Catrion Catering Holding Company (CATRION)

Catrion Catering Holding Company (CATRION), formerly the Saudi Airlines Catering Company, announced on October 12, 2023, that it has changed its trade name. Targeting a new era of global expansion beyond the company’s core business of airline catering, which accounts for 76 percent of its revenues, it aims to seize new business opportunities in the retail, healthcare, railway, and integrated facilities management sectors.

CATRION’s new business approach aims to increase the contribution of non-aviation activities in its revenues to 50 percent. The company is working to achieve this strategic objective by capitalizing on growth opportunities offered by mega projects under Saudi Vision 2030 and by exploring merger and acquisition opportunities. By 2023, the company successfully enhanced and expanded its operational capabilities to serve seventy-two million meals and cater 320,000 flights annually. It also manages thirty-seven lounges in different airports across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and served two million guests in 2022. CATRION’s transformation led to the expansion of its catering and facilities services department, which contributed 21 percent of the company’s revenues in 2022. Non-aviation-related operational activities include laundry services, hospitality for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, corporate hospitality, and catering services for sporting and entertainment events.

CATRION was established in 1981 to provide catering services to Saudia, in addition to other support services. The company achieved rapid growth, becoming one of the prominent brands in Saudi Arabia for providing meals, housing management, laundry, and cleaning services to companies operating in remote areas. The company managed to cover a wide range of support services, and hospitality services for other airlines and key companies in related sectors.

In 2008, the company established a new unit named the “Catering and Support Services Unit,” through which it provides meals and other services, such as laundry, site management, and support services for companies, including those operating in remote areas in Saudi Arabia. The unit was renamed the “Catering and Facilities Services Unit” in 2015.

On October 4, 2023, the Saudi Airlines Catering Company launched its new brand “CATRION,” marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey of more than forty years. “CATRION” signifies the beginning of a new era of global expansion beyond the company’s core airline catering business. On October 12, 2023, the company’s extraordinary general assembly approved changing the company’s trade name to “Catrion Catering Holding Company,” in line with the company’s vision to broaden its scope of operations and aspirations globally, and in keeping with the available growth opportunities targeted under Saudi Vision 2030.

The company obtained international certifications, including the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system and the Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSAS) certification. It is one of the few national companies to earn these certifications.

Throughout 2013, 2014, and 2016, the company won the Excellence in Catering Quality Award, and in 2017, it received the Corporate Governance Award.