The UAE’s Al Islami Foods plans to penetrate the Iranian market as part of its strategy to consolidate its presence in regional markets before venturing in a serious way into global markets including those in Europe.

It considers Iran an important market where there is ample demand for genuine halal food. The processed food industry in the country is estimated at $600 million with annual growth at 16 per cent. 
Al Islami Foods CEO Saleh Abdullah Lootah said the expansion into new markets was critical to the company’s growth and part of its five-year strategic global expansion plan to evolve as an important player in the international processed food industry.
“With demand for real halal food products increasing worldwide, Al Islami Foods is well-positioned to enter new regions and consolidate its leadership stature,” he said.
“The expansion process is critical to our business and a continuation of our efforts to meet our aggressive growth goals.”
Al Islami Foods’ production and management operations in Iran will strictly conform to its strict food preparation and processing standards.
With the recent completion of infrastructure such as new offices, warehousing facilities and management teams, Al Islami Foods is set to introduce a number of products from its vast portfolio in a phased manner.
Lootah said the decision to enter Iran was finalised following detailed feasibility studies in this high-consumer market.
“We are constantly looking at new regions where we can introduce the Al Islami experience and build our brand equity.
“At the same time, we are keen on meeting the food and nutritional requirements of our consumers who demand nothing but only genuine halal food.
“The insight gained from the research has been used towards developing our sales projections and improving site selection efforts,” he explained.
Founded in 1981 by the Dubai Co-operative Society, Al Islami Foods has established itself as a leading player in the GCC’s processed food industry, employing the most advanced international technologies in its operations to offer fresh and healthy products.
The coming months will see Al Islami concentrating its efforts towards consolidating its presence in Europe, where it anticipates a tremendous potential to accelerate the brand’s growth, Lootah said.
In 1991, Co-op Islami’s meat processing plant was established in the Jebel Ali Free Zone.
With this plant, it gained recognition as a genuine producer whereas earlier it had its food items produced overseas on its behalf.