufacturing-logistics-retail system.
Andonesuchglobalthreadthatconnectsthebipolarworld intoaunifiedglobalizedvillageintheMiddleEast.As knownworldwide,theregionexemptsthebusiness fraternity’shighexcisedutyandalsohelpsindustrialists withitseaseofdoingbusinessfacilitation.Thishasenabled theregiontobethecradleofopportunitiesthatarenotonly assistingcompaniesinestablishingthemselvesinthisevergrowingmarketbutalsoenhancingthequalityoflifeofthe localcommunitiesbyutilizingtheage-oldskillsrequiredby variousindustries.
Withourlatestedition,“MiddleEast’sTop10 ManufacturingCompaniestoWatchin2022,”webringyou
,, Middle East has opened up new makrket and propelled business growth to unimaginable heights
themostresilientcompaniesthatexemplifythetruenature oftechnologyleadership.
WithBinDasmalGrouponthecover,youwillenjoydiving intothemarvelsofMiddleEastmanufacturerswhohave successfullyprovedtheirmettleandexemplifiedtheglobe withtechnologyleadership.
Asyouflipthroughpagesorscrollbythedigitalversion, ensuretoreadtheindustryexpertopinionthatunleashesa windowinsidethebusinessspectrumandenlightensthe worldwithtechnologicalwisdom.
Movingfurtherandaddingourflaretoyourreadingleisure, wehavesupplementedtheeditionwithanin-houseeditorial article.
Ihopeyouenjoytheread!
- Bhushan Bhad
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Senior Editor
Managing Editor
Assisting
Art & Design Head
Co-designer
Anish Miller
Bhushan Bhad
Trishika,
Art & Design Assistant Visualiser David King
Business Development Manager
Rohil Shinganapurkar
Paul
Mrunalinee Deshmukh
Sherin Rodricks
Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza
Business Development Executives
Kelly, David
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Assistant Technical Head
Technical Consultants Prachi, Rajeshwari
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Pooja, Atul
SME-SMO Executive Gemson
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Circulation Manager Tanaji Fartade
sales@insightssuccess.com
May, 2022
Featuring Brief Company
AlAinFarms alainfarms.com
WillemVanWaltMeijer ChiefExecutiveOfficer
AlGhurairGroup alghurair.com
K.JacobJohn ChiefExecutiveOfficer
AlAinFarmsisoneoftheUAE'sleadingDairy,Juiceand Poultrycompaniesandiscommittedtobeinganenvironmentally conscientiousfarm.
AlGhurairInvestmentisoneofthelargestdiversifiedfamily businessgroupsintheMiddleEast,withoperationsinseven distinctindustrysectors.
AlIslamiFoods alislamifoods.com
ShahidN.Khan ChiefExecutiveOfficer
AlIslamiFoodsisapremiumhalalfoodcompany.Theyhave beenmaintainingtheirstandardsbyexertingtightcontroloverthe rawmaterial,procurement,production,andsupplychain operations.
AlessaIndustriesCo alessa.com.sa
BinDasmalGroup bindasmal.com
GulfCenterCosmetics gccmfg.business.site
Mr.Osama AbdulazizAlessa ChiefExecutiveOfficer
Mr.KhalifaAbdulla AhmedDasmal Chairman
Mr.YousryHemdan AhmedIbrahim ChiefExecutiveOfficer
GulfCryo gulfcryo.com
Mr.AmerHuneidi ExecutiveChairman
AlessagroupwasfoundedbyHamadAbdullahAlessain1935. TodayAlessagroupisknownastheAlessaIndustriesCompany (AIC).
BinDasmalGrouphavebeenconductingbusinessglobally since1976.Wearededicatedtoprovidingqualityproductsand expertservicesatcompetitiveprices.
GulfCenterCosmeticsManufacturingLLC(GCCM)isSkin Care,PersonalCareandHomeCareproductsmanufacturing factoryintheUAE.
GulfCryowasthefirstgasmanufacturerinKuwaittoprovide industrialgasessuchasoxygenandnitrogentothebooming localpetroleumindustry.
LubrexFZC lubrex.net
QatarSteel qatarsteel.com.qa
UnitedFoods Company(PJSC) unitedfoods.ae
AbbasMoniri ManagingDirector
AbdulrahmanAli Al-Abdulla ManagingDirector &CEO
FethiKhiari ChiefExecutiveOfficer
LubrexFZCisaleadinglubricantmanufacturingcompany, registeredinHamriyahFreeZone,Sharjah,UAE.Itwas establishedin2005astheflagbearerintheUAEofagroupof lubricantmanufacturingoilexportingcompanieswithdecadesof experience.
QatarSteelwasestablishedin1974asthefirstintegratedsteel plantintheArabianGulf.CommercialProductionCommenced in1978.TheCompanyhasoperatedasawhollyowned subsidiaryofindustriesQatarsince2003.
UnitedFoodsCompanyprovidesqualityproductstoour consumers–productsthataresafe,nutritious,healthy,andfull offlavor.
Bin Dasmal Group
Companion of Credibility in the Commercial, Residential, and Industrial Markets
Over a period of more than four decades, the Bin Dasmal Group has been expanding its market reach and developing its overall corporate values.
Bin Dasmal Group - Head Office - Shelkh Zayed Road - Dubai
Bin Dasmal Group
Theneedsofanever-increasingworldpopulationare unlimited.Meetingtheirrisingdemandsisa challengingtaskforeveryindustryglobally.One sectorthathasbeendoingnon-stopworkcomprehensively toraisethestandardoflivingisthemanufacturingindustry
Themostcriticalfactorinbusinessismanufacturingthe product,whichleadstoasmoothflowofmarketingand salesprocesses.Whetherforcommercial,residential,or industrialpurposes,theproductionofmanyquality productsnecessitatesskilledlabor,equipment,technology, andexpertise.
