BMMI
BMMI is a Bahraini public company providing food and beverage distribution, retail, logistics, procurement, hospitality, and contract services across the Middle East and Africa.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
BMMI is a diversified Bahraini business group whose activities span food and beverage distribution, grocery retail, logistics, procurement, hospitality, shipping, and contract services. Its origins trace back to 1883, when Gray Paul, a British-owned merchant company operating in the Persian Gulf, established a branch in Bahrain. After a 1936 merger, the business became Gray Mackenzie & Co. Limited and joined the Inchcape Group in 1955. The company’s modern identity emerged in 1980, when the group formed a joint venture with Bahraini shareholders under the name Bahrain Maritime & Mercantile International. It was subsequently listed on the Bahrain Stock Exchange, and became wholly Bahraini-owned after Inchcape sold its holding in 1999. In 2003, its shareholder base was broadened to investors across the Gulf Cooperation Council. The legal name was shortened to BMMI in 2010. The group’s business model combines consumer-facing operations with business-to-business and institutional services. In logistics, its subsidiary Bahrain Logistics Services provides warehousing, distribution, and supply-chain support. BMMI operates warehouse facilities in Sitra, Bahrain Logistics Zone in Hidd, and Mina Salman, with combined storage capacity reported at approximately 17,000 square metres and more than 20,000 pallet positions. Its logistics and shipping capabilities support commercial customers as well as government, defence, energy, infrastructure, mining, and humanitarian organisations. Food and beverage is another central activity. BMMI distributes, wholesales, and retails food, beverages, household goods, confectionery, canned and packaged foods, toiletries, fragrances, cosmetics, tobacco, and other consumer products. The group operates BMMI Shops for beverage retail and distribution, and acquired the MacAndrew’s Scotch whisky brand in 2009, expanding its own-brand and agency portfolio across Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Through Alosra, BMMI also operates a supermarket business in Bahrain. The Alosra chain has locations in areas including Amwaj Islands, Durrat Al Bahrain, Juffair, Riffa, Saar, and Janabiyah, together with an online shopping channel. The supermarkets have promoted integrated standards covering quality, health and safety, food safety, and environmental management. BMMI has extended its food retail platform into prepared meals and cafés. Its Food Production Unit, established in 2009, produces ready-to-eat products such as salads, sandwiches, wraps, and sushi rolls. The group created Delilah’s cafés in 2015 and launched Elios Craft Cafe in 2016. In 2017, it opened Alto, a rooftop lounge at Downtown Rotana in Manama, adding a hospitality venue to its broader consumer portfolio. Through Global Sourcing & Supply, BMMI provides integrated facilities management and contract supply services. These include remote-site management, camp and temporary-structure provision, rations supply, technical sourcing, procurement, contract logistics, and food and hospitality services. The business serves non-governmental organisations, mining and infrastructure companies, and oil and gas operators in onshore and offshore environments across the Middle East and Africa. BMMI also supplies government and defence customers and operates warehousing services in Bahrain and Djibouti. Its joint venture with Gulftainer Group in Umm Qasr, Iraq, added warehousing, camp design, office management, and facilities management at the port. BMMI therefore operates as both a consumer brand platform and an institutional-services group. Its positioning rests on combining local Bahraini market knowledge with distribution infrastructure, sourcing expertise, warehousing, and regional operating capability. The company remains active as a publicly listed Bahraini enterprise with international operations, although the supplied reference material does not provide current revenue, market-capitalisation, executive, or share-price information.
