Saadeddin Pastry eyes to bring in more sweets, opens franchise in Brunei

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Saadeddin Pastry, a well-known Saudi Arabia brand for Arabic sweets, has recently entered the Bruneian market due to the high volume of requests for the sweet treats to be made available in the country.

Entering its second week after inaugural opening, the brand’s local distributor Madeena Pastries already had several products sold out, waiting for stocks to be replenished, thanks to customers who loved the Arabic sweets.

“Saadeddin Pastry in Saudi Arabia has a good record of Bruneians purchasing many of the products when they were on Haj and Umrah. They help us to choose which are Bruneian favourites,” said the general manager of Madeena Pastries, Bassam Mahmoud.

The top three best-selling products for Bruneians are Corn Flakes chocolates, Rocher chocolates and Baklavas, added Mahmoud.

Madeena Pastries which is based at The Mall, Gadong, houses 12 types of products such as the Planets, Chocolate Coated Nougat with Nuts, Tofee and Oreo Cream and Salty Caramel Chocolate, among others.

The Saadeddin desserts are sold between $27 and $72, catering to various market types who prefer different kinds of Arabic sweets.

Mahmoud further said that Saadeddin Pastry is delighted to have Brunei as one of the Arabic sweets distributors in the region and keen to introduce more products into the sultanate.

“For Brunei, we are planning to increase up to 30 different items and preferably those that have a longer shelf life so as to keep them fresh,” said the general manager.

He also said that their current products have shelf lives ranging from four to eight months which arrived in the country and ready for sale a month after production.

“If you look at our products now, they were made sometime in June and May. So, it is just a month difference from now (July). It is very freshly made, just like you buy them in Saudi Arabia,” he said, adding that stock orders will be placed monthly.

Saadeddin Pastry has over 100 types of Arabic pastry, chocolates, cakes and coffee sweets which are of premium quality. The brand also has branches in 120 countries such as in Bahrain, Kuwait and the Emirates.

Furthermore, Mahmoud said that the company is keen to bring in three or four new low-sugar chocolates this coming Aidiladha, perfect for those who are controlling their sugar levels.

Talking about customers’ demand for Arabic sweets, the general manager said that he received many positive feedbacks from his customers at Sharqiaa Hijab, another Saudi Arabia brand selling modest wear.

“I have been in the business scene in Brunei for about six years and I’m also the general manager at Sharqiaa which was opened at The Mall in May 2018. So it is from there that I received requests from customers to bring Saadeddin to Brunei,” said Mahmoud.

The newly-opened store which is located on the second floor of The Mall has an elegant interior decorated in jade green wall panels and soft, warm lighting.

Fans of Saadeddin pastries now can just easily purchase their favourite corn flakes chocolates and baklavas without the need to travel abroad.

The Corn Flakes has a soft chocolate texture that is semi-sweet and filled with crunchy cornflakes meanwhile the Baklava is a sweet and rich pastry made from the best ghee and fresh butter, with a flaky texture that just melts in your mouth.

Moreover, they also have the Planets, Chocolate Coated Nougat with Nuts, Tofee and Oreo Cream and Salty Caramel Chocolate, among others.

For pastries, you can find their Assorted Baklava, Barazek Caramel with Chocolate and Dolce Cubes Chocolates to name a few.

On the idea of the store, Mahmoud said that they are eyeing to have a shop and café concept where customers can sit down and enjoy the desserts with a cup of Arabic coffee.

“As of right now, we are not able to do that yet and hopefully when the situation gets better, we will able to serve our dinein customers. It (the work) is underway…” he added.

Not only that, but the general manager also hopes to bring in the Saadeddin franchise to the country where the Arabic sweets can be made fresh locally.

“InsyaAllah, in six months or one year, we will have the factory (manufacturer) here as Saadeddin will bring the ingredients in and we can make them right away,” concluded Mahmoud.