Itiswellknownthattoday,peopletrustbrandsthathave builtanexcellentreputationinthemarketovertheyears. Thisreputationcomesfromprovidingqualityproductsthat fulfilltheclients'requirements.Whenitcomestooffering top-qualityproductsandservices,theBinDasmalGroup hasbeenthemarketleaderinmanufacturingandsupplying themtoconsumers.
Thecompanymanufacturesandsuppliesavastrangeof productsandservicesforanyproject,whethercommercial, residential,orindustrial.Someoftheproductsandservices ofthecompany'sofferingsincludeairhandlingunits,fan coilunits,refrigerationcompressors,evaporators, condensingunits,adhesives,coatings,sealants,plumbing, automateddoors,materialoverseeingequipment,lifting gear,ductingsolutions,MEPservices,paint,paperbags, andmanymore.
Mr.KhalifaAbdullaAhmedDasmalfoundedtheBin DasmalGroupin1973inDubai,UAE.Heisstilltheactive Chairmanofthegroup.Intheearlierdaysofitsinception, itwasageneralcontractingcompany,thenknownas Bin Dasmal Contracting,thatisnowspecializedinMEP projects,indoorairqualitysolutions,andenergy optimizationofbuildings.
AJourneyofaThousandMilesBeginswithASingle Step
Overtheyears,theBinDasmalGrouphasaddedseveral companiesunderitsumbrella—someasorganicexpansions andsomeasjointventures.Thefirstexpansiontookplace inthe1980swiththeadditionofBinDasmalGeneral Trading,representingsomeoftheworld'sleadingbrandsin air-conditioningandrefrigerationmaterials.
Fromthe1990sonwards,thefocuswasonmanufacturing, wheremostofthegroup'sbusinessistoday.More specifically,thegroupdevelopeditsbrands.Tonameafew,
inthespaceofair-conditioning,TrostenIndustries,KAD Air-conditioning,DeltaDuctAir-conditioning,andthemost recentJVfinalizedatthestartofthisyear,EHPriceGulf.
Inthespaceofautomaticdoors,BinDasmalDoorsand Accessa.Inthespaceofliftingandsafetyequipment, DutestandGripton.
TalkingabouttheUSPsofthegroup,Mr.Khalifasays,"At Bin Dasmal Group, we put our people first. The owners and managers work closely to ensure that attention is given to all important matters. An effort is constantly made to ensure that nothing is overlooked or neglected. This is essentially the main USP of the group."
PrioritizingCustomerSatisfaction
Whenitcomestomanufacturing,BinDasmalGroupexcels ininternationalaccreditation.AlotofeffortisputintoR&D toensurethatallproductsareaheadintermsofqualityand reliability
"Customer satisfaction is paramount. This is further supported by the timeliest delivery of products and aftersales service,"Mr.KhalifacitedwhenaskedabouthowBin DasmalGroupensuresthebestproductsinthemarket.
KeepingPacewithTechnology
Technologyiseverywhereineverysegmentofvarious industries.Itisreshapingsomanyprocessesinaconcise spaceoftime.Withtheuseoftechnology,accuracyand speedcanbeachievedineveryindustry.Technologyhas enabledsignificantupgradesinthemanufacturingindustry too.
Puttinghisviewsontechnology'simpactonthe manufacturingindustryanditsadaptiontothecompany's units,Mr.Khalifasays,“I would say automation and digitalization have been some of the most important developments in recent times. Our group has invested much in these areas to ensure that consistency, streamlining, and timeliness of operations are prevalent, and that the highest customer satisfaction level is achieved.”
ConqueringtheChallenges
TheCOVID-19pandemichasbeenachallengeinalmost everypartoftheworldforthelasttwoyears.Ithasaffected
A Pro cient Leader
Mr. Khalifa Abdulla Ahmed Dasmal started his journey in 1973. This was a couple of years a er the UAE was formed in 1971. Star ng out with just one engineer and an accountant, he started out at a small office in Deira.
A er securing his first project, he hired his first workforce from India. This was the group's humble start to marvelous things to come.
Through his ability to influence, persuade, and inspire his people to achieve goals that some mes seem impossible, he has had a significant role in what the group has achieved ll date. His unyielding support of entrus ng and empowering his people is the reason they love and respect him, and they never think twice about dedica ng their maximum efforts all the me.
theoperationsofmanyindustries.Whenaskedhowhis companyroseagainstthepandemicsituation,Mr.Khalifa said,"Initially, we noticed that it became more of a challenge to keep the factories running at full capacity as the number of orders had decreased in the domestic markets. This pushed us to focus more on exports, which is now where we anticipate large growth.”
“The other challenge is inflation and the rising cost of raw materials and supply-chain hurdles. This has pushed us to focus on improving our sourcing options without compromising quality,”headds.
Intermsofthesafetyofitsemployees,thecompanyhasa dedicatedQHSEdepartmentthatconstantlysupervisesthe healthandsafetyofitsemployees.
Today,energyandhealtharekeyareaswherethegroupis morefocused.Morespecifically,relatedtoitsbusiness,this meansenergy-efficientair-conditioningproductsaimedto deliverthebestindoorairqualitysolutions.
