Pepsi Cola celebrates fifty years in the Arab world

Speaking at a Pepsi-hosted luncheon attended by many high ranking US and Arab officials, Saad Abdul Latif, PepsiCo's President - Middle and Africa Division, said that Pepsi strongly believed in the forum's theme of "One World. Two Cultures. Endless Possibilities".

"As a division we have strived and succeeded in employing some of the best available Arab talent, which has allowed us to better understand and therefore serve the needs of the local community and the Arab market as a whole," he said.

Abdul Latif praised the partnership the company enjoys with its local bottlers in the region, which has enabled Pepsi Cola to enjoy more than 50 years of uninterrupted business in the Arab World, a milestone being celebrated in 2003.

"We regard our bottlers not as business associates but as partners in the true sense of the word. It is they who have been instrumental in our growth," he told the audience of more than 250 from the world of politics and business. "While we both have businesses to run, our relationships go much deeper than this. We are all here today because we share the same principles of One World. Two Cultures. Endless Possibilities - and there are many of us in the Arab world.

Abdul Latif also congratulated the Pepsi bottlers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for achieving top standards of quality excellence across all bottling plants. "It is with honour that I announce that Saudi Arabia now ranks number one worldwide in providing best Pepsi products. Our bottling plants in Saudi have achieved the highest number of international quality awards to be gained by a single market where Pepsi operates."

"Today the Arab World is a cornerstone of Pepsi 's international business and it is one of our prime goals to celebrate a centenary of business there too. In enjoying the status of the number one brand by far, we also recognise that with this lofty position comes a high level of responsibility to everyone with whom we come into contact. "

"Our partners, like us, see their future built on local expertise. We employ some 8,000 thousand people in the region, most of whom are Arabs. " said Abdul Latif. "In countries such as Jordan, Lebanon or Egypt the majority of our workforce is drawn from the local population and we are among the biggest single employers in these countries."

"We also buy all our commodities, such as sugar, locally; our fleet of distribution vehicles comes from local agents, and we work closely with the local trade providing them with support and assistance on developing sales,' says Abdul Latif.

With a young and fast growing population and strong economic growth, plus Pepsi's ability to innovate and deliver exciting products and promotions - the company is well on track to grow significantly. However, Abdul Latif is keen to point out that despite all the success of the brands and its overall business in the Arab region, the company is more than its globally recognised brands.

"Our partners - in conjunction with the Pepsi name - play an important role in their respective communities by putting something back whenever they can. We work together to make a contribution to local society in many diverse ways such as encouraging and developing sportsmen and women. This includes working with kids at grassroots levels, " he said.

A key focus for PepsiCo today is education. At the World Economic Forum in Jordan earlier this year, the company pledged 20 per cent of its Middle East corporate citizenship and philanthropy budget to IT related projects by signing the CEO Charter for Digital Development.

"This and other business pledges we have made demonstrates that Pepsi in the Arab world has a strong sense of civic duty and responsibility to the region's youth," added Abdul Latif. "As a consequence I am delighted to build on that with this announcement in support of the conference's theme of One World. Two Cultures and Endless Possibilities. PepsiCo Middle East and Africa will be donating an additional $1,000,000 to a fund for education involving youth in the region."