In the 1960s, when the little-known BinSina Pharmacy opened its doors in Dubai, it set in motion a journey of inspiring transformation.

Al Khayyat Investments (AKI), as it is known today, is a new breed of family business working across a diverse portfolio and touching every part of people’s lives to bring them the products that matter. AKI has expanded from its original healthcare roots, and over the decades, many regional and global companies have turned to AKI to grow their market potential and deepen engagement with consumers in the region. Recognized as one of the top 25 Best Workplaces in UAE 2023 by Great Place to Work Middle East, much of AKI’s success can be attributed to its team’s pursuit of excellence and innovation.

From fast-moving consumer goods to fashion and lifestyle, contracting, automotive and more, AKI brands are now regarded as leaders in their categories.

Joint Value Creation

In particular, this year marks three decades since AKI launched its AKI Consumer Goods division, which has grown from strength to strength since 1994. As a leading go-to market partner in the Middle East, AKI Consumer Goods offers unique capabilities, cutting-edge infrastructure and best-in-class service to its partners.

The division’s expertise spans a wide range of product categories, including food and beverage, health and beauty, baby care, fabric and home care, oral care, small domestic appliances and much more. Covering more than 6,000 stock keeping units and with more than 25,000 monthly orders, the division has clearly hit a winning strategy.

“We consider ourselves a growth engine for our partners,” says Jose Alberto Esteve, CEO of AKI Consumer Goods. “Joint value creation is essential. We have tirelessly focused on creating a new way of working that can deliver our growth mindset with strategic consistency, backed by technological innovation and measurable performance.”

AKI Consumer Goods provide a complete distribution solution with comprehensive offline and online coverage, encompassing multiple consumer purchase points across modern trade, traditional trade, pharmacies, ecommerce,  professional salons, food services, fitness centers and many more outlets.

The group prioritizes collaborative brand building, working closely with partners to develop winning strategies and align objectives transparently. Their expertise lies in executing business plans with excellence, focusing on distribution, planogram compliance, secondary placements and impactful brand activation. The group’s revenue management approach, driven by skilled brand managers and key account leaders, ensures rigorous negotiations and maximizes return on investment.

Innovation-Led Growth

Enabled by its advanced technology program, AKI Consumer Goods also helps brands open new channels and expand their reach into new markets quickly and efficiently. The availability of real-time data and analytics provides insight that empowers algorithmic decision-making to help brands achieve their KPIs.

“When it comes to consumer goods, the quality of the physical product is just one element of success. Tapping into end-to-end solutions, unique value-enhancing capabilities, digital commerce expertise and executing the perfect order are just as important. It is why we work closely with multiple partners to generate joint value creation,” Esteve says.

AKI will build on this value when it launches its newest fulfillment center in Dubai Industrial City later this year. It is part of a move that will support the company’s next phase of expansion in the United Arab Emirates and the wider region. The facility will provide AKI with double its existing storage and dispatch capacity, serving more than 10,000 business customers and half-a-million consumers of home delivery services, processing over three million orders per year.

It is no wonder why Esteve is excited for 2024. “As we look ahead, we see plenty of opportunities,” he says. “We will remain focused on deploying unique value-enhancing capabilities along the way.”