SAP and Atos support ambitious plans, which include constructing one of MENA's biggest state-of-the-art, eco-conscious bottling facilities

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - October 18, 2012 - SAP, the world's largest business software company, is working closely with Dubai Refreshment, the first established soft drinks bottler and leader in the UAE, to ensure that the Dubai-based bottler's regional expansion is not only well-planned but also well-executed.

Project implementation is currently taking place in collaboration with Atos, one of SAP's top global partners.

Established more than 50 years ago, Dubai Refreshment (P.J. S.C.) is the sole franchisee, manufacturer and distributor of Pepsi-Cola Products in Dubai, Sharjah and Northern Emirates.

Mana Al Mulla, Managing Director, Dubai Refreshment, said:

"The Middle East - and the UAE in particular - is one of the key growth markets of the future. With the huge youth population that is emerging in this region, the soft drinks market has accelerated in the first decade of this new millennium. Dubai Refreshments aims to be the lower Gulf's leading beverage company, driven by top caliber people equipped with the right tools and solid systems, and that means working with the best systems organizations like SAP. We are excited to be undertaking our expansion journey with Atos as our committed SAP partner."

Tarek El Sakka, General Manager, Dubai Refreshment, said:

"We have started construction of our new mega factory in Dubai Investment Park. This is a Greenfield project costing AED 500 million, and is set to become one of the biggest bottling plants in the MENA region, spanning over 140,000 m2, with the capacity to produce over 120 million cases annually, and accommodate 10 production lines with state of the art machinery. The plant will also adopt environmentally friendly initiatives to improve energy efficiency, water conservation, and reduce waste and pollution. 

By introducing proven manufacturing solutions and business intelligence software, all delivered on a mobile platform, Atos will work with Dubai Refreshments to lower its production cycle time, reduce out-of-stock situations, and improve its forecasting accuracy.

"We are looking to implement the latest SAP innovation's in FMCG industry that include (ECC 6, CRM, SCM, SRM, EWM, xMII, in addition to Vistex and BI). We are proud to be the first SAP customer for some of those systems in the region," said Anas Taraben Head of ICT Department at DRC.

Qais Gharaibeh, Managing Director, SAP UAE, said:

"Dubai Refreshments is a well-run company that is about to become a 'best-run' company like tens of thousands of SAP customers around the world and here in the MENA region."

"Together, Dubai Refreshments, SAP and Atos have developed and are implementing a plan for sustainable growth that puts demand planning at the heart of the exercise. By doing so, it will enable Dubai Refreshment to better provide for their growing number of happy regional customers while better controlling their own production, warehousing, and distribution costs. That's what it means to be a best-run company today."

Eddie Cunningham, CEO, Atos Middle East, said:

"Atos is proud to be the implementation partner to fulfill Dubai Refreshment vision of being one of the biggest bottling plant in MENA."

About Dubai Refreshment
Dubai Refreshment (P.J.S.C.) was established in 1959, and in 1962 it was awarded the sole franchisee and distributor of Pepsi Cola international Product range in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.  In 2007 DRC became a publically listed company in the DFM. DRC products include Pepsi, 7up, Mountain Dew, Mirinda, Shani,

Aquafina and Lipton Iced Tea.

About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device - SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 195,000 customers (includes customers from the acquisition of SuccessFactors) to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably.

For more information, visit www.sap.com.

Media contacts
Claire McPeak, SAP,  +971 4 330 1777,c.mcpeak@sap.com

Neil Jaques, Wallis Marketing Consultants, +971 4390 1950,sap@wallis-mc.com

© Press Release 2012