Firm cashes in on anti-American sentiments

Firm cashes in on anti-U.S. sentiment
Riyadh |Reuters | Gulf News, 22-08-2002

An Iranian soft drinks firm is cashing in on a popular boycott of American products in Saudi Arabia by offering an "Islamic alternative" to U.S. brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola.

The Saudi distributor of Zamzam Cola, named after a sacred water well near the holy city of Makkah, said yesterday that demand was three times higher than forecast in the first week the drink went on sale in the east of the kingdom.

"The campaign of boycotting American products and the good quality of Zamzam Cola have given us excellent sales," Al Majarrah Foodstuffs Establishment general manager Firas Khawaja said by telephone.

Majarrah said more than four million cans of the soft drink, which also comes as a diet version, were sold in the first week.

He said Zamzam was planning to upgrade and expand production plants in Iran to meet growing demand for its drinks.

The firm was also considering setting up a plant in Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates, which would make products eligible for custom duties exemption and cut transportation costs.

Zamzam Cola already sells its products in Bahrain, Iraq and Pakistan and some African countries.