Nehme

About the Founder

Antoine Nehme was born in 1930 in Haifa, Palestine, to a family that had relocated there in the late 19th century from the village of Lehfed in modern-day Lebanon. In 1860, amid a conflict between religious groups in the Mount Lebanon region, many Christian families–including the Nehmes–left their homes. In Haifa, Antoine’s father worked as a railway inspector on the Haifa–Beirut–Tripoli line before entering the textile trade.^[6] Antoine completed his high school education, but university was financially out of reach. Under British rule in Palestine, English was widely taught as a second language and served as a neutral lingua franca.^[7] Antoine therefore learned English in addition to Arabic, his mother tongue, and French.^[8]

In Haifa, then a thriving commercial hub, Antoine was introduced to the world of commerce.^[9] The city was rapidly expanding as a coastal port, with the British establishing terminals to export oil from Iraq and Saudi Arabia.^[10] Following the 1948 Nakba, large numbers of Palestinian refugees, including the Nehmes, fled to Beirut, where many sought shelter in makeshift dwellings or emerging refugee camps.^[11] The family arrived in Beirut with little more than what they could carry and lived in extreme poverty. As the eldest of eight children, Antoine assumed responsibility for the family’s welfare.^[12] As a young man, he started his professional life as an accountant at the Iraq Petroleum Company in Haifa and later learned the electrical maintenance of engines and vehicles in the Saifi district of Beirut.^[13]

In 1953, an opportunity arose for him to work in Qatar with the Contracting and Trading Company, a firm that had first operated in Haifa.^[14] To support his family, Antoine sent nearly all his earnings in Qatar back home, often going to bed hungry to save as much as he could.^[15] He married in 1965 and had four children: Simon, Emil, Alexander, and Rania.^[16]

Founding Story

Antoine worked with the Contracting and Trading Company for two years,^[17] then set out on his own, having observed a gap in the local market. During this period, Qatar was experiencing the early effects of its oil boom, which was driving the country’s first major wave of urbanization and economic transformation. The country, however, lacked a reliable source for electrical and mechanical supplies.^[18] In 1955, Antoine established his own hardware store,^[19] effectively a supermarket for electrical and mechanical goodsm.^[20] At the time, Qatar’s infrastructure was still rudimentary, with few motor vehicles or paved roads, providing Antoine with a crucial opportunity to be a part of Qatar’s growth.^[21]

When motor vehicles became more available in Qatar, Antoine, who had accumulated some wealth by then, bought two cars, an expensive investment at the time.^[22] Initially, his company imported goods from abroad for resale; it was one of the first to import vehicle tires into Qatar, stocking a renowned European brand.^[23] The store was named Anton Nehmeh, which would become the company’s first name as well.^[24] His post office box number was 99, meaning he and his company were among the first hundred in Doha to receive regular mail delivery.^[25]

In 1956, Antoine began bringing his brothers and parents to Qatar. In 1963, he purchased land in Lebanon to construct an apartment building that would provide accommodation for his family members, as well as apartments to rent for additional income.^[26]

Growth Phase

In 1972, Qatar was rapidly developing, and the demand for motorized vehicles—cars, trucks, and motorcycles—was surging. NATCO (Nehmeh Automotive & Trading Company) was established to cater to the needs of this industry, importing vehicles and making repairs. In 1974, Antoine founded the Nehmeh Radiator Factory (NRF), the first factory of its kind in Lebanon, which he would later hand over to his brothers.^[27]

The company grew as Qatar grew, and the growth phases of Nehmeh mirrored the nation’s. In the 1990s, Nehmeh shifted its primary business from importing to manufacturing. Nehmeh became one of the handful of companies that were manufacturing in Qatar and that had the “Made in Qatar” label.^[28] The company expanded beyond radiators and heat-exchange devices, adding products and services for the automotive, construction, and woodworking sectors, along with improved aftermarket support. Initially, these services exclusively supported customers using their products, but they later began offering consulting to help clients optimize workflows and plan expansions.^[29] The oil boom drew more people to Qatar in search of opportunity, which led to greater needs—more housing, more cars, more daily essentials. Whatever became a necessity, Nehmeh found a way to be involved.^[30]

In 1982, a branch of NATCO opened in an industrial area on the outskirts of Doha to cater to the needs of the industrial sector, including automotive repair centers, factories, and construction company facilities.^[31] In 1990, the transition from the founder to the two eldest sons began, and Emil and Simon began to take on many company functions.^[32] In 1992, NRF opened one of Qatar’s first heat exchanger manufacturing facilities. Initially catering to local needs, it soon began exporting to neighboring countries.^[33] In 1997, the business established an internet presence, providing information to customers online.^[34] That same year, Simon and Emil officially joined the company.^[35] In 1999, NATCO Machinery & Equipment launched in Qatar, unveiling one of the largest showrooms in the Middle East.^[36]

Antoine’s youngest son, Alexander, joined the business in 2001.^[37] Later in the decade, the company opened a new plant, allowing it to increase production and manufacture a wider range of heat exchangers as well as enter new markets.^[38] The company was renamed simply Nehmeh in 2009. The family name is Nehme, without the terminal “h”; the extra letter was added to give the business name a more traditional Arabic pronunciation, rather than the softer Lebanese rendering.^[39]

Today

Nehmeh still operates as a family business and is currently being run by the second generation. Simon was serving as chairman of the board as of 2021.^[40] His younger brother Emil serves as a partner and board member.^[41] Alexander is also a board member.^[42] The business operates in nine locations across Doha,^[43] serving over 12,000 clients in the fields of automotive, construction, heat transfer, woodworking, rental, and service solutions.^[44] In 2025, Nehmeh celebrated 70 years of operation.^[45]