The Arab-Irish Chamber of Commerce has presented Alastair McGuckian with an Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of the Antrim businessman’s major contribution to the development of Arab-Irish trade.

Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the vertically integrated dairy industry, McGuckian is founder and former CEO of Masstock, which he founded in 1970 with his brother Paddy.

Masstock helped establish a modern day dairy industry in Saudi Arabia and in 1977 founded Almarai, (meaning the pasture in Arabic) a joint venture with Prince Sultan Bin Mohamed Bin Saud Al Kabeer. Almarai became the leading food company in the Middle East with 40,000 employees, a 65% share of the milk market in Saudi Arabia together with one of the largest dairy herds of its type in the world.

Almarai was established as part of a general movement in Saudi Arabia to achieve food security through self-sufficiency, with Alastair McGuckian is credited as the driving force behind the enterprise.

Speaking at the trade body's annual forum in Dublin Castle, chamber chairman Joe Geoghegan commented: Who’d have thought it would be possible to establish a dairy farm of such scale in the middle of the desert, but that’s what the McGuckian brothers did. Alastair has led the way for the more than 450 Irish companies doing business in the Middle East and Gulf region today and Masstock/Almarai is a wonderful example of what can be achieved in what has become a land of opportunity for Irish businesses.”

In Association with

An accomplished pianist and tin whistle player, McGuckian (pictured below) has written a number of musicals and operas including The Ha’penny Bridge.

According to Geoghegan, Irish exports to Arab markets amounted to €5.3 billion in 2015, up from a previous high of €4 billion in 2014.  New and emerging markets will be examined, including Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Egypt registered the highest level of Irish export growth to the region, soaring by 84% to €310m in 2015.

Irish exports to Saudi Arabia increased by 33% to €1 billion, Kuwait was up 28% and the UAE up by 23%. Most growth was attributable to the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors, valued at €1.6 billion and representing 60% of total Irish exports to the region.

Photo: L-R Ahmad Younis, Arab-Irish Chamber of Commerce; Aidan Cotter, Bord Bia; Enda Corneille, Emirates; Joe Geoghegan, Arab-Irish Chamber of Commerce; and Peter Jackson, Enterprise Ireland. (Pic: Maxwell Photography)