Bubbles O2 Plans Expansion Into MENA And ASEAN Markets To Fill Halal Product Gap

By Mohd Noor Azeery Idris

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (BERNAMA) -- Oxygenated mineral water company, Bubbles O2 Sdn Bhd, plans to penetrate the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and ASEAN markets, which have been identified as having a significant gap in halal product offerings.

Bubbles O2 managing director Ain Azizah Arifin said the move is part of the company’s long-term strategy to break into regional and global markets that are increasingly open to halal products.

She noted that the MENA region is undergoing significant changes, with more countries opening up to halal product imports, creating many new markets to explore.

“We see a lot of opportunities in the MENA region, which is now starting to open up, and at the same time, there is a noticeable gap in halal product availability,” she said on Bernama TV’s “Bual Bisnes” programme yesterday.

Meanwhile, the focus for ASEAN is on neighbouring countries closest to Malaysia.

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According to Ain Azizah, there is a growing demand among ASEAN nations for lifestyle-based health products.

This is due to increasing awareness of the health benefits of oxygenated water.

She said that Bubbles O2 has already made its way into the Brunei and Dubai markets since 2024 and has received a highly encouraging response.

Through its export strategy, the company hopes to strengthen its brand and operations while also elevating Malaysia’s name on the global stage in the mineral beverage industry, she added.

To support this ambition, the company is actively expanding its operations and workforce.

“Since receiving support from several investors, we increased our optimisation level to 70 per cent last year.

“Previously, at our Rantau plant, we only had one production line. We now have two production lines dedicated to 425ml and 800ml sizes. From there, we have been able to improve the optimisation of our systems and machines,” said Ain Azizah.

Alongside operational growth, she aims for comprehensive growth that includes sales, thereby creating more job opportunities for the local community and youths in Rantau and Pedas in Negeri Sembilan.

To strengthen customer trust, the company also consistently complies with standards set under the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and the Food Safety Certification Scheme (MeSTI) to maintain product quality according to both domestic and international standards. 

-- BERNAMA