Al Islami Foods, a leading halal food producer in the Middle East, has joined hands with Saudi-based Abbar & Zainy Cold Stores (AZCS), to boost its presence in the kingdom and tap the SR2 billion ($533 million) frozen meat market.

Under the five-year partnership deal, Al Islami products are now available in all locations within the AZCS distribution chain across the Kingdom, said a company statement.

The partnership will help reinforce channel expansion and market growth in the Kingdom, it added.

With the implementation of aggressive growth plans and strategic brand awareness campaigns, it is predicted that the Saudi channel will generate an annual turnover of over SR100 million by 2013, said a top official.

“We chose to partner with Abbar & Zainy Cold Stores because of its well-established distribution network and longstanding success with leading brands, and we look forward to the activation of this strong and mutually beneficial relationship” commented Saleh Abdullah Lootah, managing director, Al Islami Foods.

With a 28 million-strong population, the Saudi market is the largest in the Gulf region for food and beverage, representing 63 per cent of the $9 billion regional market, Lootah pointed out.

“We are certain that our reputation for excellence in producing real halal, quality products will be upheld and we anticipate that consequent company growth will be significant,” he added.

Established in Makkah in 1954, Abbar & Zainy Cold Stores has today developed into one of the leading importers and distributors of foodstuff in the Kingdom.

'Our success over the years directly corresponds with our strategic affiliations with well reputed regional and international brands and companies,” remarked Abdelkarim Abbar, director of Business Development, AZCS.

“Currently we service over 18,000 retail outlets through our direct retail distribution network.With a long term objective to increase sales by 100 per cent by 2012 we have aligned with leading international brands and we are proud to welcome Al Islami to our portfolio. We look forward to enjoying a long-term and successful relationship,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service