What Middle East Traders does

Middle East Traders B.S.C. (c) is a Bahraini closed shareholding company, family-owned and established in 1951 by the late Sheikh Eshaq Bin Abdulrahman and his sons. The company distributes and retails high-end finishing building materials — flooring, sanitary ware, wall and floor tiles, wall coverings, storage/racking solutions, construction solutions (including the patented Iglu disposable formwork system and Unidome concrete-shapers), and LED lighting — sourced through long-term exclusive arrangements with international brands such as Tarkett, Armitage Shanks, Laufen, E.C.A Serel, and Qlite UK. It serves government institutions, healthcare and educational facilities, hospitality projects, industrial clients, and residential customers, operating from a flagship showroom in Khamis, Bahrain, supplemented by an online store and direct project sales across the GCC.

The company operates across three integrated revenue streams: (1) building materials distribution and retail, sold via showroom, online store, and direct project sales under a quote-based pricing model; (2) construction solutions supply and installation, including Unidome and the patented Iglu formwork; and (3) real estate development, property rentals, and investments conducted alongside the counterpart Ishaq Real Estate Investments w.l.l (IREI). The group also holds a joint venture interest in BICC MET w.l.l with DUCAB for cable manufacturing. Go-to-market is sales-led, leveraging direct relationships with government ministries, contractors, developers, and end consumers, supported by an Instagram presence, corporate website, and PR activity. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Middle East Traders

Legal name

Middle East Traders B.S.C. (c)

Website

https://middleeasttraders.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Materials Distribution

NAICS

Floor Covering Retailers (449121), Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers (444), Other Building Material Dealers (44418)

SIC

Retail-Lumber & Other Building Materials Dealers (5211), Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030)

akta.pro primary industry

Flooring (Carpet, Tile, Wood, Laminate) Distribution (CRAOAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Flooring Underlayment, Moldings & Trim Retail (CRAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Building materials distribution
• Sanitary ware supply
• Flooring solutions
• Construction solutions
• Storage racking systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Manama

HQ country

Bahrain

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Building Materials Distribution: Distribution and retail of high-end finishing building materials including flooring (vinyl, wood, laminate), sanitary ware, tiles, wall coverings, and storage solutions. Products are sourced from internationally prominent brands through long-term exclusive arrangements.
2. Real Estate Development and Property Rentals: Real estate development, property rentals and investments through Middle East Traders B.S.C. (c) and counterpart Ishaq Real Estate Investments w.l.l (IREI). Significant real estate portfolio that is developed, managed and maintained.
3. Construction Solutions: Supply and installation of construction solutions including Unidome concrete-shapers and Iglu formwork systems, with professional design for optimal space utilization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Middle East Traders distributes and retails high-end finishing building materials through its Bahrain showroom and online store, including flooring (vinyl, wood, laminate, tiles), sanitary ware, wall coverings, construction solutions, storage/racking systems, and LED lighting. Products are sourced from international brands under long-term exclusive distribution arrangements for the Bahrain and GCC markets, with turnkey supply-and-installation services for project clients.

Product overview

Middle East Traders is a diversified trading company offering a portfolio of building finishing materials and construction solutions. The core offering spans five main categories: (1) Flooring & Wall Covering through Tarkett (vinyl, wood, rubber, laminate, linoleum, artificial turf) and RMD (wall panels, coverings, false ceilings); (2) Sanitary Ware through Armitage Shanks (commercial bathrooms), Laufen (Swiss precision bathrooms), and E.C.A Serel (Turkish ceramics with eco-innovations); (3) Wall & Floor Tiles (porcelain and ceramic); (4) Construction Solutions including Unidome concrete-shapers and IGLU disposable formwork for ventilated cavities; (5) Racking & Storage Solutions under DELTA/ARCOMA/ALKON brands. Additional offerings include Qlite LED lighting from the UK, real estate services at their Khamis headquarters, and the BICC MET joint venture with cable manufacturer DUCAB. The company serves residential, healthcare, education, industrial, and commercial sectors across Bahrain and the wider GCC region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tarkett: Leading flooring solutions brand - vinyl flooring, wood flooring, rubber flooring, artificial turf, indoor sports surfaces, linoleum flooring, laminate flooring.
• RMD
• Armitage Shanks
• Laufen
• E.C.A Serel
• Unidome
• IGLU
• DELTA / ARCOMA / ALKON
• Qlite

