Al Gurg, Unilever Arabia celebrate partnership golden jubilee

The first business venture between Unilever and the Al Gurg company was the opening, fifty years ago, of a small wholesale operation which sold a limited range of imported household staples. The first formalised partnership was forged in 1965 when 'Technical & Trading Company (Trucial States)' - TTC - was formed under HE Easa Saleh Al Gurg's sponsorship. TTC traded in consumer products as well as office furniture, refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. In 1991 TTC became a fully-fledged Limited Liability Company and in 1995 elected to focus exclusively on FMCG distribution. The company became Al Gurg Lever LLC in 1997 and is the sole distributor for a wide range of Unilever brands such as Lipton, OMO, Comfort, Lux, Sunsilk, Organics, Close-Up, Signal, Dove and Fair & Lovely, most of which are market leaders. In addition, Al Gurg Lever distributes other leading consumer products to customers throughout Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

The partnership has grown and developed over the years into one of the most professional sales and distribution companies in the region. Looking back to 1974, the business has increased by a factor of 20. In the last decade alone the company has tripled in size and has regularly achieved double digit growth in annual turnover.

"This is a partnership which has seen the growth of Dubai from a dusty village to a modern cosmopolitan city of 120 nationalities. Dubai has seen many ups and downs during these years, including many wars in the region and elsewhere, and survived to boast of many firsts in the Middle East and the world. The smooth transition from wholesaler in 1951 to the largest consumer supply chain in Dubai and the Northern Emirates in 2002 proves that a time-tested friendship and partnership remains and flourishes between Unilever and me," said HE Easa Saleh Al Gurg in a speech at the dinner.

His Excellency also paid tribute to the employees and managers of the partnership over the years including nine General Managers and three Unilever Arabia Chairmen.

"It is indeed a great honour to celebrate a unique partnership. This is one of the most successful and long-standing relationships Unilever enjoys not only in the region but in the world. Over the years one of our major strengths has been the honesty and transparency of our relationship and the fact that, regardless of the innumerable official duties Easa has, he always takes time to add value through his wisdom and insight into the market," said Unilever Arabia chairman, Kevin Havelock.

Founded in 1930, Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever is one of the largest and most successful multi-national companies in the world. With global sales of close to US $ 50 billion and some 295,000 employees, Unilever Home and Personal Care and Food products are sold in 150 countries. Every day 150 million people choose Unilever brands to feed their families and to clean their homes. In a single year 177 billion cups of Unilever tea are drunk.

Here in the GCC, Unilever Arabia employs more than 1,600 people and manufacturers household favourites such as OMO, Sunsilk and Lux in three facilities. One of these is the Lipton Tea Bag Factory in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. Opened in 1999 by HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the factory has proven so successful that it has been selected as a Unilever global sourcing site.

Guests included HE Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of Communications, Chairman of Emirates Bank International, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Emirates Industrial Bank and Dubai Investment Company, HE Juma Al Majid, Chairman, Juma Al Majid Group, Mr. Khalid Juma Al Majid, Juma Al Majid Group, Mr. Khalid Ahmed Al Tayer, Al Tayer Group, Mr. Anis Abdulla Al Jallaf, Managing Director, Emirates Bank International, Mr.Fardan Bin Ali Al Fardan, Director, Emirates Bank International, Mr. Abdulla Al Ghurair, President, Mashreq Bank & Chairman of ETA Group, Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman, Mashreq Bank & Abdullah Al Ghurair Group, Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim Ibrahim Obaidullah, Chairman, Ibrahim Obaidullah Group, Mr. Simon Collis, HM Consul General, British Embassy, and Mr. Paul Findley, US Congressman and author.

ENDS