LeadershipEthics
Mr.Khalifahasearnedaconcretesetofleadershipqualities overtheyears.Hehasseenupsanddownsintheindustry andmanagedtoscalehisgroupofcompaniesthroughall this.Inresponsetowhatleadershipqualities,hebelievesto bethemostsignificantforsuccessfullyhandling manufacturingoperations,hesaid,“Leadership is responsibility. In the manufacturing industry, this starts with the factory staff. Those are the ones that end up making your factory work well. Take care of them, and you're halfway there.”
Hefurtherstatesthat“customer satisfaction is the other part. That is where the executives play their role. For us, that means understanding the customers' requirements precisely, which are in the areas of timely deliveries, meeting the highest international standards, and supporting them with quality after-sales services.”
WordsofGuidance
Asatop-notchleader,Mr.Khalifahasabroad understandingofthemanufacturingindustry.His40-plus yearsofexperiencecanoffervaluablewisdomto entrepreneurswhoaspiretoventureintothemanufacturing industry
Asawordofguidanceforsuchpeople,Mr.Khalifaasks themtofocusonautomation.productcertification,export,
energyefficiency,andmobilitytoensuretheeffective commencingoftheircareerpath.
TheWayoftheFuture
Thankstoitscompetentanddedicatedteams,supportedby goodleadershipandthegreatsupportfromthegovernment, theBinDasmalGrouphasbeenabletoovercomethe challengesofthepasttwoyearsandaimforfuturegrowth.
Sheddinglightonscalingthecompany'soperations eventually,Mr.Khalifasaid,“It is aimed at adapting our product offerings to the current market requirements and developing our export business.”
“We will continue to focus on our core strengths- technocommercial competencies, solid administrative support, and good leadership moving ahead,”headded.
Ÿ Delta Duct Air Condi oning Best Accredited Inspec on Body cer ficate awarded from Dubai Accredita on
Ÿ Department (DAC) – Dutest Inspec on Services
Accredita on Cer ficate for Performance Tes ng by Emirates Interna onal
Awards and Recogni on
Since its incep on, these accolades prove that Bin Dasmal Group's significant and exponen al achievements are reaching greater heights.
CBNME MEP Awards 2022 – Sustainable Ini a ve of the year.
Ÿ Bin Dasmal Contrac ng
MEP Awards 2021 – Highly Commended Awards for:
Ÿ Supplier of the Year – Trosten Industries
Ÿ Retrofit Project of the Year – Bin Dasmal Contrac ng
Climate Control Award 2019– Short listed among the best 3 companies in UAE for:
Ÿ Manufacture of the Year – KAD Air Condi oning
Ÿ HVAC Accessories Manufacture of the Year – Delta Duct Air Condi oning.
MEP Middle East Awards – 2019 Short listed among the best 3 companies in UAE for:
Ÿ Supplier of the Year – KAD Air Condi oning Enterprise
Transforma on Summit and Awards – 2019/2021
Ÿ Bin Dasmal Group
Annual MEP UAE conference 2019/2020
Ÿ Bin Dasmal General Trading
Ÿ KAD Air Condi oning
Ÿ Accredita on Centre (EIAC) – Trosten Industries
Taqdeer Award for Labor Welfare 2018/2019 –Par cipa ons
Ÿ Foster – Diamond Award – Distributor of the Year –2017/2018 Bin Dasmal General Trading.
Corporate Social Responsibili es (CSR)
Ÿ Blood Dona on Campaign at the group's staff camp
Ÿ Suppor ng and Par cipa on in the "Human Fingerprints" Ceremony held by "The Rashid Center for People of Determina on" in Dubai.
Team Building Ac vi es
Ÿ Dubai Fitness Challenge - Dubai Ride 2021 – Bin Dasmal Group
Ÿ Annual Sports event at Topgolf, Dubai – Bin Dasmal Contrac ng
Ÿ Annual Cricket Event 2020/2021 – Bin Dasmal Group
Ÿ Celebra on of "World Refrigera on Day" 2020 – Bin Dasmal General Trading
Ÿ Cer fica on Distribu on by Highfield Awarding Body to Bin Dasmal Group Employees for Compliance (HABC)
Middle East's Top 10 Manufacturing Companies to Watch in 2022
PIONEERING Technologies in the Middle East MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
"Never before in the history of mankind has the pace of innovation and technological acceleration been faster than it is today.”
- Yannick Schilly
SScienceandtechnologyarethetwoprimary
developmentsourcesoftheworld;scientificor technologicaltransformationleadseverybusiness sectoracrosstheglobe.Everycountryiseconomically developingafterinnatingthetechnologicaladvancement; similarly,MiddleEastCountrieshavetappedthepotential ofthetechnologyandadoptedmanytechnological advances.
MiddleEastcountriesarealsofocusingonbecomingthe leadingdestinationforthemanufacturingindustryglobally. Theyareprovidinganopportunitytoentrepreneursand businessiconsfromallovertheworldtocomeand establishtheirbusinessesinthemiddleeastregion.
Incaseyouhaveobservedearlier,themanufacturing industrywasinafix,buttoday,itfacesstiffglobal competition,anditsbusinessenvironmentisgrowing rapidly.Ithasbecomeessentialtodevelopnewproducts thatcanmanagethechangesinproductionvolumeand productlifequicklyandflexibly
Duetothetechnologicaltransformations,thereare numerousadvantagesinthebusinessworld;theconcepts likeCognitiveComputing,IoT,Digitalization,andCyberPhysicalSystems(CPS)havecollectedpertinenceacross theindustries,especiallyinmanufacturing.These advancementshavere-evaluatedindustry4.0,theGerman high-techapproachbyHofmannandRusch.
