Cola has unveiled plans around its new bottling plant which is expected to be ready by 2019 in Sudair City for Industry and Business. The plant, which exceeds 187,000 sqm, will create jobs for more than 200 Saudis and include production lines for soft drinks and bottled water, seeing an investment of up to SR300 million. The plant will play a key role in supporting the operations of Coca-Cola in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, enabling additional production and capacity. The new plant will leverage state-of-the art technology to support Coca-Cola's capacity, productivity and capability. The selection of Sudair City for Business Industry by Coca-Cola as the site of its upcoming facility reflects the strategic importance of the city as a promising platform to several manufacturing options, owing to its location at the crossroads of the railway line and its proximity to the capital Riyadh. Samer M. Al Khawashki, President, Consumer Division - Olayan Financing Company and Managing Director, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Saudi Arabia, said: "Coca-Cola is committed to investing in the Saudi market, considering the vast economic opportunities as well as the large consumer base. Our commitment is aligned with Kingdom 2030 vision to build a strong and solid economy, and ensure the growth of the retail sector while creating job opportunities for youth. There are many promising investment ideas, within the new trends unveiled by the Kingdom 2030 vision, which requires us to take advantage of it to achieve this in order to promote the local economy." As part of its program of social responsibility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Coca-Cola strives to empower and provide young people with what they need to become socially responsible members in their communities through the Ripples of Happiness (Amwaj Farah) program, a joint program with INJAZ Al-Arab. By means of this program, the company aims to instill a sense of entrepreneurship in the spirits of the participants, and prepare them to join the workplace. Furthermore, Coca-Cola uses the program to train college students on how to identify opportunities in their communities, and how to implement ideas and projects that have a positive impact, as a strategy to encourage other members of the community to follow suit, thus creating a "positive ripple effect" that will continue to spread after each program semester ends. Considering its firm commitment to build sustainable communities, Coca-Cola focuses on initiatives that aim to preserve the environment, provide safe and integrated work environments, and finally promote economic development in communities in which it operates.
