Baladna (company)

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This article is about the Qatari dairy company. For the Syrian newspaper, see Baladna. For the Egyptian talk show, see Baladna bel Masry.
Baladna Food Industries
Company typeListed company
IndustryFood Industry
Headquarters
Al Khor
,
Qatar
Number of locations
Al Thakhira
Key people
Moutaz Al-Khayyat (Chairman)[1]
Revenue815,000,000 QAR (2020) [2]
152,000,000 QAR (2020) [2]
Websitewww.baladna.com

Baladna is a Qatari agricultural company that raises livestock and produces dairy products. It is Qatar's largest locally-owned food and dairy producer, supplying over 95% of the country's fresh dairy products.[3]

Baladna was co-founded by Syrian-Qatari businessman Moutaz Al-Khayyat[1] and Ramez Al-Khayyat, and is part of Power International Holding.[4] The farms and Dairy Factories are managed by CEO Malcolm Jordan.[5]

History[edit]

The company was founded as a sheep and goat farm.[6] In May 2017, it began producing processed dairy for qatari products for the Qatari market.[6]

In the wake of the June 2017 suspension of diplomatic ties of several Gulf countries with Qatar, Baladna, with state support, expanded rapidly into producing cow's milk, which had been supplied to Qatar primarily by Saudi Arabia.[7][8] The company purchased 3,400 cows, and began milking them in July at a farm in Umm al Hawaya.[7] Baladna planned to continue expanding its herd.[7][9]

The farm is now home to 22,000 cows, with a potential current capacity of 24,000. The cows are fed hay imported from Asia, Europe and Africa.[10] Baladna's current facilities cover 2 million square metres and are spread across two farms that house 40 barns with state-of-the-art milking parlours.[11] Baladna has a current capacity to manufacture 700,000 to 900,000 litres of beverages per day. About 80% of the farm's output is enough to meet domestic Qatari demand, with the remainder exported.[7] Baladna’s main goal is to reach self-sufficiency of dairy production in Qatar. After reaching self-sufficiency, the company moved to exporting their dairy products and began producing juice products.[12][13]

On 17 October 2019, Baladna announced its intention to float on the Qatar Exchange.[11] By the end of October, Baladna launched an initial public offering that is expected to raise 1.426 billion riyals ($392 million). The stocks were offered only to Qatari individuals and companies at first. However, foreigners will be able to own up to 49% of shares from an unspecified future date.[14]

In June 2019, exactly two years after the diplomatic crisis, Baladna confirmed that it is now supplying half of Qatar’s fresh milk. The company also started exporting milk to Afghanistan and Yemen with plans to extend to Oman and other countries eventually.[15][16] By early 2021, the company was exporting to eleven countries including Pakistan and Libya,[17] and targeting revenue growth of 15-20% revenue growth annually over the following five years.[18]

Baladna launched a budget-conscious brand, Awafi, in 2020 in response to consumer trends in the region.[19] On 6 August 2020, the company announced a 7-month net profit of QR 84million and revenues reaching QR 442million, which they attributed to improved productivity “positively strengthening margin delivery”.[20] Speaking to Bloomberg Daybreak about the results, Managing Director Ramez Al-Khayyat said Baladna planned to continue growing its product portfolio, and increase its presence and exports outside of Qatar.[21]

In 2021, the company announced its intention to invest in crop farming. In Europe, Baladna will invest in 5,000 hectares of land in Romania, intended to grow 85% of the feed for Baladna’s herd. The company also intends to grow crops in Qatar for the first time, using centre pivot irrigation to cultivate alfafa for cattle feed.[22]

Baladna became a founding member of the Children's Museum of Qatar in June 2021.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Qatar will have enough milk by Ramadan: Baladna". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Baladna Annual Report" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Your Food, Made in Qatar". Marhaba l Qatar's Premier Information Guide. 2019-08-21. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  4. ^ "Baladna Farm to meet total dairy demand Qatar". DairyGlobal. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  5. ^ "Baladna CEO Kamel Abdallah resigns, replaced by Malcolm Jordan". Qatar tribune. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Baladna in deal with ABA Group to distribute dairy products". Gulf Times. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d "Qatar builds dairy industry in desert as it defies Arab boycott". Reuters. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  8. ^ Mufson, Steven. "How Qatar's cows show the growing resistance to a Saudi-led boycott". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-07-21.
  9. ^ "Land of milk and money: Qatar looks to farms to beat the Gulf boycott". The Guardian. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Milking it: investors hope Qatar's desert dairy will be cash cow". France 24. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  11. ^ a b "Qatar's dairy company Baladna to raise around $392 million in IPO". Reuters. 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  12. ^ "Qatar to become self-sufficient in dairy products". thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  13. ^ foodnavigator-asia.com. "Self-sufficiency drive: Qatar's largest dairy producer Baladna forays into fruit juice market". foodnavigator-asia.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  14. ^ "Milking it: investors hope Qatar's desert dairy will be cash cow". France 24. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  15. ^ "With cows, chickens and greenhouses, Qatar takes on regional boycott". Reuters. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  16. ^ dairyreporter.com. "Malaysia to set up its biggest dairy farm with help from Qatar". dairyreporter.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  17. ^ Baladna's Al-Khayyat on Expansion, Integration, retrieved 2021-07-07
  18. ^ "Qatar's Baladna targets 15%-20% annual revenue growth over next 5 years". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  19. ^ foodnavigator-asia.com. "Baladna CEO Exclusive Part II: Middle East dairy industry currently driven by value consciousness, affordability and home cooking trends". foodnavigator-asia.com. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  20. ^ "Baladna posts 7-month net profit of QR84mn; revenue reaches QR442mn". Gulf-Times (in Arabic). 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  21. ^ "Baladna MD: Will Continue to Grow Our Product Portfolio". Bloomberg. 2020-08-11. Archived from the original on 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  22. ^ "Bovine heroes: The quest for food security in Qatar". Qatar-Tribune. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  23. ^ "Children's Museum of Qatar names Baladna as founding family member". www.thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
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