Profile
Legal Structure
Khadija
Edible Oil Refinery (Pvt.) Limited ('Khadija edible oil' or ‘the Company’) was
incorporated in Dec-2005 as a Private Limited Company under the repealed
Companies Ordinance 1984 (Now Companies act 2017).
Background
The
Waheed Group has a mission of providing the best possible quality of vegetable
ghee and edible oil products with the highest standards of production and
professionalism, the Group is presently capable of producing well over 850
million tons of vegetable ghee and edible oil every day, which is the largest
capacity in Pakistan. Mr. Sheikh Abdul Waheed, founder of Waheed Group of
Industries (‘the Group’) started his business journey in the tea industry in
the 1970s. Later, in 1988 he entered the edible oil industry. In 1993, the
Group started its first venture Waheed Hafeez Ghee Industries (Pvt.) Limited in
Hattar, KPK which currently has the capacity to produce 126,000 MT per annum of
vegetable oil/ghee. The Company began its operations by setting up a solvent
extraction unit in Karachi. Later, in 2014 the Group set up Fahad Hammad (Pvt.)
Limited in Karachi, Sindh with a production capacity of 108,000 MT of vegetable
oil/ghee. Furthermore, in 2018 the Group has also set up AK Oil and Ghee
Industry (Pvt.) Limited in Hattar, KPK, which has the capacity to produce
108,000 MT of vegetable oil/ghee per annum. Neelum Oil and Ghee Industries
(Pvt.) Ltd, in Mirpur. It is a private limited company engaged in the
production of Ghee and Cooking oil Subsequently, the combined production of the
Group in the vegetable oil/ghee industry currently stands at 450,000 MT of
vegetable oil/ghee per annum.
Operations
The Company is primarily
engaged in the process of refining crude palm oil; producing and selling
cooking oil/ghee along with shortening. Capacity utilization is dependent on
the local demand and availability of crude palm oil which is primarily imported
from Malaysia and Indonesia. The Company also sells shortening with an
installed plant capacity of 90 MT per day and 32,400 Matric ton per annum
with investment of Rs.28,324,992. The Company produced 88,678 MT of vegetable
oil/ghee in FY24 and capacity utilization stood at ~82%. Following that, the
production stood at 79,339 MT during FY25 and capacity utilization decreased,
standing at ~73%. The Company is competing in the premium edible oil segment
with ‘Fauji Supreme Banaspati’.
Ownership
Ownership Structure
The
Company’s majority ownership resides with group company, Waheed Hafeez Ghee
Industries (Pvt.) Limited (~87%). The remaining shareholding resides with Mr.
Abdul Waheed (~13%).
Stability
The
Company’s ownership is notably stable, supported by the presence of its
sponsoring family. This strong backing spans multiple economic sectors,
including edible oil, hotels, Construction and development, and Terminals. Such
a well-established foundation ensures the company’s continued growth and
stability. Moreover, the Company has a strong customer base for shortening.
Business Acumen
The
Group has experienced business cycles in edible oil sector and have maintained
their league since 30 years. Apart from edible oil, the sponsors also have
presence in the transport, hotel, and energy sectors as well.
Financial Strength
The
Group mainly comprises of entities operating across the edible oil segment.
Apart from the Group’s financial strength, the sponsors have sufficient net
worth to support the Company in times of duress through other businesses
including construction and terminal business.
Governance
Board Structure
The
Company’s BoD comprises five Executive Directors. All five directors are from
the sponsoring family. Lack of independent oversight and diversity indicates a
room for improvement in the Company’s governance structure.
Members’ Profile
The
BoD members are very well equipped with relevant business knowledge. Mr. Abdul
Waheed has ~30 years of experience in the edible oil sector. Mr. Abdul Waheed
has served as a primary liaison for many government and private agencies which
includes and is not limited to Chambers of Commerce, Federations, Associations,
and personal and government agencies. With sheer determination, teamwork, and
vigor, Mr. Abdul Waheed has so far established 17 companies under the umbrella
of Waheed Group of Companies. Mr. Awais Karni is one of the key directors of
the group and has described himself as a seasoned veteran of the palm oil
industry with an experience of more than 18 years and has credited himself with
creating and managing various brands of cooking oil and ghee which includes our
flagship premium brand, Fauji Supreme. During his adolescent years, Mr. Awais
attended Beacon House School System and, to further his education, traveled
abroad and graduated from the prestigious Everest College, Canada. Ms. Rubina Kausar
also has above a decade of experience and are actively managing operations.