Apartfromthecurrenttechnologicalupgradations,there wereafewupgradationsappliedinthe18thcenturyto transformthemanufacturingindustry,andthose transformationsare-
• Attheendofthe18thcentury,thefirstindustrial revolutiontookplacethroughthedesignofsteam engines,andindustry1.0cameintoexistenceinBritain andofferedmachinesforproduction.
• Afterthat,thetechnologicalrevolution,orindustry2.0, madethemajorrailroadnetworksandtelegraphforthe easeofshiftingpeople'sthoughts.
• Now,thedigitalrevolutionandIndustry3.0transforms analogandmechanicalsystemsintodigitalsystems.
TechnologyRe-shapingtheManufacturingIndustry
ManytransformationsaretakingplaceintheMiddleEast's manufacturingindustry.Thesetransformationsarebasedon digitalanddecentralizedsystemsthatbringtechnological advancementsinmanufacturingproducts. However,toadoptmoreadvancedtechnologies, entrepreneursarepushingtowardsmorediverseapproaches like
• Industry4.0
Aftertheindustry3.0ordigitalrevolution,industry4.0 inculcatesextensiverestructuringoftheproductionmethod
bysubstitutingtheiranalogandcentralizedworkflowsinto thedecentralizedanddigitalproductionmethod.
Industry4.0helpsbusinessesdesigntheroadmapsfrom theirearliercases,ROI,technology,skills,andbudgetsto acceleratethedigitaltransformation.Itenablesthe industriestobringtransparencytothemanufacturing processesandproducemorevarietyofproducts.
• DigitalManufacturing
Weallhaveheardaboutdigitaltechnologyoradvancement. Buthowcouldtheproductionbedonedigitally?Digital manufacturingdoesn'tmeanthattheproductionofgoods getsdonedigitally.Anorganizationtakesadvantageof digitaltechnologiestohandleitsmanufacturingoperation.
Withitshelp,manufacturerscreateaconnected,networked, andfullyintegratedfactoryandsupporttoreducethe bottlenecks,decreaseinventory,enhancethequality,cut timetomarket,andmeetthecustomer'sdemand.
AsperDeloitte,digitalmanufacturinghasanaverage increaseof10percentinproductoutput,11percentin factorypotentialutilization,and12percentinlabor potency.
• ArtificialIntelligence
Inthenexttwodecades,AIwilldoallthejobsthathumans perform.Everyindustryisoptingforthesubstitutehuman withthehelpofAI;ithelpstheindustriestoreducethe inventoriesanddecreasethecost.
• InternetofThings(IoT)
InternetofThings(IoT)playsanessentialroleinthe manufacturingindustry,asitwillanalyzetheproduction quotasandaccumulatethecontrolrooms.Italsocanhelpin creatingthedesignsforpredictivesupportfuture.Withthe combinationofAugmentedReality(AR)andcustomer feedbackanalysis,severalimportantinsightscanhelpin drivinginnovation.
• VirtualReality(VR)
ThemanufacturingindustriesintheMiddleEastareusing VRtoknowtheupcomingthreats;aftergettingan intimation,theindustriestakeappropriateactionsandkill allthreats.
ManyindustrieshaveintegratedVRtoexaminethe productionlinesandthepossiblehazardstomaintain quality,safety,andsecurity
• AugmentedReality(AR)
ArtificialIntelligencehelpssortthecomplicatedprocessof maintainingdatabasesandinventorybutselectingproducts fromawarehousestillrequireshumanresources; accordingly,ARhelpstoovercomethedilemmaandmakes theprocessaccurateandfast.
• Cyber-PhysicalSystems
Themanufacturingindustriesinthemiddleeastare implementingCyber-PhysicalSystems.Thesystemisa combinationofcalculation,networking,andphysical methods.Itisafederationofallsystemsfromvarious fields,anditfocusesontheprimaryobjectiveofmanaging thephysicalprocessbyusingreal-timefeedback.
Itinitiatesthenewproductionmethodologiestomatch tomorrow'smanufacturingindustrystandards.
Therearemanyothertechnologicalreformsthat manufacturingindustriesinthemiddleeastwilladopt,and fewalreadyhaveimplemented;suchadvancementsare analytics, cloud, digital customer experience, cyber security, big data, and many more.
Conclusion
Thenewtechnologicaltransformationsleadtonewhopes forthemanufacturingindustryinthemiddleeastregion, anditwillhelptheindustrytoreducecosts,maintain inventories,andstreamlineorganizations'functioning.
Theentrepreneursorbusinessiconswillalsogetan excellentopportunityandabusinessenvironmentto flourishtheirbusinessesinthecountry.Similarly,thereisa vastscopeformanufacturerstoenrichtheirproductionwith theeffectiveutilizationoftechnologyandresources.
- Madhu Guleria
Middle East's Top 10 Manufacturing Companies to Watch in
AlIslami Foods Group LLC
Inaworldofever-evolvingtechnology,risingmarket dynamics,andmarketuncertainties,businessoneof thedynamicmarketsegmentsthathasefficiently servedhumanityandsimultaneouslybuilttrust-based relationshipsacrosstheconsumerpoolhasbeenfood manufacturers.
Withitsindustryexpertiseandupgradedtech-based workflow,foodmanufacturershavetoptheleaderboard eveninthemostuncertaintimeslikeCOVID.
Understandingthisessentialroleoffoodmanufacturers,we crossedpathswithoneoftheaward-winningmanufacturers inUAE—AlIslamiFoodsGroupLLC.Headedby ShahidN.KhanastheChiefExecutiveOfficerofthe organization,thisgrouphasgrabbedallthespotlight amongsttheglobalbusinesscircle.
