Coca Cola transfers regional headquarters to Bahrain

The US Coca Cola company for soft drinks has stated that it will transfer its regional headquarters for the Middle East and North Africa from the city of Selo, west London to Bahrain before the end of next summer.

The company's regional director for foreign affairs and public relations in the Gulf region, Bashar al-Qadi, said that this move aims at increasing the share of the company in the market which occupied 45% in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, saying that Coca Cola has invested some US $400 million in these areas during the past five years and will invest some US $200 million within three years until the year 2002.

Al-Qadi stated that his company will move to Manama because it wants to be close to the market of the promising area (of great consumption), whose population growth is estimated at 20% per year. He added that the company is planning to open a factory in Algiers at a cost of US $25 million.