Board Effectiveness
The
Board does not have any sub-committees and meets informally to discuss
pertinent matters at hand.
Financial Transparency
The
external auditors of the Company, Nasir Javaid Maqsood Imran Chartered
Accountants, have expressed an unqualified opinion on the financial statements
of the Company for the year ended Jun-25. The firm has been QCR-rated by ICAP
and is placed in ‘category B’ of SBP’s panel of auditors.
Management
Organizational Structure
The
Company’s organizational structure is designed with clear reporting lines,
divided into three functions:- Production, Finance, and Sales & Marketing.
Each function is overseen by its respective director or department head, who
reports directly to the CEO. This structure ensures effective oversight and
accountability across all areas of the company.
Management Team
Khadija
Edible oil's management comprises experienced professionals. Mr. Abdul Waheed-
CEO, Mr. Abdul Waheed is a seasoned professional businessman with 50 years of
experience in managing and maintaining an array of diverse businesses that
include handling of special projects publicly and privately at senior executive
levels. Mr. Abdul Waheed stepped into the cooking oil industry in 1988 and in
1993 established his own Cooking Oil & Banaspati factory by the name of
Waheed Hafeez Ghee Industries. Since stepping into the Cooking Oil and
Banaspati trade, Mr. Abdul Waheed has launched over 71 brands in the local and
international market over the last 25 years. The Group CFO, Mr. Fawad Hassan,
an FCA, has an overall experience of 23 years. His extensive experience
suggests that he has been involved in diverse business environments, dealing
with complex financial scenarios and adapting to the evolving needs of the
Company and the industry.
Effectiveness
There
are no management committees in place. Management meets on a need basis to
ensure the efficiency of the Company’s operations.
MIS
Customized
software is installed which is used by the Company in order to generate
standard reports.
Control Environment
To
ensure operational efficiency, the Company has setup an internal audit
function, which implements and monitors the policies and procedures of the
Company.
Business Risk
Industry Dynamics
The edible oil industry in Pakistan represents a significant segment of the country’s food and consumer goods sector, characterized by stable demand fundamentals and growing consumption levels. During FY25, total edible oil consumption increased by approximately 17.3% YoY to ~4.9Mn MT, supported by population growth and higher per capita consumption of ~20.3 KG/person. The sector, however, remains heavily reliant on imports, with nearly ~72.3% of domestic consumption fulfilled through imported edible oils, particularly palm oil, exposing industry players to international price volatility, exchange rate fluctuations, and global supply chain disruptions. The industry has demonstrated improving operational dynamics, with domestic edible oil production increasing by ~29.1% YoY in FY25, primarily driven by higher soybean oil processing following the government’s approval of GMO soybean imports. Going forward, improving macroeconomic indicators, relative PKR stability, and sustained consumer demand are likely to provide a supportive operating environment for the sector.
Relative Position
The
Company being a small player in the edible oil industry of the country has a
market share of ~2.3% in terms of revenue and ~3% in terms of vegetable
oil/ghee production.
Revenues
The
Company's revenue is heavily concentrated in the sale of vegetable oil and ghee
products, which contribute approximately 80% of total sales, followed by
shortening (16%) and tolling income (5%). In FY25, the Company achieved a
substantial year-on-year (YoY) revenue growth of approximately 4.1%, increasing
its top line to PKR 28,638 million from PKR 27,512 million in FY24. This
expansion was primarily driven by significant growth in the secondary segments:
shortening revenue rose sharply to PKR 4,478 million (FY24: PKR 3,201 million),
and tolling income also notably increased to PKR 1,342 million (FY24: PKR 838
million). Looking ahead, the Company is expected to sustain this upward revenue
trajectory, although the overall growth rate and profitability will likely be
tempered by macroeconomic inflationary pressures that continue to elevate input
costs, thereby impacting pricing flexibility and margins.