History
BMMI’s corporate history begins in 1883, when Gray Paul, a British-owned merchant company active in the Persian Gulf, established a branch in Bahrain. The business formed part of the commercial infrastructure supporting trade and supply in the region. Following a merger in 1936, it operated as Gray Mackenzie & Co. Limited. In 1955, the company became part of the Inchcape Group, linking the Bahrain operation to a larger international trading and services organisation. A major transformation occurred in 1980, when the group formed a joint venture with Bahraini shareholders. The new enterprise was named Bahrain Maritime & Mercantile International, later commonly abbreviated as BMMI. The company subsequently became publicly listed on the Bahrain Stock Exchange. Inchcape divested its shareholding in 1999, after which BMMI became a wholly Bahraini-owned public shareholding company. In 2003, the company widened its shareholder base to investors throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council. In 2010, the legal name was changed from Bahrain Maritime and Mercantile International to BMMI. The group developed from a merchant and maritime-oriented business into a diversified distribution and services organisation. Its logistics platform was strengthened through Bahrain Logistics Services, established in 1997. The subsidiary provides warehousing, distribution, and supply-chain support from facilities in Sitra, Bahrain Logistics Zone in Hidd, and Mina Salman. Together, these sites provide approximately 17,000 square metres of storage and capacity exceeding 20,000 pallets, according to the supplied reference material. BMMI expanded its food and beverage activities through wholesale and retail distribution, beverage operations, grocery agencies, and supermarkets. In 2009, it acquired the MacAndrew’s Scotch whisky brand and established its Food Production Unit. The former broadened BMMI’s beverage portfolio beyond distribution, while the latter added locally produced convenience foods such as salads, sandwiches, wraps, and sushi rolls. The group’s Alosra supermarket business became a significant consumer-facing operation in Bahrain, supported by physical stores and online shopping. The company also diversified into cafés and hospitality. Delilah’s was established in 2015, followed by Elios Craft Cafe in 2016 and Alto, a rooftop lounge at Downtown Rotana, in 2017. These ventures complemented BMMI’s grocery, beverage, and prepared-food activities while extending the group into direct food-service and leisure experiences. Alongside consumer operations, BMMI developed Global Sourcing & Supply as an integrated contract-services and facilities-management platform. The unit supplies remote sites, temporary camps, technical procurement, rations, logistics, and hospitality services to government, defence, energy, infrastructure, mining, and humanitarian customers. Its work extends across the Middle East and Africa, including warehousing operations in Bahrain and Djibouti. Regional expansion also included a 2013 joint venture with Gulftainer Group in Umm Qasr, Iraq. The venture provided warehousing, camp design, office management, and facilities management at the port. BMMI’s shipping services operate in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, while its wider branches, associates, and joint ventures have supported operations in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Djibouti, Sudan, and South Sudan. Today, BMMI is best understood as a publicly listed Bahraini group combining consumer distribution and retail with logistics, procurement, contract supply, facilities management, hospitality, and shipping. Its historical evolution reflects a shift from a colonial-era merchant branch to a locally owned public company with regional supply-chain and services capabilities.
- 2017
Alto rooftop lounge opens
[1]The group opens Alto on the 25th floor of Downtown Rotana in Manama.
- 2016
Elios Craft Cafe launches
[1]BMMI launches Elios Craft Cafe in the Seef District.
- 2015
Delilah’s is established
[1]BMMI enters the café segment with the Delilah’s concept.
- 2013
Umm Qasr joint venture
[1]BMMI partners with Gulftainer Group on warehousing, camp, office, and facilities-management services at Umm Qasr Port in Iraq.
- 2010
Legal name becomes BMMI
[1]The company legally changes its name from Bahrain Maritime and Mercantile International to the acronym BMMI.
- 2009
MacAndrew’s acquisition and food production expansion
[1]BMMI acquires the MacAndrew’s Scotch whisky brand and establishes its Food Production Unit for ready-to-eat meals.
- 2003
Shareholding expands across the GCC
[1]BMMI broadens its shareholder base to investors across the Gulf Cooperation Council.
- 1999
Becomes wholly Bahraini-owned
[1]Inchcape divests its shareholding, leaving BMMI as a wholly Bahraini-owned public shareholding company.
- 1997
Bahrain Logistics Services is established
[1]BMMI establishes Bahrain Logistics Services to provide warehousing, distribution, and integrated supply-chain services.
- 1980
Bahrain Maritime & Mercantile International is formed
[1]The group forms a joint venture with Bahraini shareholders under the name Bahrain Maritime & Mercantile International, later known as BMMI.
Products and positioning
A Bahraini diversified supply, distribution, retail, hospitality, and logistics group serving both consumers and institutional customers across the Middle East and Africa.
Supermarket retail
Alosra
Alosra is BMMI’s Bahrain supermarket business. It sells groceries, food, beverages, household goods, and related consumer products through a network of stores in locations including Amwaj Islands, Durrat Al Bahrain, Juffair, Riffa, Saar, and Janabiyah. The business also operates an online shopping portal. Its operating standards include integrated quality, health and safety, food-safety, and environmental-management systems.
Beverage retail and distribution
BMMI Shops
BMMI Shops handles beverage distribution, wholesale, and retail in Bahrain. The operation includes a retail outlet at Mina Salman and has supported home-delivery activity through an online channel. It forms part of BMMI’s consumer-facing beverage platform alongside its broader food and grocery distribution activities.
Scotch whisky · 2009
MacAndrew’s
MacAndrew’s is a Scotch whisky brand acquired by BMMI in 2009. The brand is distributed in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, giving BMMI a branded beverage asset in addition to its agency and wholesale distribution activities.
