The House of Alireza (also known as Beit Zainal) is the oldest family business in Saudi Arabia, with a history dating back over a century and a half. Its founder, Zainal Alireza, began trading from Jeddah in 1845 with the importation of foodstuffs, textiles and other merchandise from around the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent.These activities were later complemented by the acquisition of agencies of the shipping lines that carried these commodities.
Business prospered, and the Company continued its development into the twentieth century. In 1929, the business was retitled Haji Abdullah Alireza and Company. The emergence of a strong, united Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the resultant opening of its doors to Western trade in the 1930s, found the House of Alireza ready for its own participation. From that time onward, the Company's growth parallels the modern history of Saudi Arabia in its multi-faceted progression.