Products and services

• Tarkett Flooring Solutions Leading global flooring brand offering vinyl, wood, rubber, laminate, linoleum flooring, artificial turf, and sports surfaces with low VOC emissions, phthalate-free plasticizers, and sustainable materials for residential, commercial, healthcare, education, and sports projects.
• RMD Wall Panels & False Ceilings Wall panel, wall covering, and false ceiling tile solutions with lightweight, waterproof, scratch-resistant, sound-absorbing properties and fire-retardant variants for commercial interior finishes.
• Armitage Shanks Sanitary Ware UK commercial sanitary ware brand (est. 1817) offering washroom installations for schools, hospitals, offices, leisure, public buildings, stadia, and hotels, with features including infection control, anti-vandal, and water-saving.
• Laufen Bathroom Concepts Swiss precision bathroom brand producing washbasins, bidets, and toilets with award-winning designs and total bathroom concepts for premium residential and hospitality projects.
• E.C.A Serel Sanitary Ware Turkish ceramics brand producing faucets, mixers, ceramic sanitaryware, combi-boilers, steel panel and cast iron radiators with LEED-eligible eco-innovations and IF Design, Interior Innovation, and Red Dot award-winning designs.
• Wall & Floor Tiles Porcelain and ceramic floor and wall tiles fired at 1250°C providing near zero water absorption, stain resistance, easy cleaning, low maintenance, and high technical resistance suitable for heavy traffic areas.
• Unidome Concrete-Shaper Systems Concrete-shaper construction systems for optimized slab design; Unidome XS handles slab thicknesses 18-45cm and Unidome XL handles 40-80cm, linking construction disciplines to minimize building costs.
• IGLU Disposable Formwork Market-leading disposable plastic formwork system, patented in 1993, creating ventilated under-floor cavities, sanitary spaces, and ventilated floors/roofs during construction and restructuring of civil and industrial buildings.
• Shelving & Racking Solutions (DELTA / ARCOMA / ALKON) Shelving and racking solutions including conventional pallet racking, drive-in racking, narrow aisle racking, multitier racking, bolt-free shelving, slotted angle shelving, mobile shelving, and racking systems for bins and drawers, with professional design, supply, and installation services.
• Qlite LED Lighting UK-based LED lighting solutions including streetlights, canopy lights, control panels, and Guest Room management systems with 2.5 to 10-year warranties, energy efficiency, and uniform light distribution.
• Real Estate Development & Property Rentals Real estate development, property rentals, and investments operated through Middle East Traders B.S.C. (c) and counterpart Ishaq Real Estate Investments w.l.l (IREI), including office space at the Khamis headquarters.

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Exa CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2024Collaboration with Exa Company from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a leading surfaces solution manufacturer. Participated together in Youth City 2030 initiative to train Bahraini youth on porcelain flooring installation.
• CrediMaxminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 August 2024Partnership with CrediMax to offer double reward points to CrediMax cardholders through the Thameen Loyalty Program during Middle East Traders' Summer Offers Campaign.
• Bahraini Intellectual Property SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2024Collaboration to host a workshop on 'Preserving Intellectual Property Rights within the Interior Design Industry' at Middle East Traders showroom.
• BICC MET w.l.lcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture with DUCAB, the leading cable manufacturing company in the region. BICC MET w.l.l represents a strategic partnership in the cable manufacturing sector.
• Qlite UKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partnership with Qlite of UK for the entire Kingdom of Bahrain. Middle East Traders is the one-stop solution for all types of LED lights, control panels, and Guest Room management products with exclusive distribution rights for Bahrain.
• Ishaq Real Estate Investments w.l.l (IREI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate counterpart company that is a major player in the real estate sector alongside Middle East Traders. Together they have a significant portfolio of real estate that continues to be developed, managed and maintained.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Danube Group: UAE-based one-stop retailer and distributor of building materials, sanitaryware, tiles, and flooring with retail showroom and online store. Closest comparable to MET by product mix (sanitaryware + tiles + flooring + construction materials) and B2B/B2C showroom model, but operating at significantly larger GCC scale.
• Almuftah Group: Qatari conglomerate distributing sanitaryware, tiles, and building finishing materials across the GCC. Comparable to MET as a regional multi-brand building materials distributor serving institutional and retail customers, with similar exclusive international brand relationships.
• Yousuf Mahmood Husain Group: Bahraini group distributing sanitaryware, tiles, and finishing building materials. A direct in-country peer competing for the same Bahraini government, hospitality, and residential projects MET serves.
• Alia Trading & Contracting: Bahraini distributor of sanitaryware, tiles, and finishing building materials with showrooms in Bahrain. Direct in-country competitor for the same residential, hospitality, and government finishing materials projects.

Regional players

• Haji Hassan Group: Bahraini conglomerate active in construction materials, building products, and contracting. Comparable as a Bahrain-based, family-controlled supplier serving the same construction ecosystem MET addresses.

Broad incumbents

• RAK Ceramics: UAE-listed global manufacturer of ceramics, sanitaryware, and tiles with broad regional and international distribution. Comparable to MET on sanitaryware and tile product categories, but operates upstream as a brand owner rather than multi-brand distributor.
• Saudi Ceramics: KSA-listed manufacturer of ceramic tiles, sanitaryware, and building products. Overlaps with MET in tile and sanitaryware distribution channels across Saudi Arabia, but is a brand/producer rather than a multi-brand finishing materials distributor.
• Knauf Middle East: Regional arm of global drywall, plasterboard, and building materials manufacturer with GCC distribution. Comparable to MET as a building materials brand distributor serving GCC construction, though focused on wall systems rather than finishing.
• Hempel Paints: Global coatings manufacturer with regional Gulf presence. Adjacent comparable as a finishing materials brand owner/distributor serving industrial, commercial, and government projects similar to MET's customer mix.
• Jotun Paints: Major global paint and coatings manufacturer with a strong Middle East distribution footprint. Adjacent peer given the shared B2B/B2C finishing materials channel and overlap with MET's wall-covering and interior finishing categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/middle-east-traders
• Instagraminstagram.com/middleeasttraders
• Facebookfacebook.com/middleeasttradersbsc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Middle East Traders