Fresh Fruit from Global Brands — Chiquita & Dole

importer• Qatar• Member since 1974

Abu Khalifa Trading (ABK) is a Qatari company based in Wadi Aba Seleel, Doha. Its website says it was founded in 1974, describes it as one of Qatar's leading importers and wholesale distributors of fresh fruit and vegetables, and states that it is owned by His Highness Sheikh Jassim Bin Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Thani. The company says it began by supplying dates to Qatar some 50 years ago and has grown into the country's leading wholesaler, meeting nearly 20% of Qatar's fresh produce needs. The company says it imports fruit and vegetables from trusted growers worldwide, represents global brands such as Chiquita, Dole and Les Domaines, and that its partnerships with local and international brands keep 99.9% of fruit and vegetable lines available year-round. Its website publishes pages on fresh vegetables from Jordan imported into Qatar, which it says undergo thorough inspection and careful handling from origin to delivery; on cucumbers and mixed vegetables grown in Saudi Arabia that it brings directly to Qatar; and on fresh fruit and vegetables it sources from Dubai. It also says it supports local farmers through government-led initiatives and dedicated sourcing programmes and is part of the national food security programme. On distribution, the company says it supplies more than 300 tons of fresh produce a day across Qatar to the wholesale, retail, HoReCa and online sectors, including more than 150 tons a day for QatarEnergy's 90,000 staff in Ras Laffan. It operates from a 36,000 sqm site with 9,000 sqm built up, including a banana ripening facility (3,000 sqm), dry storage (3,750 sqm), cold storage (2,400 sqm) and freezer storage, and has more than 70 refrigerated trucks running 24/7 and a team of more than 550 people. It says it manages fruit and vegetable sections for over 200 leading grocery stores in 3 countries, including exclusive management of those sections in 19 Al Meera hypermarket outlets displaying up to 800+ SKUs, and it runs operations and sales of local produce for Mahaseel for Marketing and Agriculture Services, part of Hassad Food. The group includes Gourmet Fresh, which imports, distributes and retails fresh fruit and vegetables, and Keakado, an e-commerce platform serving businesses and private clients. The company states that it holds ISO 22000:2018 and HACCP food safety certifications, and ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 under an integrated management system. Its stated mission is to meet market demand with the freshest produce at competitive prices, and its vision is to lead Qatar with the widest range and highest quality of fresh fruit and vegetables.