Withoutfurtherado,let'sdiveintotheinterviewtolearn moreabouttheentrepreneurshipjourneythatmadeAl IslamiFoodsaremarkablesuccess.
Below are the interview highlights.
Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleaderinthe manufacturingindustry.
AlIslamiFoodsisanaward-winninghalalfoodcompany foundedalmost50yearsagobyHajjSaeedLootah.Today itisoneofthelargestfrozenfoodmanufacturersinthe UAEandthewiderGCCregion.RecentlyAlIslamiFoods won'BestHalalConsumerBrand'atthe2020iHalal
InternationalAwards,givenbytheOrganizationofIslamic Cooperation(OIC),anorganizationof57Islamiccountries.
Ourproductportfoliohasexpandedovertheyearsfrom wholechickenandchickenportionstoincludeprocessed foodsthatweproduceinourstate-of-the-artfactoryin HamriyahFreeZone.Theseincludebeefandchicken burgers,chickennuggetsandbreadedpieces,chickenand beefFrankfurters.Wealsohavealineoffrozenfruitand vegetables,Frenchfries,andseafood,includingshrimp, whitefishfillet,squidrings,andseafoodcocktails,aswell assomechildren'sitemsundertheAladdinbrand.We importourmeatsdirectlyfromhalal-certified slaughterhousesinBrazil.Ourprocessingfacilityemploys
I am a rm believer in expanding capacity and making investments that are in line with the growth of the business – and our ve-year plan re ects those principles.
N.Khan CEO
Shahid
AL Islami Foods Group LLC
thelatestequipmentandhighestsafetystandardsandis certifiedinaccordancewiththeBRC,FSSC22000,and HACCPschemes.Therequirementsoftheseprogramsare putintopracticethankstoourhighlyexperiencedQAteam andin-houselaboratoryforconductingmicrobialanalyses.
Whatareyourdistinctofferings,andhowdothey impacttheMiddleEast'sManufacturingIndustryand yourclients?
WeremainstronginourhomeregionoftheGCC–particularlyinUAE,Oman,Bahrain,andKuwait,andwe willcontinuetobolsterthesecoremarkets.Then,from 2023wehaveidentifiednewmarketswhereweseethe potentialforourproducts,suchasSaudiArabia,Jordan, Iraq,andMalaysia.Inthesecondstage,wewilltargetlarge MuslimdiasporacountriesinEuropeandNorthAmerica.
Pleasebriefusaboutthefeaturedperson's(s)journeyin theindustryandhowtheyhavecontributedtothefirm's success.
IwasappointedCEOofAlIslamiFoodsinMarch2020–andbeingplacedatthehelmofthefirmrightatthestartof aglobalpandemicwasundoubtedlyachallenge.However, ultimatelyAlIslamiwentontoenjoyoneofitsmost successfulyearsinbusinesstodate–thanksinparttomy illustriousbackgroundasanFMCGbusinessleader,with strongachievementsinbuildingpowerbrands,turning aroundproblembusinesses,andlaunchinggreenfield projects.
IjoinedUnileverasatraineeandspent17yearsworking acrossAsia,Europe,andtheUS.Further,IwasVice PresidentbythetimeIleftin2000,whenImovedtoDubai withmyfamilyandbecameManagingDirectorofbranded businessatIFFCOGroup.DuringmytimeatIFFCOI developedandlaunchedamegabrandcalledLondonDairy, apremiumicecreamthatwecreatedfromscratch,andis nowthebiggesticecreambrandintheMiddleEast.
In2005,IwasheadhuntedbyKuwait'sAl-Ghanim Industries,whereIinitiallyledtheirlargeFMCG distributioncompanybeforemovingtotheirElectronics Retailbusiness.IspentmanyyearsinKuwait,before returningtoDubaitojoinAlIslamiFoods.Wehaveavery passionateandtalentedteaminAlIslami,andwework verywelltogethertobuildagreatorganizationandIhave beenveryhappywiththecompany'sperformancesince then.
Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononhow theadoptionofmoderntechnologieshasimpactedyour industryandhowisyourcompanyridingthetechnology wave?
Indeed,thecompanyhasmadesubstantialinvestmentsin itsprocessingtechnology,equipment,machinery,and logisticsinrecentyears,includingtheconstructionofa cutting-edgemasterkitchenforconductingR&Dand workingonthedevelopmentofnewproducts.
Wealsousethisfacilitytocarryoutsensorytestingwitha tastingpanelinordertomakeproductcomparisons, benchmarkwiththecompetition,andaidthedevelopment ofnewproducts.
OtherrecentinvestmentsincludeX-raytechnologyfor finishedgoodsinspectionandhigh-speedslicersforsalami, whilewehavetripledourmarinationcapacityandweare investinginanewcoatinglineformakingbreaded products.Wewillbeexpandingtherefrigerationcapacityof ourfactory.Regardingdistribution,wehavealmostdoubled ourstoragecapacity,andweemploythird-partylogistics providerswhenneededforseasonalpeakssuchas Ramadan.Everythingwesupplyhastobetransportedat minus30degreesCelsius,whichrequiresextremelycareful managementandafleetofhigh-techvehicles.Everytruck, van,andlorryinourfleetisfittedwithaGPStracking devicetoensurerouteoptimization.
Consideringthepandemiccrisis,whatisyourfuture strategytomanagethecompanyoperations?
Indeed,AlIslami'sachievementsduringthepastyear includecontinuingtooperatedespitechallenging circumstances,suchassupplychaindisruptionsin transshipmentportsthroughoutEuropeandelsewhere.Our supplychainsareverylong,andwehadtoensurethatwe didn'trunoutofproduct,sowetookacalculatedriskand orderedmorethanwerequiredtoavoidrunningout.
