Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets
A Saudi Arabian supermarket and food-retail chain serving mass-market consumers in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets is a Saudi Arabian supermarket and food-retail company whose business spans grocery retail, wholesale, household necessities, and related consumer services. The company traces its commercial roots to the Al Othaim Trading Establishment, founded in Riyadh in 1956 by Sheikh Saleh Al-Othaim as a food-trading business. In 1980, Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets Trading Company was established to continue and expand that activity through wholesale and retail outlets. The company subsequently developed a large-format and neighborhood-oriented store network, supported by central warehousing and distribution capabilities for dry and refrigerated goods. The brand’s core offer is everyday food and general merchandise, including packaged groceries, fresh foods, beverages, household supplies, and other frequently purchased products. Its positioning is value-oriented and mass market: the business emphasizes accessible prices, broad availability, and routine household shopping rather than premium specialization. The company has also developed customer-facing services around this retail proposition, most notably the Iktisab loyalty program, launched in 2004. Iktisab is associated with customer rewards and targeted support for selected social groups, and has become an important part of the company’s relationship with shoppers. Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets became a publicly listed company on the Saudi Financial Market, Tadawul, in 2008. Its expansion has remained centered on Saudi Arabia, where the company reported 415 branches across more than 110 cities and governorates by the end of December 2025. It also operates in Egypt through Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets (Egypt), with 61 branches reported at the same date, bringing the stated total network to 476 branches. In 2024, the company opened its first Al Othaim Cash & Carry outlet in Saudi Arabia, extending its format portfolio toward wholesale and bulk purchasing. The company’s related businesses include Haley Holding Company, Al Othaim Cash & Carry Company, Bayt Al Watan Company, Mueen for Human Resources Company, and its Egyptian operations. Alongside commercial expansion, it presents social responsibility as a continuing component of its operating model. Initiatives described by the company include customer-authorized donations of residual halalas, charitable purchase vouchers, the Sanabel Al Khair program, and agreements with Saudi charitable organizations and platforms. These programs are intended to direct support toward food and essential-needs purchases. The brand has received recognition from business, retail, sustainability, and consumer-protection organizations. Forbes Middle East included the company in a ranking of major public companies in the region in 2020, while later awards cited its loyalty program, value positioning, sustainability practices, social responsibility, and retail growth. The available reference material does not establish a current revenue figure, market share, share price, or a formal corporate website URL, so those details are not included here.
History
The company’s history begins with the Al Othaim Trading Establishment, founded in Riyadh in 1956 by Sheikh Saleh Al-Othaim to trade in foodstuffs. This predecessor provided the commercial base for a later organized supermarket and wholesale business. In 1980, Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets Trading Company was established under Abdullah Al-Othaim, with the stated purpose of expanding the family’s food-trading activities through wholesale and retail sales centers. During its early development, the company expanded its branch network and distribution infrastructure. A reference milestone records the opening of branch number 14 in Saudi Arabia in 1990. In 1992, the company opened central warehouses designed for dry and refrigerated storage, strengthening its ability to supply stores and manage a broad food assortment. This infrastructure supported the company’s development from a food trader into an integrated supermarket operator. Customer-retention services became a more visible part of the business in 2004, when the company launched Iktisab. The program was described as an integrated loyalty and support platform, combining consumer benefits with subsidized access to selected food and essential goods for eligible groups. The company later connected the program with wider social-support initiatives, including charitable purchase vouchers and customer-authorized donations of residual halalas from transactions. A major corporate milestone came in 2008, when Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets was listed on Tadawul, Saudi Arabia’s financial market. Public listing provided the company with a formal capital-market presence while its operating model remained focused on food retail and everyday consumer goods. The company continued to enlarge its Saudi store network and entered Egypt in 2016, opening its first store there and establishing a second national market for the brand. Domestic expansion accelerated in the 2020s. The company recorded the opening of its 300th Saudi branch in 2022 and reported reaching 400 branches in the Kingdom in 2024. That same year it opened its first Al Othaim Cash & Carry location in Saudi Arabia, adding a wholesale-oriented format alongside its supermarket operations. By the end of December 2025, the company reported 476 branches in total: 415 in Saudi Arabia across more than 110 cities and governorates, and 61 in Egypt. The modern business includes several related entities, including Haley Holding Company, Al Othaim Cash & Carry Company, Bayt Al Watan Company, Mueen for Human Resources Company, and Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets (Egypt). Its public profile has also been shaped by recognition for retail growth, governance, customer loyalty, value, sustainability, and social responsibility. The company’s charitable activities include support for purchase-voucher schemes, partnerships with nonprofit organizations, and programs intended to help vulnerable households obtain essential goods. Specific financial and operational claims about these programs are not repeated here unless independently supported by the cited reference.
- 2025
Reported 476 branches
[1]By the end of December, the company reported 415 Saudi branches and 61 Egyptian branches.
- 2024
Opened first Saudi Cash & Carry store
[1]Al Othaim launched its first Cash & Carry outlet in Saudi Arabia.
