Minister of Trade and Industry honors Mars GCC for its exclusive sponsorship of the Standards and Quality symposium

Held at SASO Headquarters in Riyadh on March 23 and 24, 2008, and jointly sponsored by the Minister of Trade & Industry and Mars GCC, the workshop, was followed by a symposium on the subject of 'Standards and Quality'.

The importance of the symposium was that it brought together key people and decision-makers in the field of standards and specifications of Arab manufacturing, who contributed the benefits of their specialized knowledge and took the opportunity to exchange experiences of the standards and specification programs in their various countries.

In addition to SASO, the countries participating in the event were represented by the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization, the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality, the Palestinian Authority for Standards and Specifications, the Sudanese Authority for Standards and Specifications, the Tunisian National Institute of Standards and Industrial Property, the Algerian Institute for Standardization, the Jordon Institution for Standards and Metrology, and the Syrian Arab Standards and Metrology Organization.

Commenting on the event, Mr. Abdul-Hakeem Al Hakeem, Mars Corporate Affairs Manager in Saudi Arabia, said that this symposium is a major Arab initiative in the field of standards and specifications and that its goal is to enhance standards in the region in order to raise the quality of products and services for the benefit of consumers.

"We are proud of our exclusive support for this important event since Mars GCC implements the highest international standards, which is reflected in the excellent and distinctive quality of its products manufactured in the region," said Mr. Al Hakeem. "This is recognized by the fact that the Mars GCC factory in Dubai UAE has earned one of the highest regional and international awards, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award for Manufacturing."

"Alongside SASO, we have put all our efforts into making this workshop and symposium a successful event that achieves the objectives of ensuring a brighter manufacturing future and an increase in quality levels, especially in the food manufacturing industry since this most directly affects peoples lives throughout the Arab world."

Mars GCC, formerly known as Master Foods Middle East, works side by side as a strategic partner with local governments and decision-makers to provide consultation and advisory services that facilitate the improvement of quality and safety standards in the food manufacturing industry. Through the five principles which are considered responsible for the company's success: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom, Mars fulfills its responsibilities to the local communities in which it operates by building relationships with organizations, officials, employees, suppliers and clients, based on honesty, integrity and mutual trust.