Managing Editor
Bhushan Bhad
naworldofastonishingtechnologiespropelling
Ibusinessenthusiaststoupriseintheever-evolving market,theagiledevelopmentofindustrialistshas expandedthespectrumofglobalmarkets.
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 assistingcompaniesinestablishingthemselvesinthisever growingmarketbutalsoenhancingthequalityoflifeofthe localcommunitiesbyutilizingtheage-oldskillsrequiredby variousindustries.
Withourlatestedition,“MiddleEast’sTop10 ManufacturingCompaniestoWatchin2022,”webringyou
themostresilientcompaniesthatexemplifythetruenature oftechnologyleadership.
WithBinDasmalGrouponthecover,youwillenjoydiving intothemarvelsofMiddleEastmanufacturerswhohave successfullyprovedtheirmettleandexemplifiedtheglobe withtechnologyleadership.
Asyouflipthroughpagesorscrollbythedigitalversion, ensuretoreadtheindustryexpertopinionthatunleashesa windowinsidethebusinessspectrumandenlightensthe worldwithtechnologicalwisdom.
Movingfurtherandaddingourflaretoyourreadingleisure, wehavesupplementedtheeditionwithanin-houseeditorial article.
Ihopeyouenjoytheread!
- Bhushan Bhad
,
Middle East has opened up new makrket and propelled business growth to unimaginable heights
AlGhurairGroup alghurair.com
ChiefExecutiveOfficer
AlAinFarmsisoneoftheUAE'sleadingDairy,Juiceand Poultrycompaniesandiscommittedtobeinganenvironmentally conscientiousfarm.
AlIslamiFoods alislamifoods.com
K.JacobJohn ChiefExecutiveOfficer
ShahidN.Khan
ChiefExecutiveOfficer
AlGhurairInvestmentisoneofthelargestdiversifiedfamily businessgroupsintheMiddleEast,withoperationsinseven distinctindustrysectors.
AlIslamiFoodsisapremiumhalalfoodcompany.Theyhave beenmaintainingtheirstandardsbyexertingtightcontroloverthe rawmaterial,procurement,production,andsupplychain operations.
AlessaIndustriesCo alessa.com.sa BinDasmalGroup bindasmal.com
Mr.Osama AbdulazizAlessa ChiefExecutiveOfficer
AlessagroupwasfoundedbyHamadAbdullahAlessain1935. TodayAlessagroupisknownastheAlessaIndustriesCompany (AIC).
GulfCenterCosmetics gccmfg.business.site
Mr.KhalifaAbdulla AhmedDasmal Chairman Mr.YousryHemdan AhmedIbrahim ChiefExecutiveOfficer
BinDasmalGrouphavebeenconductingbusinessglobally since1976.Wearededicatedtoprovidingqualityproductsand expertservicesatcompetitiveprices.
GulfCenterCosmeticsManufacturingLLC(GCCM)isSkin Care,PersonalCareandHomeCareproductsmanufacturing factoryintheUAE.
GulfCryo gulfcryo.com
LubrexFZC lubrex.net
Mr.AmerHuneidi ExecutiveChairman AbbasMoniri ManagingDirector
GulfCryowasthefirstgasmanufacturerinKuwaittoprovide industrialgasessuchasoxygenandnitrogentothebooming localpetroleumindustry.
LubrexFZCisaleadinglubricantmanufacturingcompany, registeredinHamriyahFreeZone,Sharjah,UAE.Itwas establishedin2005astheflagbearerintheUAEofagroupof lubricantmanufacturingoilexportingcompanieswithdecadesof experience.
QatarSteel qatarsteel.com.qa
AbdulrahmanAli Al-Abdulla ManagingDirector &CEO
UnitedFoods Company(PJSC) unitedfoods.ae
ChiefExecutiveOfficer
QatarSteelwasestablishedin1974asthefirstintegratedsteel plantintheArabianGulf.CommercialProductionCommenced in1978.TheCompanyhasoperatedasawhollyowned subsidiaryofindustriesQatarsince2003.
UnitedFoodsCompanyprovidesqualityproductstoour consumers–productsthataresafe,nutritious,healthy,andfull offlavor.
Over a period of
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.
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."
Middle East's Top 10 Manufacturing Companies to Watch in 2022Whenitcomestomanufacturing,BinDasmalGroupexcels ininternationalaccreditation.AlotofeffortisputintoR&D toensurethatallproductsareaheadintermsofqualityand reliability
"Customer satisfaction is paramount. This is further supported by the timeliest delivery of products and after sales service,"Mr.KhalifacitedwhenaskedabouthowBin DasmalGroupensuresthebestproductsinthemarket.
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.”
TheCOVID-19pandemichasbeenachallengeinalmost everypartoftheworldforthelasttwoyears.Ithasaffected
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.
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.”
Asatop-notchleader,Mr.Khalifahasabroad understandingofthemanufacturingindustry.His40-plus yearsofexperiencecanoffervaluablewisdomto entrepreneurswhoaspiretoventureintothemanufacturing industry
Asawordofguidanceforsuchpeople,Mr.Khalifaasks themtofocusonautomation.productcertification,export,
energyefficiency,andmobilitytoensuretheeffective commencingoftheircareerpath.
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.
Delta Duct Air Condi oning Best Accredited Inspec on Body cer ficate awarded
(DAC)
(EIAC)
for
Welfare 2018/2019
of
"Never before in the history of mankind has the pace of innovation and technological acceleration been faster than it is today.”
ScienceandtechnologyarethetwoprimarySdevelopmentsourcesoftheworld;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,andCyber PhysicalSystems(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.
