Halwani Bros Co.

ABOUT THE CO-FOUNDERS AND FOUNDING STORY

The Halwani family has a long history in the food industry, particularly as producers of halawa tahiniyya — an Arab sweet made from a mixture of ground sesame seeds (tahini) and sugar syrup. The family’s expertise in making halawa tahiniyya can be traced back to the 1830s. In fact, the family name itself is believed to stem from their craft, as it is derived from the Arabic term hulw, “sweet.”^{[8] [9]}

In 1952, the Halwani family’s traditional recipe for halawa tahiniyya was used by the three Halwani brothers — Mohamed Moneer Abdul Hameed Mahmoud? Halwani, Mohammed Abdul Hameed Mahmoud Halwani, and Hisham Abdul Hameed Mahmoud Halwani — as they co-founded the Halwani Bros. Co. in Jeddah.^{[10] [11]} Starting out as a limited partnership, with halawa tahiniyya as its flagship product, the company was one of the first modern food producers in Saudi Arabia.^[12]

GROWTH PHASE

The company began successfully expanding and diversifying its product line in the late 1950s, producing jam, meat items, and mamooul, a pastry filled with dates.^[13] Building on its success, it then turned to franchising and in 1962, opened a factory on the Al Mina Road in Jeddah.^[14] Six years later, the business was reorganized as a joint liability company.^[15]

In 1970, Halwani founded a subsidiary in Egypt, and the group was able to gain access to Egyptian farmland, which supplied the business with essential raw materials. This expansion proved beneficial for the group and Egypt continued to play a major role in the company’s export operations, which expanded across the Middle East and further abroad, to Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan.^[16]

Throughout the 1980s, Halwani Bros. created and patented innovative roasting ovens, peeling machines, and grinding equipment.^[17] In 1987, the company established a food manufacturing integrated factory in Cairo, Egypt.^[18] The following year the business went through another reorganization, merging its diverse operations — including Mohd Moneer and Mohd Abdul Hameed Halwani Co. Ltd. — under a new limited liability company called Halwani Brothers Ltd.^[19] At this stage, the company had capital reserves of around 130 million Saudi riyals.^[20]

Over the next decade, the company underwent fundamental changes in ownership. In 1990, the Halwani brothers agreed to sell the majority of the company to the Saudi businessman Saleh Abdullah Kamel.^[21] By 1999, Saleh had acquired all the shares held by brothers Hisham and Mohamed Moneer, gaining ownership of 80.4 percent of the company. The remaining shares were held by the third brother and co-founder, Mohammed Abdul Halwani.^[22] That December, Kamel transferred his stake in Halwani to a joint venture between Dallah Industrial Investment Co. — a Saudi conglomerate he had founded as a small business in 1969 — and Aseer for Commerce, Tourism, and Industry Co. Ultimately, Dallah bought out Aseer’s stake in Halwani and became its main shareholder alongside the 19.6 percent held by Mohammed Halwani.^[23]

Halwani Bros., backed by Dallah, continued to expand its portfolio with the launch of new brands, including Al Nakhla, Mamul, Mukhtarat, Simsima, Smsorn, Tazaja, Thini, and Top Top.^[24] In 2002, the company became the first Middle Eastern food producer to achieve ISO 9001/2012 Quality Management System certification.^[25] Halwani Bros. expanded their operations in Saudi Arabia and ventured into new markets in the Gulf region and beyond. The business went public in 2007, reincorporating as the joint stock company Halwani Bros. and listing its shares on the Saudi Stock Exchange to raise funds for still further expansion plans.^[26]

TODAY

Today, the Halwani Bros., no longer run by the founding family, is under the leadership of chairman Abdulaziz Yamani.^[27] Co-founder Mohammed Halwani, however, is still involved in the business and serves as a board member. Halwani Bros. is headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,^[28] has a total of 17 factories in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and operates nearly a dozen Saudi Arabian branches.^[29]