Alpha Middle East (Alpha ME) is the trading hub for the seafood buyers and sellers of the world. At Alpha ME, we have a team of qualified and experienced professionals who are stationed as different parts of the globe. It is their responsibility to locate quality seafood suppliers, approve for purchase and post as available stock for sale on to our web based virtual warehousing facility.

Every plant that we procure our material from is pre-approved by the resource development team, by using our standard procedures for vendor selection. This means that the quality of raw material used, the process, the packaging, the shipping, and the documentation is all standardized. Strategic collaborations and ventures in the different parts of the world have given us the edge in procuring and processing various types and substantial volumes of seafood from these zones.

The company also has the geographical advantage of being located at the center o some of the rich fishing areas of the world, with easy access to coastal areas of the Indian Ocean. Therefore countries in the Middle East, Africa, the Sub Continent and Far East and South East Asia are the primary sourcing regions for the Alpha Middle East Operations.

Located in Dubai, we can boast about being connected to the whole world with excellent air and sea routes.

The first generation of the Karim Kurji family migrated from India to Kenya in the year 1906. The family existed in the manner of extended joint families in terms of business management and lifestyle. With the passage of time, development of business was a natural outcome of entrepreneurship and the family prospered and established the identity of Alpha Group of Companies, today run and managed by the third generation of the Family.
 

At present, Alpha Group directly employs over 3,500 people in its companies including professional expatriate staff in specialized areas in the management of the companies, under the supervision of the Directors. Alpha Group provides indirect employment to another 1,000 people through the support staff in the fishery-related activities.
Alpha Group can be visited on the web site www.alphaafrica.com or www.alphauganda.com.

Alpha Group has a strong presence in several major export oriented industries and the activities are consolidated in its two divisions i.e. the Food Division and the Marine Division.

The Food Division covers:

	Freshwater Nile Perch processing and exports.
	Added value Fish, Meat and Poultry products distribution.
	Distribution of a wide range of fine foods, temperature controlled and other food products
	Dairy production including milk, butter and ice cream.

While the Marine Division covers various activities related to fishing and marine engineering and can be listed as:

	Middle water prawn trawling and processing on board, off the Kenyan coast.
	Shallow water prawn trawling and processing on board, off the Tanzanian coast.
	Deep Sea fishing and processing on board, for Tuna and Langostinos.
	Marine Engineering and Dry - Docking of ocean going vessels.

The present annual turnover of the Alpha Group exceeds US Dollars 90 million, a substantial portion of which is attributed to the exports of Nile Perch and other Marine products. The Group is continuously striving to expand and diversify in its activities and range of products. The Group specializes in dealing with temperature-controlled products in which it has a considerable advantage over other trading houses in East Africa.

With the current trend in its activities and with the development of key new projects over the coming years, the Group’s turnovers are projected to exceed US Dollars 130 million by the year 2006.

THE MARINE DIVISION

The following activities are carried out under the Marine Division, based in Mombasa, Kenya and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Group owns and operates:

Five – 25 meter prawn trawling factory vessels. Three operating off the coast of Kenya (Alpha Manyara, Alpha Serengeti, Alpha Amboseli – EU Approval numbers 12, 13 & 14 WB/KEN respectively), two operating off the coast of Tanzania (Victoria VII ex Marine VII, Challenger ex Tsavo - EU approval numbers B118 & B124 respectively).

Three - 18 meter prawn trawling factory vessels operating off the coast of Tanzania (Victoria IV, Victoria V, Victoria VI – EU Approval numbers B115, B116 & B117 respectively).

A refrigerated factory barge for processing and freezing of prawns and Octopus off the coast of Mafia Island, Tanzania (Commander- EU Approval number A-PP-119).

Land based Processing facility in Mafia Island (EU approval number A-PP-120)

A Logistics vessel for movement of export cargo from the Commander and Land based Processing facility (Mafia) to Dar Es Salaam (Titli)

Three oil transporting vessels for providing Bunkers to the Group’s vessels as well as other vessels calling into the Port of Mombasa (Ascot, Alpha K, Seco 500).

A fully equipped ship-yard in Mombasa, owned by Southern Engineering Company Ltd., providing general engineering and vessel building facilities, ship repair and maintenance services and a modern floating dock, the only one of its kind between the Horn of Africa and South Africa.

The activities of the Marine Division are fully integrated and also provide substantial support in the Nile perch operations in the form of complementing the fishing effort on the lake. All the fish collection barges and vessels are designed and fabricated in-house. This ensures that the Group maintains its lead in sourcing the right quality raw material apart from the fact that the investment in people and infrastructure guarantees a reliable and steady supply of raw material.

NILE PERCH PROCESSING COMPANIES:

The following companies operate under Fish Sub-Division of the Food Division

East African Sea Food Ltd (Kisumu, Kenya) – Nile Perch
    Division

	Uganda Fish Packers Ltd (Kampala, Uganda)
	Tanzania Fish Processors Ltd (Mwanza, Tanzania)
	Musoma Fish Processors Ltd (Musoma, Tanzania)
	Masese Fish Packers Ltd (Jinja, Uganda)

OTHER FOOD DIVISION COMPANIES

The following companies operate as separate profit centers under the Food Division:

	Alpha Fine Foods Ltd (Nairobi, Kenya)
	Fine Foods Ltd (Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania)
	Alpha Dairy Products Ltd. (Nairobi, Kenya)
	Alpha Dairy Products (U) Ltd. (Mbarara, Uganda)