Alrifai
 | |
| Company type | Privately Held |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail | FMCG |
| Founded | 1948 (Beirut) |
| Headquarters | Beirut, Lebanon |
| Products | Nuts, kernels, coffee, confectionery, chocolates, gifting |
| Website | alrifai |
Rifai or Rifai Nuts is a Lebanese multinational nut-retailing company headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon. It is the largest nut-retailing chain in the Middle East and the company with the biggest market share in Lebanon.[1]
History
Al Rifai traces its origins to Hajj Moussa Al Rifai, who began his career hand-roasting nuts and briefly operated out of a small bakery in Tyre before relocating and training in the roastery industry in Beirut. After approximately twelve years, he inaugurated his first formal outlet—a modest 2×3 m shop in Beirut’s Mazraa (Barbour) district—in 1956, where he continued his roasting craft using a manual gas-powered stone basin. Early advertising was achieved through sampling, not media [oai_citation:6‡RIFAI](https://store.alrifai.com/blogs/blog/the-man-behind-the-name-meeting-hajj-moussa-al-rifai-1?srsltid=AfmBOop9VVZsxeJHJK_u_gBjGKf5Ia4mqujLrgw_ACC9cY9tlCFKiwrK&utm_source=chatgpt.com).
By 1948 (or soon after) he had already established a small shop that, through persistent quality and gradual modernization—including technology such as advanced packaging and screening machinery, as well as exports to Africa and North America—laid the foundation for national and regional growth [oai_citation:7‡Wikimapia](https://wikimapia.org/30696843/Al-Rifai-Roastery?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
His son, Mohamed Al Rifai, furthered the company's expansion. Under his direction, the business introduced innovative packaging in the 1970s, launched its first television advertisement around 1980, and earned multiple international quality awards. The brand established branches in key retail locations across Lebanon, and expanded operations into neighboring markets such as Kuwait .
In January 2012, Qatar First Investment Bank acquired a 15% stake in the company, reflecting its growing regional appeal and investment interest .
The company’s ownership changed significantly in **March 2021**, when MERIT—an investment holding of the Saadé family (linked to the CMA CGM Group)—acquired 100% of Al Rifai. Reports valued the deal at approximately **$50 million**, with prior ownership attributed to Mohamed Al Rifai (70%) and Qatari backers (30%) . Shortly afterward, in **2022**, Rifai opened its Paris branch at 109 avenue Victor Hugo, marking a tangible step in its global expansion .
References
- ^ Speetjens, Peter (30 September 2014). "Nuts for nuts". Executive Magazine. Retrieved 15 September 2020.