Mars Saudi Arabia promises to develop and nurture local talent as it gears up to officially launch its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Rabigh, 130 km north of Jeddah, on Tuesday.

Sami Darouni, president of Mars Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said: “We are excited to have official opening of the Mars manufacturing facility with our key partners, government officials, Pamela Mars, executives from Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and KAEC and Muhammad Yusuf Naghi of Naghi group.”

He said: “Mars products have been present in Saudi Arabia for over 30 years, and we are proud that they are among the Kingdom’s favorites. So, it is very exciting that we now employ Saudi nationals to manufacture the products right here.”

Mars’ $80 million investment in the factory to date reflects the company’s continued commitment to world class, sustainable manufacturing, and Mars’ confidence in the country’s strong leadership and dynamic work force.

“The new Mars factory, which produces a range of Galaxy brand chocolates, is the first food manufacturing facility in the Kingdom to achieve LEED - Gold certification,” Darouni said.

“Mars is our key anchor at Industrial Valley in KAEC. We are happy that they are all set to launch the factory,” Rayan M. Qutub, chief executive officer, Industrial Valley, KAEC, told Arab News.

“We provide key infrastructure for any business to succeed,” he added.

“The KAEC continues to attract leading global companies to establish their manufacturing facilities in the Industrial Valley. To date we have signed with 82 factories, of which eight are already operational,” Qutub said.

With annual sales exceeding $33 billion, Mars operates in six business segments: Chocolates, chewing gum and confections, food, drinks, pet care, and symbioscience.

Mars entered the Saudi market over 30 years ago with the MARS, SNICKERS, BOUNTY and TWIX brands. Since then, Mars Saudi Arabia has contributed to the creation of over 850 dedicated jobs with Arabian Trading Supplies (ATS) through its long-term partnership with Mohamed Yousuf Naghi.

Mars’ sales in Saudi Arabia at the end of 2012 reached a landmark of SR2 billion.

Mars’ acquisition of the William J. Wrigley Jr. Company in 2009 made it the largest confectionery company and the third largest food manufacturer worldwide. Mars is an outstanding example of a global company, both in international manufacturing and global distribution. The company has some 75,000 associates working in over 365 sites, including over 135 manufacturing facilities operating in more than 74 countries.

The Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) region is a key market for Mars, Incorporated. The consistent investments made by the company in the region reiterate its strategic importance.

“This factory reaffirms our long-term commitment to this market, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to invest in the development of local talent. In fact we have achieved platinum level in the Ministry of Labor’s Nitaqat program, which measures the percentage of Saudis employed by our business,” Darouni said.

Darouni said the company is excited by the prospect of investing more in Saudi Arabia over the longer term, creating opportunities for Saudi nationals, and in supporting community-based programs to benefit Saudis as the company has done in other parts of the GCC.

The business is especially keen to encourage Saudi women who want to work, and for whom Mars is an appropriate professional environment, to join Mars Saudi Arabia and grow professionally, he added.

Mars associates, a term which indicates a culture where everyone is viewed as equal, were trained in Mars locations such as Egypt and the UAE, to learn from the best global practices. Experienced Mars associates from other sites were brought into Jeddah to oversee and train the new team, he added.

"Our organization is 100 years old and is based on the five principles of quality, responsibility, mutuality, efficiency and freedom,” he added.

In addition to investments in the local work force with the factory launch, Mars is putting its principles into action by ensuring the operation is environmentally responsible: Built according to LEED gold standards, which is recognized across the globe as the premier mark of achievement in sustainable building technology, the factory’s advanced technology will guarantee efficiency not only in terms of production quality but also in terms of practices in renewable energy, solar energy and waste water treatment.

Mars KSA has an extensive history in corporate responsibility and maintaining quality standards. The Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO) awarded Mars its coveted quality mark for GALAXY chocolate. SASO is one of the most distinguished local and regional authorities in matters of standardization and quality, and represents Mars’ dedication to producing high quality products.

Also, in conjunction with SASO and GSO, Mars has participated in various Food Safety, Quality and Standards conferences to share knowledge on food practices and international standards with other industry players.

To teach students about the importance of high quality products, as well as to foster innovation and creativity in the Kingdom, Mars launched the Academic Award for Excellence in Marketing for local universities.

In conjunction with the Saudi Marketing Association, Mars KSA hosted student workshops to discuss corporate responsibility and to challenge the students to creatively approach marketing projects.