Al-Bayader to unveil regional expansion plans and showcase new product line-up at Gulf Food 2008

In its biggest display ever, the company will unveil its regional expansion plans and showcase its new, expanded catalogue of products. This includes several new packaging concepts along with additions to a growing line-up of eco-friendly products.

According to CEO, Nidal Haddad, the annual Gulf Food exhibition has, over the years, been central to Al Bayader's rapid growth programme.

"Al Bayader exhibited at the very first Gulf Food exhibition in 1992. However the shape of our business has changed dramatically over the years and we are no longer just a supplier of foodstuff packaging. Nowadays, our customers require innovative packaging solutions, and we are striving to further improve our offering by investing in facilities to meet the growing demand from a fast growing regional population," he said. "Today our product range is being used in an ever-diverse array of industries - from hotels to airlines and supermarkets to restaurants. Gulf Food brings virtually all our target customers together under one roof."

Haddad adds that regional expansion plans will be unveiled at the show. "These include the up-rating of our branch in Qatar which has been converted from a distribution unit into a manufacturing and distribution centre," he said. "This new facility will provide the company with 20 per cent off its total requirement of packaging products. Furthermore, by having the factory within the same complex, our logistics and distribution channels will be significantly improved.

A new version of the company's product catalogue, the likes of which are not produced anywhere else in the industry, will debut at Gulf Food.

"This has become an essential sales, reference and PR tool," adds Haddad. "It is a comprehensive guide, featuring more than 900 products, including this year, a new category of eco-friendly products, such as organic wooden punnets designed especially for fruit and vegetables. The packaging is as healthy as the fresh food contained in it and rules out the need for fruit bowls."