- 2022
Reached 300 Saudi branches
[1]The company opened its 300th branch in Saudi Arabia.
- 2016
Entered Egypt
[1]The company opened its first store in Egypt, beginning its international operating presence.
- 2008
Listed on Tadawul
[1]Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets became a publicly listed company on Saudi Arabia’s financial market.
- 2004
Iktisab loyalty program launched
[1]The company introduced Iktisab as an integrated loyalty and consumer-support program.
- 1992
Central dry and refrigerated warehouses opened
[1]The company added central warehousing for dry and refrigerated products to support its retail network.
- 1990
Fourteenth Saudi branch opened
[1]The company opened its fourteenth store in Saudi Arabia.
- 1980
Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets established
[1]Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets Trading Company was formed to expand the family business into organized wholesale and retail operations.
- 1956
First Al Othaim food-trading store opened
[1]The Al Othaim Trading Establishment opened its first store in Riyadh, establishing the family’s food-trading business.
Products and positioning
A value-focused, mass-market grocery and everyday-needs retailer with supermarket, wholesale, loyalty, and community-support offerings.
Grocery retail
Groceries
The core assortment includes packaged foods, pantry staples, cooking ingredients, and other routine grocery products purchased by households. These products form the foundation of the supermarket business and support the brand’s value-oriented mass-market positioning.
Food retail
Fresh food
Fresh-food merchandise forms part of the everyday supermarket offer. The available reference material identifies fresh food as a business category but does not specify a complete breakdown of departments, sourcing arrangements, or proprietary product names.
Food retail
Beverages
The company sells beverages as part of its grocery assortment for household and individual consumption. Specific beverage brands and private-label lines are not established in the supplied sources.
Everyday consumer goods
Household essentials
Household essentials complement the food assortment and include routine cleaning, personal-use, and home-consumption products. They help position the stores as destinations for broad weekly and daily shopping needs.
Loyalty and consumer-support program · 2004
Iktisab
Iktisab is the company’s integrated loyalty program, launched in 2004. In addition to customer-retention functions, the program has been associated with subsidized access to selected essential goods and support for eligible groups.
Wholesale retail format · 2024
Al Othaim Cash & Carry
Al Othaim Cash & Carry is a wholesale-oriented format introduced in Saudi Arabia in 2024. Its launch broadened the company’s format mix beyond conventional supermarket retail toward bulk and trade-oriented purchasing.
Marketing campaigns
- 2007Residual-halalas donation initiative
Saudi Arabia
Customers were given the option of directing the remaining halalas from purchase transactions to charitable organizations.
Outcome. The initiative became part of the company’s continuing social-responsibility activities.
- 2004Iktisab
Saudi Arabia
The company launched Iktisab as a loyalty and consumer-support initiative. The program is intended to provide customer benefits and, for eligible categories, subsidized access to essential food and consumer goods.
Outcome. Iktisab became a central customer-engagement program and later received recognition in awards cited by the company.
- Charitable purchase vouchers
Saudi Arabia
The company supports automated charitable purchase vouchers that allow nonprofit organizations to direct assistance toward essential household purchases.
Outcome. The program is described as supporting vulnerable households through participating charitable associations and institutions.
- Sanabel Al Khair purchase-voucher initiative
Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets provides additional support through the Sanabel Al Khair charitable purchase-voucher initiative.
Outcome. The initiative expanded the company’s support for charitable organizations and essential-needs purchasing.
Brand decisions
2024
Launch of Al Othaim Cash & Carry in Saudi ArabiaProduct launchBackground
The company’s existing supermarket network was being complemented by a broader portfolio of retail formats.
Action taken
The first Al Othaim Cash & Carry outlet was opened in Saudi Arabia.
Aftermath
The company added a wholesale and bulk-purchasing format to its Saudi operations.
2016
International expansion into EgyptStrategyBackground
The company’s operating base was concentrated in Saudi Arabia, while its supermarket model provided a platform for regional expansion.
Action taken
The first Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets store in Egypt was opened.
Aftermath
Egypt became the company’s second reported operating market, reaching 61 branches by the end of 2025.
2008
Public listing on TadawulStrategyBackground
The company was expanding as a Saudi food and general-merchandise retailer and sought a formal presence in the capital market.
Action taken
Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets was listed on Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul market.
Aftermath
The company became a publicly listed Saudi retail enterprise.
1980
Expand from food trading into wholesale and retail centersStrategyBackground
The family food-trading business had been operating since 1956, creating a base for a more structured retail company.
Action taken
Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets Trading Company was established to develop wholesale and retail sales operations.
Aftermath
The decision created the corporate platform that later developed into the supermarket chain.
Recent events
Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets announces CEO succession[2]
Reported:
Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets said CEO Abdul Aziz Abdullah Saleh Al-Othaim would step down on September 30, 2021, and Mohsen Sager Husain would replace him starting October 1.
Sources2 sources
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