Masafi: The Leading Producer Of Bottled Mineral Water In The Gulf

Leading Producer of Mineral and Bottled Water in the Arabian Gulf

Masafi was established in 1976. As a unique brand that has been holding the market leadership for the past 40 years, Masafi has today become a generic name for mineral and bottled water in the entire Gulf region. It has acquired this status symbol by providing world-class products known for their pure natural freshness.

Masafi aims to strengthen its market leadership by constantly enhancing the excellence of its products through a process of continuous reinvestment and innovative manufacturing and marketing strategies. Masafi has a wide range of products to offer, ranging from a two-litre mineral water bottle to mineral water cups and soft facial tissues.

Masafi's popularity in the Middle East region is largely due to its commitment to delivering superior quality products. Masafi's strict adherence to international quality standards has been well rewarded. It became the first recipient of the ISO 9002 certification in the region and won the ISO 9001:2000 certifications for developing and maintaining a high standard Quality Management System. The company was also awarded the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) & NSF certifications.

Masafi water is unadulterated, untampered and completely natural water. It has been tested and endorsed by all key regulatory and industry authorities. Masafi is a member of International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and Asia Bottled Water Association (ABWA). Masafi water is tested and approved by NSF International, U. S. A., which carries out annual surprise audits on behalf of IBWA.

Masafi is committed to environmental conservation. Its stand on this critical issue is reflected in its eco-friendly PET packaging. PET or Poly Ethylene Terephatalate, is a material that has been used for years to bottle soft drinks and other foods and medical products.

The origin of Masafi water lies in several rich underground springs of Masafi, a mountainous region in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. The natural mineral rich water is packaged at a modern bottling and manufacturing facility near the source in Masafi.

As a forward-looking company Masafi has focused its future on innovation and business excellence. The well equipped PET bottling plant, which can produce 34,000 bottles per hour, was the first of its kind to be set up in the region, and reflects Masafi's desire to keep pace with technological advances. Masafi was also the first to introduce mineral and bottled water vending machines in the region.

Throughout its 27-year history, Masafi has invested heavily in projects that benefit the community and also helped sponsor international sporting events held in Dubai including the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament and the ATP tennis championships. Masafi water has been drunk by top stars like Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie and Boris Becker and Martina Hingis. Masafi has also forged a partnership with the international humanitarian and medical relief organisation, Medècins Sans Frontiéres to help create awareness and generate funds for refugees around the world.

Masafi Wins Top Awards From The
Prestigious International Bottled Water Association
In a major triumph for Masafi Mineral Water Company, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), the largest bottling body in the world, has awarded the UAE company with several top awards at the prestigious IBWA Aqua Awards 2004. This includes the 'Plant Manager Of The Year' title to Mamdouh Ali Abd El Wahab, Factory Manager of Masafi. A top panel of judges at the IBWA Aqua Awards also selected Masafi as its Best Of Show  for marketing campaign; Best TV Commercial; Best Outdoor Advertisement; Best Point Of Purchase Material and Print Advertising. All these awards were received by Mamdouh Ali Abd El Wahab, Factory Manager on behalf of Masafi.

Ashraf Abushady, General Manager of Masafi, who represented the company at the First International Water Bottlers Convention at Evian in France as a panel speaker, said: "It is a great honour for Masafi to have won the prestigious awards from IBWA. IBWA Aqua Awards are the most significant of the numerous accolades that Masafi has received so far. Mamdouh was selected for the top award for his many strengths notably a unique leadership style, teamwork, flexibility plus a commitment to professional development. He has indeed made us proud.

He added: "The awards that we won also reflects our commitment to developing innovative marketing and production strategies, and is testimony to the great support and dedication of our business partners, distributors and associates".

Mamdouh Ali has been with Masafi for the past six years, first as Production Manager at the Masafi plant in Ras Al Khaimah before he was placed in charge of the factory. He is currently responsible for all factory operations and executes overall supervision of all production activities, handles the planning and implementation of new projects as well as evaluation of the performances of factory staff. He is also and is responsible for reviewing quality standards (IBWA, ABWA, NSF, WHO, FDA, ISO 9001:2000, HACCP) and for analyzing the need implementation of any new quality standards with regard to safety and hygiene.

The IBWA Aqua Awards is an annual event of great renown within the international bottled water community, and is organised by the International Bottled Water Association to recognize and reward innovation for outstanding contributions in the field of marketing and public relations among bottled water companies and suppliers across the world, as well as among individuals in this specialized field.

Masafi has been the market leader for the past 40 years in the mineral water business in the UAE and GCC states. The company aims to further strengthen its market leadership by continuously enhancing the excellence of its wide range of products through its commitment to innovation and providing safe and healthy drinking water.