

Ahmadi Dairy, a division of Ahmadi Industries, claims a market share of 40 per cent among local brands and 25 per cent among foreign ones in Bahrain.
Its product range encompasses ice creams, milk, yoghurt, laban and juice products. Production was around 10 million litres in 2008 against 9.25 million litres in 2007 and 11 million litres in 2006.
Ice cream and juice products accounted for half its turnover in 2008, said Ahmadi dairy manager Abdulaziz Fathalla.
The company used to export 20 per cent of its production to Saudi Arabia and Qatar and operated branches in Saudi Arabia but lately all exports have ceased which Fathalla said was because competition from local companies was severe.
The company introduced in 2008 sugar-free ice cream in vanilla, strawberry and chocolate and expects total production in 2009 to reach 12 million litres.
The company has entered the business of trading in foodstuffs and has the sole agency in Bahrain for Al Watania frozen chicken, Sara frozen cakes, 3 Chef’s frozen chicken products, pure Aqua bottled water and Basmati rice.
Al Ahmadi Dairy, a fully Bahraini owned company, was established in 1982 by the late Abdulla Hussain Ahmadi with a plant built by Alfa Laval. It started with ice cream but diversified in three years to produce the other products in its range. Shareholders of the company are members of the Ahmadi family.
According to other details provided by Fathalla, the company operates 15 distribution trucks and has a staff of 72.