UAE-based Masafi got a silver jubilee gift with approval coming from a Japanese regulating authority enabling the company to export mineral water to the land of the rising sun.

The company regards Japan as one of the largest markets for Masafi water in the Far East and has appointed a leading Japanese distributor to ensure its brand will be available in all food stores.

When Emirates became the first Arab airline to operate direct flights to Japan, Masafi announced that its bottled water would be sold in commercial quantities there. Masafi distributes mineral water to the GCC states (excluding Saudi Arabia), several other Asian countries and Africa. Its products are available in China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia and Uganda and its overseas sales constitute 27 per cent of its business. The company claims it has a UAE market share of close to 50 per cent with stable and on-going growth in terms of volume and share

Abdul Rahman Al Ghurair, chairman of Masafi, said Japan represented a different challenge, as the market mechanism there was very complicated and different from that in other countries.

He described the start of exports to Japan as one of Masafi's most important achievements. While the actual quantity being sold was small compared with the company's targets and production capacity, there was great potential to expand sales.

Masfai started production with an output of 1,000 bottles per day. Its present capacity is 70,000 bottles per day from two production lines.

Ashraf Abushady, general manager (sales, marketing and distribution) said: "Our journey of 25 years has posed big challenges all along the way. Masafi is proud it has risen above all the challenges and achieved the market leadership it enjoys today."

The company has a 250,000 sq m state-of-the-art bottling and manufacturing facility located close to the source of water Ñ several rich underground springs in Masafi, a mountainous region in the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. The plant, which can produce 34,000 bottles per hour, is equipped with a technically advanced laboratory for water analysis and chemical and microbiological tests carried out by qualified professionals. All production equipment is sourced from leading global industry leaders, which ensures that Masafi provides a world-class quality product for its consumers.

It has won top international awards that recognise the brand's world-class quality achieved through strict adherence to stringent quality standards. It was awarded the prestigious ISO 9001:2000 certification for developing and maintaining a high standard quality management system.

Earlier, Masafi became the first mineral water company in the Gulf to achieve the ISO 9002: 1994 certification for quality. It has also achieved the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certification, and is a member of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and Asia Bottled Water Association (ABWA). Masafi water is tested and approved by NSF International, US, which carries out annual surprise audits on behalf of IBWA.

Masafi recently expanded its product range by introducing a new two-litre pet bottle to cater to the needs of families and households. Pet or Polyethylene Terephatalate is the material that has been used for years to bottle soft drinks and other food and medical products. The new two-litre bottle is the fifth product to be introduced in the company's mineral water product range, the others being the 330ml, 700ml, 0.5 litre and 1.5 litre bottles.

Masafi had also introduced the one-litre and 330ml normal cap as well as current sports cap portable bottles meant for customers who are always on the move. The company's diverse product portfolio also includes mineral water cups in sizes of 250ml, 200ml, 140ml and 100ml, and soft facial tissues, which have also been a market leader in the UAE for more than a decade.