House of Alireza
The House of Alireza, Founded in 1845 by Zainal Alireza, is reputed to be Saudi Arabia's oldest organized commercial enterprise. Initially a food importer with suppliers from the Indian sub-continent, the House of Alireza expanded their businesses to include, real estate, representative agency rights for the shippers that delivered their cargo and joint ventures with construction and engineering companies with whom they contributed to the Kingdom's infrastructural development.
Zainal Alireza's descendants separated their commercial activities into distinct (see Reza Investment Company, Rezayat, Xenel and Haji Hussein Alireza & Company) groups of which the original operates under the banner of Haji Abdullah Alireza & Company though is regionally known as Beit Alireza (translates in English to "House of Alireza") and is wholly owned by the descendants of the founder and continues to be a major shipping agent representing international companies such as Hapag-Lloyd,NYK,COSCO and the shipping lines of ExxonMobil. In the forefront of the Arabian pearling industry, the Alireza Group has been retailing and trading jewellery since in 1920s, and continue to do so in the modern day. Other areas of investment include travel agency services, the manufacture and distribution of aviation fuels and lubricants, and operators of shipping and freight terminals. As is common among many of Saudi Arabia's business groups, real estate continues to be a significant Alireza Group activity.