Margins
The
Company faces inherent foreign currency and commodity price risk due to its
reliance on RBD Palm Olein imports, primarily sourced from Malaysia, where
pricing is subject to global demand and supply volatility; consequently,
implementing a robust hedging strategy for these international purchases is
recommended to mitigate adverse price fluctuations. Operationally, the Company
demonstrated significant margin improvement in FY25, with the Gross Profit
Margin rising substantially to 8.7% from 5.4% in the previous year, a trend
mirrored by the Operating Margin (up to ~8.1% from ~ 4.9%) and the Net Margin
(increasing to 4.7% from 1.6%). This margin expansion was largely driven by
favorable market dynamics in the latter half of the year—specifically, the moderation
of elevated early 2025 prices due to easing inflation and a steadier exchange
rate—and was structurally supported by the 4.1% revenue growth significantly
outpacing the 0.4% incline in the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). These factors
collectively resulted in a sharp increase in Net Income, reported at PKR 1,334
million in FY25, compared to PKR 448 million in FY24.
Sustainability
The
industry is positioned for sustainable long-term expansion as recent data
reveals a consistent upward tick in sales, signaling a shift toward higher
volumetric growth going forward. This positive momentum is underpinned by a
stable exchange rate, which has proven vital for an industry highly reliant on
imported raw materials. Consequently, the combination of rising consumer demand
and a predictable cost environment establishes a solid foundation for the
industry’s continued upward trajectory.
Financial Risk
Working capital
Khadija
Edible Oil manages its liquidity and working capital primarily through a
short-term running finance facility secured from a consortium of banks. The
Company exhibited highly efficient working capital management in FY25,
evidenced by a significant improvement in the Gross Working Capital Cycle,
which compressed to 13 days (from 17 days in FY24). This improvement was driven
by operational efficiencies in both inventory and receivables: Inventory Days
were kept exceptionally low at just 4 days (FY24: 5 days), signaling effective
just-in-time procurement and rapid finished goods turnover, while Receivable
Days reduced to 9 days (FY24: 11 days), reflecting faster collection efforts.
Concurrently, the Company maintained timely settlement of obligations, with
Payable Days recorded at 3 days (FY24: 7 days). Consequently, the overall Net
Working Capital Cycle remained stable and efficient, standing at 10 days in
FY25, demonstrating optimal management of current assets and liabilities.
Coverages
The
Company significantly enhanced its operational cash generation and
debt-servicing capability in FY25, marked by a substantial increase in Free
Cash Flow from Operations (FCFO) to PKR 1,472 million (up from PKR 666 million
in FY24). The improved leverage is attributable to both an increase in EBITDA
to PKR 2,291 million (FY24: PKR 1,313 million) and a corresponding decline in
Finance Cost to PKR 4 million (FY24: PKR 7 million). Furthermore, the Debt
Payback metric improved to a favorable 0.3x in FY25 (from 0.6x in FY24),
indicating that the Company can retire its outstanding debt with less than one
year of current operating cash flow, collectively confirming a substantially
strengthened cash flow profile and highly manageable debt burden.
Capitalization
The
Company's debt structure is highly skewed towards short-term obligations, with
approximately ~99.4% of its total debt comprising a running finance facility
used primarily for funding working capital requirements. As of FY25, total debt
had been reduced to PKR 2,011 million (from PKR 2,460 million in FY24), while
the equity base substantially strengthened to PKR 4,140 million (FY24: PKR
2,807 million) due to an increase in unappropriated profits. This positive
shift in the capital structure led to a significant improvement in the
Debt-to-Debt Plus Equity ratio, which decreased to a more conservative ~32.7%
as of FY25 (~46.7% in FY24), indicating a reduced reliance on leverage and an
enhanced financial stability profile.
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