ManytransformationsaretakingplaceintheMiddleEast's manufacturingindustry.Thesetransformationsarebasedon digitalanddecentralizedsystemsthatbringtechnological advancementsinmanufacturingproducts.
However,toadoptmoreadvancedtechnologies, entrepreneursarepushingtowardsmorediverseapproaches like
• Industry4.0
Aftertheindustry3.0ordigitalrevolution,industry4.0 inculcatesextensiverestructuringoftheproductionmethod
- Yannick Schilly
bysubstitutingtheiranalogandcentralizedworkflowsinto thedecentralizedanddigitalproductionmethod.
Industry4.0helpsbusinessesdesigntheroadmapsfrom theirearliercases,ROI,technology,skills,andbudgetsto acceleratethedigitaltransformation.Itenablesthe industriestobringtransparencytothemanufacturing processesandproducemorevarietyofproducts.
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.
Inthenexttwodecades,AIwilldoallthejobsthathumans perform.Everyindustryisoptingforthesubstitutehuman withthehelpofAI;ithelpstheindustriestoreducethe inventoriesanddecreasethecost.
InternetofThings(IoT)playsanessentialroleinthe manufacturingindustry,asitwillanalyzetheproduction quotasandaccumulatethecontrolrooms.Italsocanhelpin creatingthedesignsforpredictivesupportfuture.Withthe combinationofAugmentedReality(AR)andcustomer feedbackanalysis,severalimportantinsightscanhelpin drivinginnovation.
ThemanufacturingindustriesintheMiddleEastareusing VRtoknowtheupcomingthreats;aftergettingan intimation,theindustriestakeappropriateactionsandkill allthreats.
ManyindustrieshaveintegratedVRtoexaminethe productionlinesandthepossiblehazardstomaintain quality,safety,andsecurity
ArtificialIntelligencehelpssortthecomplicatedprocessof maintainingdatabasesandinventorybutselectingproducts fromawarehousestillrequireshumanresources; accordingly,ARhelpstoovercomethedilemmaandmakes theprocessaccurateandfast.
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.
Thenewtechnologicaltransformationsleadtonewhopes forthemanufacturingindustryinthemiddleeastregion, anditwillhelptheindustrytoreducecosts,maintain inventories,andstreamlineorganizations'functioning.
Theentrepreneursorbusinessiconswillalsogetan excellentopportunityandabusinessenvironmentto flourishtheirbusinessesinthecountry.Similarly,thereisa vastscopeformanufacturerstoenrichtheirproductionwith theeffectiveutilizationoftechnologyandresources.
- Madhu Guleria
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.
Middle East's Top 10 Manufacturing Companies to Watch in 2022
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
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.
anufacturingistheprimaryfunctionofany
Meconomy,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.
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
TheFreedomfortheManufacturingindustryinMiddle EastCountry
sectorinculcatedwithextraction,utilities,construction,and manufacturingandincreasedthreetimesfrom2007-to17. Itispredictedthatitwillgrowthreetimesmoreinthenext decade.ThestateslikeSharjah,EmiratesofAbuDhabi,and Dubaihadcontributed98.11%tothecountry’sGDP
AsperTuftsUniversity’s2017DigitalPlanetReport,UAE islistedasa‘StandOut’region,andithasbeenrecognized asdigitallyadvancedanddisplayingitshighstrength.
Inthemiddleeastmanufacturingspace,increasingthenew businessventurewillhelptogrowtheregion’seconomy, andsuchbusinessesare-
Inthemiddleeastregion,theOmanlocationhasthe strategicadvantageforrisingthelogisticsectorand internationaltrade;withthesupportoftheobjective, Oman’svariousindustriesareintegratingwithgovernment agenciestostandardizetheprocedureorcreatearesilient pipelineoftheindustrialinputsandoutputs.Duetothese efforts,Omanbecame1strankamongtheGCCstatesinthe worldbank’s-tradingacrossbordersindex.
TherearemanyotherbusinesseslikePowerandEnergy, HealthCare,Retail,andmanymore thathavegreatopportunitiesintheregion.
Theseentrepreneurshavemanybenefitsfromstartingtheir businessesinthemiddleeastcountry,andafewofthe benefitshavebeendiscussedhere–
Thelocationisbestsuitedtomanybusinessiconsand entrepreneursbecauseitincludestheproximityofmarkets andrawmaterials,laboravailability,cost-effectiveenergy, andthetransportfacility AllthestatesoftheGulfcountry haveexcellentairportsandportfacilities.
Theregionmustsucceedbecauseithasgreatstrengthsthat indicateitsstrengthsandchallenges.Inthelastfewyears, theBahrainstateoftheMiddleEastalonehashadavast
numberofglobalmanufacturers.Theyhavesetupthe regionalhubsinthekingdom,fromgiantMondeleztoF1 equipmentsupplierofBellRacingHelmets.
Anothersignificantadvantageforthemanufacturersinthe regionistheavailabilityofrawmaterials.Bahrainhasthe largestaluminumsiteglobally,whichbringsmassive opportunitiesforcompaniesthatwanttoestablish aluminummanufacturingplants.
Economicdiversificationcanbealongprocessthatcanbe stretchedforgenerations,andthecompanieslikeQDB, SIDF,andAsyadputtheireffortsthatarepossiblewiththe suitableinvestmentinautomatedmanufacturing,training programs,cunningskills,andthecustomizedsupportfor theindustrialSMEs.
Thesecompaniesareparticipatinginthecampaignfor industrialization,whichactsasanequalizerastheGCC countryisdiversifyingitseconomyslowlythroughvarious establishments.
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.
