Top 10 Oldest Companies In The MENA Region

The companies included in this article belong to different industrial sectors, but they have one thing in common. They were some of the oldest in the MENA region since they were founded more than 100 years ago. So, it is really interesting to learn more about their history and how they managed to “survive” in difficult times. 

1. House of Alireza
   An Iranian family moved to Jeddah in early 1800 and founded a trading business in 1845, the House of Alireza. This family business continues its operation today. It is considered the oldest business in Saudi Arabia. Although the family business started with trading food, textiles, and more, it has now expanded its activity in many other sectors such as real estate, travel, and maritime. The business’s name changed in 1929 to Haji Abdullah Alireza & Co. 
2. Binzagr
   In 1881 Mohammed Obeid Binzagr founded the company after deciding to become a trader focusing on the regions of Europe and The East. The company has two main objectives: distribution and logistics. According to the company’s history, in 1970 started a partnership with Unilever concerning soap production. Furthermore, Binzagr started another business activity concerning soft drinks in cooperation with a company from Denmark. The headquarters of the company are in Jeddah. 
3. Bonjus
   The company’s activity is mainly in Lebanon, where it is one of the most known of its kind. It was founded in 1960. Juices and ice creams are the two main categories of products in its portfolio. The company’s products are also available for consumption in Africa and the Gulf region. The main characteristic of the company’s logo is a huge smile. 
4. Aramex
   Aramex’s headquarters are in Dubai. The company is known not only in UAE but also all over the world. The company offers delivery services for letters, parcels, and more. The company was founded in 1982 with offices in Amman and New York. 
5. Juhayna
   This is another company that specializes in the production of dairy products. It was founded in 1983, and it is of Egyptian origin. The founder of the company is Safwan Thabet. The company has four operational spots for producing and distributing the products to almost 136,000 stores nationwide. Also, the company owns a dairy farm that can host 7.000 cows. 
6. Bhatia Brothers
   The company was founded in 1957, and its headquarters are in Dubai. However, it has offices in many other regions in the UAE. At the same time, its business presence has expanded in some European countries. Bhatia Brothers is one of the UAE’s largest companies focusing on industrial sectors such as oil and gas, construction, and hospitality. 
7. National Bank of Egypt
   The headquarters are in Egypt, and its foundation dates back to 1898. Nowadays, the bank has 540 branches in Egypt, while the total assets in 2019 were counted to be almost 85 billion dollars. Six partners founded the bank. There is one branch out of Egypt, basically the one and only subsidiary out of Egypt, and it is located in London. 
8. Middle East Airlines
   The company was founded in 1945, and its headquarters are in Beirut. The flights started on the 1st of January 1946. It has 20 airlines, and it flies to 33 destinations. Mohamed El Hout is the CEO and President of Middle East Airlines. 
9. Etisalat
   The company’s portfolio belongs to the telecommunication sector. It was founded in 1976 with headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Over the years, it has gained new markets in 16 countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The company recently differentiated its logo by adding the “e&.” 
10. Gulf Air
    It was founded in 1950, and its first name was Gulf Aviation. This name was given by its first founder Freddie Bosworth. Of course, it is nowadays owned by the state of Bahrain. Over the last years, the company had losses in net profit, so it is in the process of finding solutions in order to start gaining profit again. 

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