Thegamblepaidoff,andwewereabletofurtherstrengthen ourmarketsharewhilemotivatingoursalesexecutivesin ordertomaximizeouravailabilityandvisibilityinthe marketplace. Wemotivatedtheentireteamtoovercome thesechallenges,andthisprovedextremelyvaluableduring thepandemic.
Fromaconsumerperspective,thecompanyhasalso managedtocleverlyhighlightthepurityandpristinenessof frozenproductscomparedwithfreshproduce
Shopperstendtopickupproductssuchasfreshfruitand vegetablestofeelthem,oftenreplacingthemseveraltimes beforemakingaselection,whichisnotidealinapandemic. Moreover,whiletheconsumermaythinktheyarebuying somethingfresh,ifyoulookatthesupplychainoffresh vegetables,theyoftenhavequitealongjourneyfromthe farminwhichevercountrytheyweregrown,tobeing cleaned,sorted,packed,transportedandkeptincold storage,beforefinallyarrivingonthesupermarketshelf.
Frozenproductscanthereforeactuallybe'fresher'than freshproduce.Takespinach,forexample.Withinanhourof beingpicked,itiswashedandfrozenatminus30degrees, whichlocksinthefreshnessandtasteforanentireyear untilitsexpirydate.
Indeed,frozenvegetablesofferconveniencebecausethere isnoneedtostockuponfreshproductseverytimeyou wanttocookameal,andtheystilltasteasfreshastheday theywerepicked–withouttheneedforanyadditives.
Consumershavecometounderstandandappreciatethis conceptthankstothecompany'smediacampaigns,like 'Frozenisthenewfresh',whilenotwantingtomake frequentvisitstocrowdedsupermarketsduringthe pandemichasledshopperstostockuptheirfreezers.This hasundoubtedlygivenusanedgeovercompetitorsinthe freshproducesector
Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourorganization's operationsandofferingsin2022andbeyond?
Asconsumersprioritizehygiene,nutrition,andlongshelflifeintheirpurchases,alongsidethephenomenalrisein popularityofplant-baseddietsanddemandforhalalfood productsworldwide,AlIslamiwillsurelycontinuetoenjoy acompetitiveedgeinthemarketgoingforward.The company'sethicsalsoplayanimportantrole,particularly ourhalalpositioningandquality-consciousattitude, togetherwithourrangeofgreatproductsthatwedonot compromiseon,inanyway.
Iamafirmbelieverinexpandingcapacityandmaking investmentsthatareinlinewiththegrowthofthebusiness –andourfive-yearplanreflectsthoseprinciples.
Inthesecondhalfofthatplan,wewouldliketoreachthe MuslimpopulationinregionslikeNorthAmerica,wherean authentichalalbrandsuchasAlIslamiwouldbewelcomed, andinordertodothatwewouldevenexplorethe possibilityofusingthird-partyorwhite-labelmanufacturers inthoselocations.Ifwewantedtosellfrozenhalalchicken burgersandnuggetsinCanada,forexample,itwouldnot befinanciallysustainabletoimportthechickenfromBrazil, carryoutthemanufacturingintheUAEandthenexportthe productstoCanada.Instead,wewouldneedtofindtheright partnerswhowouldadheretohalalprinciplesandproduce AlIslamiproductslocallyunderoursupervision.
Whilebroadeningproductiontoreachdistantmarketsis oneaspectofthecompany'sgrowth,thesecond,equally importantaspectisfindingtherightdistributorsinthose markets.WecandoourowndistributionintheUAE,butin allothermarkets,werequireimportersandlocal distributors,soIamveryopentonetworkingwiththose whowouldliketobringAlIslamiproductsintotheirlocal markets.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintoyourindustryspace?
Myadvicetoyoungentrepreneursistofocusonmarket knowledge,learnaboutdifferentsegmentsandmakea properbusinessplanbeforeventuringintoanynewarea. Thefood&Beveragemarketismassive,butifyou understandconsumerhabitsandattitudes,youwillbeable tocarveoutyournichesuccessfully
Leon Farrant CEO and Co-Founder Green Li-ion
WHY PROFIT IS NOT A DIRTY WHEN IT COMES TO CLEAN TECH!
Green innovation and investment by LEON FARRANT
Irefusetoacceptthateverygreenbusinessventure needstopaya"greenpremium/tax"inordertomake apositiveimpactontheenvironment.Forthesavvy investororentrepreneuritismybeliefthatcleanorgreen technologyandinnovationneedstobethefirstportofcall.
WHYyouask?Therearemanyreasons,tolistafew:
Ÿ Ithasadeeperimportanceandpurposetoalarger audience.AsithasbeensaidbyElonandmanyothers thatthefirstTrillionaireislikelyaclimatetech breakthroughcompany.Therearemoreinvestorsthat understandtheimportanceofthese.BillGatessaysin hisbook"HowtoAvoidaClimateDisaster'thatoneof thegreatestneedistoinvestandfundinnovatorsinthis space.
Ÿ Doyouwanttoprofitsignificantlyandleaveyour childrenwithloadsofmoneyandnoenvironmentto enjoythemoneyin?Andifyoudonothavekidsorplan onhavingtheselittleballsofjoythenIamsureyoucan findmanyexamplesofhowtheplanetsustainsyour currentlifestyleandhappiness.Perhapsinvestinginits sustainabilitywouldbeagoodidea?
