Al Muhtar Sweets: A work of quality and class

Al Muhtar Sweets: When the Syrians left their country they did not leave alone, but took with them their professions and craftsmanship, which they inherited from their fathers and grandfathers, such as carpentry, jewelry and furniture making, as well as pastry making and many more.

The profession of confectionery is characterized by the need for skill, art and taste, and the industry is famous in the Levant in general and in Syria, especially since the inhabitants of this region are gourmet and creative.

Turkey was one of the most important destinations that the Syrians intended, and their stars were impressed and left their distinctive silence in all fields. One of the most beautiful stories of the success of the Syrians in neighboring Turkey is the story of the Muhtar Sweets, where the quality and the charity are, let us tell you this story.

The story of sweets chosen

Al Muhtar Sweets started from a small factory in Al-Kharqa Avenue in the Al-Fateh area of Istanbul, Turkey. However, the small area of the plant did not prevent its owners from producing the finest sweets.

In the beginning, the sweets included Nabulsi Kunafah, flavored coffeesو Halawet el Jibn, Arabic ice cream, pistachios and muhallabia. The factory specialized in oriental sweets with its famous varieties in the style of damascene cuisine.

The small factory later became a company named Al-Muhtar Group. The company was established in 2013 in Istanbul as the first Oriental Sweets Company made by Damascene hands registered in Istanbul, Turkey. It is an achievement that distinguishes the company.

The company then began selling its pastry production in its main center in Al Fateh, where it opened a sweets and coffee shop named Al Muhtar.

Al Muhtar was a Damascene cafe that serves hot and cold drinks, alongside a variety of oriental sweets produced by the company.

This has led the company towards fame, which in turn has led to the expansion of its production to meet all desires.

Internal expansion and export

Success cannot be hidden; it is what will push you forward, and this is exactly what happened with Al Muhtar. After the increase in the demand for its products, they had to expand and build a new factory, which was opened in 2016 in Motsan industrial zone in the Başakşehir District of Istanbul.

The new plant was a starting point for global expansion, not just for local production in Turkey, as the company started exporting its products.

These products were approved by international standards that take into consideration food safety and quality. The company has obtained the ISO 22000 certificate, the ISO 9001 certificate, the Halal international certificate to keep pace with the competitive environment of food industry around the world and gain the trust of its customers. Al Muhtar also adopted the latest machinery and equipment to meet the needs of the market and customers in Turkey and worldwide.

The next expansion was in 2018, where a second sales center was opened in Istanbul, the European section in the area of Başakşehir District, Dr. Necmettin Erbakan Avenue.

Expansion to Germany

In continuation of the development and expansion process, Al Muhtar Group opened its new branch in Saarbrucken in Germany in January 2019.

This plan is doubly important for the company as well as for the Syrians in Germany, who have certainly missed oriental sweets in quantity and quality.

The company gained an expanding market of Arabs and Germans, which was an important step towards expansion in European and international markets.

Muhtar means quality and class at work

Since the first day, the company has adopted a distinctive slogan:

“Quality and class at work”

The implementation of this slogan is one of the most important reasons for the success of this company, making it a leader in the confectionery industry in Turkey and Germany, and one of the most important Syrian companies exporting this product abroad.

Today, it is easy for customers to obtain selected confectionery products in the United States, Canada, Britain, all European countries and all Arab countries.

The slogan “quality and class” means that the staff of the company and the team work to select the best raw materials and avoid using preservatives and artificial flavours, striving to always be a market leader, presenting authentic and high quality products.

Good work, good planning and leadership are reasons that make Al Muhtar an example to be followed, and a beacon for all Syrians to inspire success.

Following are some of the questions answered by Mr. Omar Khalaf, founder and owner of Al-Muhtar Sweets, and his partner and brother, Mr. Bilal Khalaf:

How do you describe your entrepreneurial experience in Turkey and how do you compare it to your experience in Syria?

The experience of Muhtar Sweets is one of the pioneering experiences of small and medium enterprises in Turkey. To establish such a project, you must have the patience and the determination to face obstacles in setting up your business in Istanbul and its high expenses especially in the industrial field. Great patience is required in view of the great competition in this city. The truth is that there is no comparison between our experience in Syria and our experience here of several material, moral and governmental factors.

We hope to return to our country one day and practice our business and industrial activities without any obstacles and enrich our country with distinct industries of quality.

What are your plans for future expansion? Is there an intention to open branches in other cities inside or outside of Turkey?

We started with expansion plans in 2018 with the opening of the Muhtar Sweets branch in Istanbul’s Başakşehir District and the Muhtar Sweets branch in Saarbrucken, Germany in early 2019. This year we have expansion plans for the opening of branches inside and outside Turkey.

What is your advice for young people starting their own projects?

A confident person walks as a king

I advise young people starting their own project in Turkey to prepare a full study of this project from the market and commercial aspects, a comprehensive strategic study that gives a complete idea of profitability and capital recovery. That is especially important in the city of Istanbul, which is both easy and hard to succeed in.

How would you describe your experience with the Syrian International Business Association?

The Syrian International Business Association is an urgent need for all Syrian businessmen in diaspora around the world. Syrian businessmen are trading millions of dollars in international markets without any weight in these markets, and here was the need to unite to form an entity representing them and speaking in their name, discussing their ideas before governments, and cam defend them if they need to, through a legal office for the association.

On the positive side, we have the largest gathering of effective Syrian merchants and businessmen around the world and we have shown a will to work together.

We advise our Syrian brethren, the pioneers in business, to join the association and contribute to the building of this entity and to benefit from the advantages of being within the largest Syrian commercial bloc in diaspora.

Is there a question you would like us to ask you? What is the answer?

Yes, there is a question I wish to work on

What are the urgent needs of Syrian businessmen in diaspora, which must be met by SIBA? The answer is:

– Establish a legal entity representing and defending members when they need it.

– Linking and networking among members around the world to benefit from mutual experiences, both in terms of trade or service away from the political orientation of the members and in the interest of SIBA.

What words would you like to close article with?

In conclusion, we wish success to the Board of Directors of the SIBA to achieve its objectives and unify the efforts of Syrian businessmen for the good of our beloved country Syria and our beloved people around the world.