9-2-90     Coca-Cola and Saudi Arabia

     The service men and women sweating it out in
the Saudi  Arabian desert near the Kuwaiti border
now are  enjoying ``the pause that refreshes'' --
Coca-Cola.                                       

     In the  past two  days, refrigerated  trucks
protected with military escorts have been running
cases of cold Coca-Cola through the Saudi desert,
delivering Coke  products at  the  various  bases
near the Kuwaiti border.                         

     Coca-Cola had  20,000 cases  -- 480,000 cans
worth more  than $100,000  -- sitting in the town
of Al-Khubar  for general  distribution in  Saudi                     
Arabia when  it decided  to donate it to the U.S.                              
Air Force  base there.  There are 50,000 American                              
troops deployed in he Persian Gulf region.                                      

     But one  of the  generals at  the base said,                              
``I've got  guys  who  have  been  out  near  the                              
Kuwaiti border  for three  weeks who  haven't had                              
anything cold  to  drink,  so  let's  get  it  up
there,'' according  to Coca-Cola spokesman Randal
W. Donaldson.                                    

     On Thursday, one refrigerated truck made the
four-hour trip  through the  desert to distribute
Coke at three bases on the border. On Friday, two
more trucks  went to  the border.  The deliveries
are expected  to continue  through Tuesday,  when
all 20,000 cases would be dispersed.             

     It felt like being Santa Claus in giving out
free Coke  to the  soldiers, Jim  Harting,  Coca-
Cola's manager  for the  Gulf  region,  told  Mr.
Donaldson Friday.                                

     Making Coke  available to the troops is part                    
of the Atlanta-based company's tradition.                                      

     In 1941,  during World War II, then-Chairman                              
Robert W.  Woodruff ordered his staff, ``See that                              
every man  in uniform  gets a bottle of Coca-Cola                              
for 5  cents wherever he is and whatever it costs                              
the company.''                                                                 

     That  policy   sparked  Coca-Cola's   global
empire. By  making Coca-Cola available around the
world during  the  war  through  mobile  bottling
operations, Coca-Cola  had a  built-in market  to
capitalize on  after  the  war.  Now  Coca-Cola's
international sales account for 77 percent of the
company's operating income.                      

     Mr. Donaldson  said he cannot guarantee that
everyone  in uniform in Saudi Arabia will be able
to get  a free  Coke, but  every attempt is being
made.                                            

     Once the  20,000 cases  are  dispersed,  the
company plans  to continue  getting Coca-Cola  to
the troops,  but no  longer free  of charge.  The                     
company is  trying to  arrange to  get more Coca-                              
Cola products into Saudi Arabia.                                               

     For   nearly   20   years,   Coca-Cola   was                              
prohibited  of  selling  its  products  in  Saudi                              
Arabia  because   of  an   Arab  boycott  against                              
companies doing business with Israel.                                          

     But recently, that Arab boycott has loosened                              
and Coca-Cola  was able  to  re-enter  the  Saudi                              
Arabian  market   two  years   ago.  The  company                              
eventually plans to start bottling there.                                        

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