Ÿ Itsprofitable:Eventwithouttheopportunitytoproduce andsellgreenorcarboncredits.Therearemany businessesthatcanbecleanandstillmakethegreen (Greenbacksthatis).Beyondthisifyoucanalso leveragegovernmentgrants,subsidiesandcommissions there anumberofexceptionallyprofitablesubsectors especiallyintheenergytransitionarea.
Ÿ Thereisawarningattachedhowever;donotbecaught greenwashing.Onewaytolooseallcredibility,value
andmarketpositioningistoembarkonanendeavour thatyoudonottrulybelieveinandorthatyouoverstate thebenefittotheenvironment.Youdonotneedto removeall51billiontonsofCO2tobeaworthy andan impressivestartupsthatwillmakeachangeforthe better.Makingasmalldifferencewillgetpeople's attentionandifyoubelieveinthepurposeitwillshine through.Asmentioned,therearemanyopportunitiesfor innovationandprofit,oneareadeartomyheartisthe creationofcirculareconomies.Themorecircular economieswecancreate,thelesswerelyon environmentaldegradation.Theenergytransition dependsgreatlyonenergystorageandsothisiswhywe arepassionateaboutthecreationofacirculareconomy forbatteries.Todothisweneedtomake batteriesthat areeasilyrecycledandrejuvenatedandisnotonly commerciallyviablebutprofitabletoo!
Intherecentyears,therehasbeenarapidgrowthof demandforpreciousmetalssuchascobalt,nickel and lithium–therefore,demandontraditionalmininghasbeen escalated.Atthesametimewehavediscarded95%ofall thespentlithiumionbatterieswehaveconsumed;manyof themendingupinlandfill.Miningisavaluablesourceof revenuetoresourcerichcountrieslikeIndonesiaforNickel; TheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongoforcobaltandChile forlithium.howevertheseoperationscomeatan environmentalandsocialcost.
Someofthesecriticalbatterymaterialsonlyhaveafew moredecadesofknownreservesandinterestinglyallof themcanbefullyrejuvenatedmillionsoftimesfromspent batteries.Accordingto Pitchbook Data,Inc(Publishedon September30,2021) –themarketpertainingthebattery recyclingindustrieswouldincreasefrom$2Billionin2021 to$27.3Billionin2030.Soonecanquicklyseethereisa commercialopportunityforanyonewhocanrejuvenateand extractthesematerialsandmakeanodeandcathode materialreadyforre-useinLithium-Ionbatteries.And,this isnottomentionthemillionsoftonsofbatteriesinlandfill worldwide.Anyoneforsomeurbanmining? Witha forecastofEVsalesrisefrom5.7%to15.6%in2021andin 2030ariseto34.7%Thisboughtrisetoanopportunityfor GreenLi-ionwhenitenteredthemarketandjoinedinthe batteryrecyclingindustry,withourtechnology.
AstheeloquentElonMusksays"weneedatonneof batteries"tokeepupwithourconsumer,transportand energytransitiondemands.GreenLi-ionentersthemarket withasolutionamidstthescarcityofpreciousmetalsand closesthelooponbatteryrejuvenation.TheGreenLi-ion GLMCtechnologycanturntheequivalentof56,000spent iPhone8batteriesintobrandnewbatterygradecathode materialinevery24hoursthatquadruplestherecyclers(or batterymaker)profit.Asyoucanseeyourprofitsdonot needtobedirty,thereareconsiderablewinsstillleftinthe innovationandcreationofcirculareconomies.
Toconclude;whatisbestfortheplanetisnowalsolikelyto beveryhealthyforyourwallet.Withafinancingtrend regardingbatteryrecyclingindustry,lastyearandintheUS alone,$757.1Millionwasinjectedintosimilarcompanies toGreenLi-ionsuchasRedwoodMaterials,Battery Resources,andNthCycle–accordingto Pitchbook Data, Inc.Green.cleanandclimatetechnologynotonlydeserves yourattentionshouldbeafocusforinvestorsand innovatorsforyearstocome.
GREEN LI-ION
TopBUSINESS in MIDDLE EAST Manufacturing S P A C E
Manufacturingistheprimaryfunctionofany
economy,anditsmainobjectiveistoproduce moregoodsattheminimumexpenses.The industrycanachievethisobjectivebydependinguponthe automatedheavyequipment.
Theotherbusinesssectorsarealsodependentonthe manufacturingindustry.Intheearlierpast,the manufacturingindustryhadbeendeclining.Theservice sectorhasbeengrowinginafewcountries,whichcauseda massivedeficitintheworldeconomy.
Butintherecentpast,theeconomicdeficiencyhasbeen decliningbecausetherehasbeensignificantgrowthinthe manufacturingsectorinallthecountries,especiallyin MiddleEastcountries.Thecountryhasbeenleadingin otherbusinesssectorsaswell.
Thecountryprovidesmassiveopportunitiesforrunningthe businessinthemiddleeastregion,especiallyinUnited ArabEmirates(UAE).HoldingthecompanyinUAEisa verylucrativeandprofitableoptionforglobalbusiness iconsandentrepreneurs.
Thecountryisconvenientforalltypesofbusinesses;it becamefeasiblebecausetheUAE’sgovernmenthasbeen workingtirelesslytoestablishtheregionasoneofthe thrivingdestinationsgloballyforthemanufacturingsector. Itattractsmorebusinessfromallovertheworld.
TheFreedomfortheManufacturingindustryinMiddle EastCountry
MiddleEastcountryhasbecomeavastspaceforthe manufacturingindustry,andthegovernmentisalso allowingtosetupmanufacturingplants.Thisimmigration oftheglobalentrepreneursandbusinessiconswillbring considerableopportunitiestothecountry
TheMiddleEasthasseveraltangiblebenefitsfor manufacturers,andithasbecomethenaturaltradehuband amaritimecrossroadsbetweenEurope,Africa,andAsia.
