for personal reasons, i decided in 1964 to drop out of daytime school and take a part-time job along with my evening studies in high school.
for some reason, i decided to respond to an advertisement from the kuwait flour mills and bakeries company, which was looking for kuwaiti employees to be sent abroad for training in the operation and management of bread-making machines.
something about the company caught my attention, perhaps because of my prior connection with it. my father used to purchase large quantities of flour bags from the company to distribute to various bakeries.
during the summer months, i was responsible for handling sales during the day and collecting payments on weekend evenings. the driver would drop me off at those bakeries in the capital and even in remote areas like jahra and fahaheel. after these exhausting tours, i would return home feeling utterly drained.
i did not want to follow in my father’s footsteps in business, and despite his repeated suggestions to work with him, i chose to pursue my own path. i decided to become financially independent, which was not easy, but it helped shape my identity and achieve personal growth.
on a stormy, dusty afternoon, i went for an interview at the kuwait flour mills and bakeries company. i remember that khaled al-saqr chaired the interview committee. i was informed that i would receive a call later. not long after, al-saqr passed away, and, fortunately, that call never came. my life took a dramatic turn. a few days later, i landed a job at gulf bank with the support of yaqoub al-jouan, who later became both my friend and business partner. that was 60 years ago, and since then, my bond with yaqoub al-jouan, my lifelong friend and distinguished partner in several successful companies and banking projects, has only deepened, instead of me pursuing a career as a bread dough professional.
i was reminded of all of this when i read about the kuwait flour mills and bakeries company’s plans to open a branch in dubai as part of its expansion strategy in the gulf and beyond.
the kuwait flour mills and bakeries company was established in october 1961 with full government ownership to ensure food security. its founding decree was signed by the late amir sheikh abdullah al-salem. the decree contained 14 simple clauses that reflected the legal situation at the time. the company’s primary goal was not to generate profits, even though its founding law granted it a monopoly on wheat imports.
in 1988, the company merged with the kuwait bakeries company, which solidified its position as a major player in the food industry. its operations expanded to include the first vegetable oil factory in the gulf region, the production and sale of animal feed, and other related products, in addition to bread, pasta, and biscuits.
from the very beginning, the company has been committed to encouraging and developing national labor. it may be the only industrial company in kuwait with a workforce that is 16 percent kuwaiti.
i believe, though i am not certain, that the late ali abdulrahman al-bahar was the first chairman of the company, having also served as vice chairman of gulf bank at the same time.
al-bahar was a model of integrity and honesty, as were most of his successors in the company’s leadership . to my knowledge, the company has never been involved in any scandals or cases of corruption. its profits have consistently been reasonable, with sales approaching kd 800 million and achieving a ten percent gain.
expansion into other countries was never part of the company’s plans, nor was it included in its founding law. while the idea is promising, it requires careful consideration. this move could be the fi rst for a government-owned company to take such a bold step. we must ensure the experiment succeeds, especially given the company’s 64-year history of success.