Convenience meals · 2009
Food Production Unit
Established in 2009, BMMI’s Food Production Unit produces ready-to-eat foods for consumer and food-service channels. Its reported range includes salads, sandwiches, wraps, and sushi rolls, extending the group from the distribution of packaged goods into prepared-food production.
Café · 2015
Delilah’s
Delilah’s is a BMMI café concept established in 2015. The reported outlets in Amwaj Islands and Saar represent the group’s move into directly operated food-and-beverage venues and complement its supermarket, ready-meal, and beverage businesses.
Café · 2016
Elios Craft Cafe
Elios Craft Cafe was launched by BMMI in 2016 in the company’s tower in Bahrain’s Seef District. It extends the group’s hospitality activity into a branded café format.
Rooftop lounge · 2017
Alto
Alto is a rooftop lounge opened by BMMI in 2017 on the 25th floor of Downtown Rotana in Manama. It represents the group’s hospitality and leisure offering within its wider portfolio of food, beverage, and service businesses.
Warehousing and logistics · 1997
Bahrain Logistics Services
Bahrain Logistics Services is BMMI’s wholly owned logistics subsidiary, established in 1997. It provides warehousing, distribution, and supply-chain services through facilities in Sitra, Bahrain Logistics Zone in Hidd, and Mina Salman. The reported network provides approximately 17,000 square metres of storage and more than 20,000 pallet positions.
Contract services and procurement
Global Sourcing & Supply
Global Sourcing & Supply provides integrated facilities management, procurement, contract logistics, remote-site services, camp and temporary-structure provision, rations supply, and technical sourcing. Its customers include governments, defence organisations, NGOs, mining and infrastructure companies, and oil and gas operators in Middle Eastern and African markets.
Brand decisions
2017
Opening of Alto rooftop loungeProduct launchBackground
The group was broadening its food and beverage portfolio into hospitality and leisure venues.
Action taken
BMMI opened Alto, a rooftop lounge at Downtown Rotana in Manama.
Aftermath
Alto became an additional hospitality offering within BMMI’s diversified operating portfolio.
2016
Launch of Elios Craft CafeProduct launchBackground
BMMI continued developing hospitality concepts alongside its retail and distribution businesses.
Action taken
The group launched Elios Craft Cafe in its Seef District tower.
Aftermath
The launch expanded BMMI’s branded café presence in Bahrain.
2015
Launch of Delilah’sProduct launchBackground
BMMI was extending its consumer food and beverage activities into hospitality.
Action taken
The group established Delilah’s cafés, with reported outlets in Amwaj Islands and Saar.
Aftermath
The concept added directly operated cafés to BMMI’s supermarket, beverage, and prepared-food portfolio.
2013
Joint venture with Gulftainer at Umm QasrM&ABackground
BMMI pursued regional growth in contract logistics and facilities services.
Action taken
The group entered a joint venture with Gulftainer Group to provide warehousing, camp design, office management, and facilities management at Umm Qasr Port in Iraq.
Aftermath
The venture expanded BMMI’s presence in Iraq and added port-related institutional services to its regional activities.
2010
Corporate rebranding as BMMIStrategyBackground
The company had long been commonly identified by the BMMI acronym.
Action taken
Its legal name was changed from Bahrain Maritime and Mercantile International to BMMI.
Aftermath
The shorter name became the group’s principal corporate identity across its diversified operations.
2009
Acquisition of MacAndrew’sM&ABackground
BMMI sought to expand its beverage portfolio beyond distribution and agency representation.
Action taken
The group acquired the MacAndrew’s Scotch whisky brand.
Aftermath
MacAndrew’s was distributed in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.
2009
Establishment of the Food Production UnitProduct launchBackground
BMMI’s food distribution and retail activities created an opportunity to add prepared and convenience foods.
Action taken
The company established a Food Production Unit producing salads, sandwiches, wraps, and sushi rolls.
Aftermath
The move broadened BMMI’s food portfolio from wholesale and retail distribution into ready-to-eat production.
1999
Transition to wholly Bahraini ownershipStrategyBackground
Inchcape decided to divest its shareholding in BMMI.
Action taken
BMMI became a wholly Bahraini-owned public shareholding company.
Aftermath
The group continued as an independent listed company and later expanded its investor base across the GCC.
1980
Formation of a Bahraini shareholder joint ventureStrategyBackground
The historical merchant operation was reorganised during a period when local ownership and participation in Gulf businesses were becoming more important.
Action taken
The group formed Bahrain Maritime & Mercantile International with Bahraini shareholders, creating the corporate platform that later became BMMI.
Aftermath
The company later became publicly listed and ultimately wholly Bahraini-owned after Inchcape exited in 1999.
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