Allthegulfstateshavegreatconditionedportandairport facilitiesandexcellentroadtransportservices.
Theentrepreneursandbusinesspeoplewillgetareadily accessibleIndianmarket.TheGeneralCertificateof Conformity(GCC)stateshasa$1.5trnmarket.
Themanufacturingsectorsbecamecrucialfortheregion’s diversificationoreconomicgrowth.Ithasbeenthekey pillarfor2030’svisionofthemiddleeaststateslikeSaudi Arabia,Bahrain,UAE-AbuDhabi,andDubai.
Asidefromtheotherstatesofthemiddleeastcountry,the UAEorAbuDhabi’s2030svisionrecognizedthatthe industrialsectorcouldbecomethestrategicdriverforthe sustainabilityoftheregion’seconomy.
AccordingtotheOxfordEconomicsdata,UAE’sindustrial
sectorinculcatedwithextraction,utilities,construction,and manufacturingandincreasedthreetimesfrom2007-to17. Itispredictedthatitwillgrowthreetimesmoreinthenext decade.ThestateslikeSharjah,EmiratesofAbuDhabi,and Dubaihadcontributed98.11%tothecountry’sGDP
AsperTuftsUniversity’s2017DigitalPlanetReport,UAE islistedasa‘StandOut’region,andithasbeenrecognized asdigitallyadvancedanddisplayingitshighstrength.
OpportunitiesforOtherBusinessSectorsinMiddleEast ManufacturingSpace
Inthemiddleeastmanufacturingspace,increasingthenew businessventurewillhelptogrowtheregion’seconomy, andsuchbusinessesare-
• LogisticsandTransport
Inthemiddleeastregion,theOmanlocationhasthe strategicadvantageforrisingthelogisticsectorand internationaltrade;withthesupportoftheobjective, Oman’svariousindustriesareintegratingwithgovernment agenciestostandardizetheprocedureorcreatearesilient pipelineoftheindustrialinputsandoutputs.Duetothese efforts,Omanbecame1strankamongtheGCCstatesinthe worldbank’s-tradingacrossbordersindex.
TherearemanyotherbusinesseslikePowerandEnergy, HealthCare,Retail,andmanymore thathavegreatopportunitiesintheregion.
AdvantagesforBusinessesintheMiddleEast
Theseentrepreneurshavemanybenefitsfromstartingtheir businessesinthemiddleeastcountry,andafewofthe benefitshavebeendiscussedhere–
• Location
Thelocationisbestsuitedtomanybusinessiconsand entrepreneursbecauseitincludestheproximityofmarkets andrawmaterials,laboravailability,cost-effectiveenergy, andthetransportfacility AllthestatesoftheGulfcountry haveexcellentairportsandportfacilities.
• DecentralizedandDiversifiedCenter
Theregionmustsucceedbecauseithasgreatstrengthsthat indicateitsstrengthsandchallenges.Inthelastfewyears, theBahrainstateoftheMiddleEastalonehashadavast
numberofglobalmanufacturers.Theyhavesetupthe regionalhubsinthekingdom,fromgiantMondeleztoF1 equipmentsupplierofBellRacingHelmets.
• RawMaterial
Anothersignificantadvantageforthemanufacturersinthe regionistheavailabilityofrawmaterials.Bahrainhasthe largestaluminumsiteglobally,whichbringsmassive opportunitiesforcompaniesthatwanttoestablish aluminummanufacturingplants.
• BrightFuture
Economicdiversificationcanbealongprocessthatcanbe stretchedforgenerations,andthecompanieslikeQDB, SIDF,andAsyadputtheireffortsthatarepossiblewiththe suitableinvestmentinautomatedmanufacturing,training programs,cunningskills,andthecustomizedsupportfor theindustrialSMEs.
Thesecompaniesareparticipatinginthecampaignfor industrialization,whichactsasanequalizerastheGCC countryisdiversifyingitseconomyslowlythroughvarious establishments.
ConcludingWords
TheMiddleEastisanexcellentdestinationforvacation, withbrightlightingandtallorcreativearchitectural buildings.Thecountryisalsorenownedforpetroleumoil production.
Apartfromthese,thecountryopenedthegatefor entrepreneurs,businesspeople,andmanufacturerstocome upandestablishtheirventuresintheregion.
Thisdiversificationwillbringeconomicdiversificationand leadsthecountrytowardsthenumberonemanufacturing destinationglobally.
- Madhu Guleria
Mr. Fethi Khiari is the CEO of United Food Company. He began his journey in the food industry in Paris, where he did his university graduation. His first job at Nestle promised him the chance to travel around the whole world. He puts, "I have been first in Spain, then in Mexico as a category manager of the ice cream and frozen food products in each of the markets.”
After nine years with the Swiss-based multinational, in 1992, he moved to Chupa Chups, the worldwide champion of guerrilla marketing at that time. He handled the Africa-Mena region from Barcelona before moving to Colombia and later to Brazil to start local industrial setups.
Fourteen years later, he joined Iffco in Dubai to manage and grow their Tiffany confectioneries business. He shares, "It was a memorable journey Each of the three companies has its own philosophy, business model, and market approach.”
In 2012, ten years ago, he decided to quit the sugar-based confectionery and bakery activities and take on a new challenge: to manage a pure edible oil commodity industry. At the time, United Foods was heavily relying on its exports to Syria, substantially overlooking its local UAE market.
"AlHamdulellah, we succeeded in changing the business model," he says of successfully tackling that challenge.
