The Badr Hassoun Company, manufacturers of soaps and cosmetic products, is establishing a new ‘environmental’ village for traditional production in Dahr El Ain, Koura. The village will officially open by mid-summer.

The Badr Hassoun Company moved its factory from the Abou Samra region in Tripoli to its new location in Koura. The village stretches over 15,000 square meters with an investment of around $20 million. Badr Hassoun, the owner of the ‘village’, said: “We aim to expand our operations and to offer more environment-friendly products. For this reason, different plants needed for our industry are planted in the village, such as lavender, raspberries, and olives.”

The company produces a wide variety of products under the brand names ‘Khan el Saboun’, ‘Finikia’, and ‘Nabta’ which include cosmetics, lotions, creams, detergents, and different kinds of soap.

The company’s entire production is exported to Gulf countries, the USA, Australia, Canada, and Africa. “Our products enter the international markets easily, because we have the ISO 22716 certification,” said Hassoun. The current value of the village produce is about $1 million yearly, but with the new investment, total sales are expected to rise.

The Badr Hassoun Company has branches in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The company also had 15 retail shops in the local market, but they were closed during the 2006 war. Hassoun said: “We intend to reopen retail shops, but we are waiting until the political and security conditions improve.”

Hassoun’s family works in the village along with ten fixed employees. The total number of employees, both in-house and externally reaches 200.