Latest news with #Matbouly
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Free supermarket available for thousands of struggling Aussies
A community supermarket designed to give struggling Australians access to free groceries is set to expand this year. Serving Our People (SOP) has been dishing out staple items to 5,000 people a week across two of its Queensland supermarkets. It recently launched a third People's Market in Beenleigh, located about halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. But SOP's founder Yas Matbouly told Yahoo Finance he has big plans for 2025. "We're looking to open up another three to four markets within this year," he said. Fresh twist in Coles, Woolworths rivalry as Aussies seeking 'better value' declare new winner Aussie 'dream' falls apart four months after young expat's arrival with $20,000: 'In Canada everything's free' Centrelink announces $1,000 disaster payments for more Aussies: 'Now available' The first People's Market was launched in Mermaid Beach back in 2022 to help people with the rising cost of living. Matbouly said the two locations have been crucial in the past few weeks following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. "It's for people who have had their house flooded or people who lost power, or whatever it may be," he said. "Everybody is having difficulty making ends meet at the moment with their normal lives, and then add to that issues with disasters... That doesn't help."The SOP People's Markets are a "first-of-their-kind" initiative. Matbouly revealed that in order to step into one of the three currently available stores in Mermaid Beach, Beenleigh and Logan, you need a Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN). Once you show that, you'll be allowed to pick up 15 items of your choosing, and the groceries range from non-perishable items, fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen meals, and household products. You can only access the People's Market once a week and they're open on certain days depending on where you go: Mermaid Beach: Monday to Friday 9am-5pm Logan: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am-3pm Beenleigh: Thursday 9am-3pm The People's Markets operate on an honest policy where you can "take what you need" with "no questions asked". Some people will be let in without a CRN, however that is up to SOP's discretion. Matbouly said he's still finalising the finer details on that but he's aiming to have two People's Markets in the NSW Northern Rivers region, which has also been battered by Cyclone Alfred. He's keen on getting another one set up in Queensland, but that could be in Logan, the Gold Coast or even north towards Maroochydore. SOP did a two-week pop-up People's Market in Sydney's Botany last year, which the founder said was a raging success. There were more than 450 volunteers who helped out and thousands of people came to get their free groceries. Matbouly said after seeing how much impact the two weeks had there, he's considering installing a permanent market in the same location. Considering groceries have become one of the biggest bill stressors for many Aussies, it's any wonder how they keep the shelved stocked. But Matbouly that's all from the generosity of people across the country. "We work with partners like Food Bank and with retailers directly," he told Yahoo Finance. "We get donations, like the community donates directly into some donation boxes are located at different Coles supermarkets and some of the corporate organisations also take some of these boxes and they donate directly into them."Sign in to access your portfolio
Argaam
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Argaam
KAEC's Industrial Valley hosts 12 carmakers, auto service providers: CEO
Majid Matbouly, CEO of the Industrial Valley and Special Economic Zone at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), said the Industrial Valley hosts six factories for car manufacturing and assembly, along with six companies offering automotive logistics, Al Eqtisadiah newspaper reported. Further, KAEC is home to 115 local and international investors operating in key sectors, such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, packaging, logistics services, building materials, and consumer goods, Matbouly said. He added that the Industrial Valley and the Special Economic Zone together house approximately 48 factories, with total investments reaching SAR 12 billion. There are other investors in the Special Economic Zone having investments of more than SAR 15 billion, including the National Automotive Co. (Ceer), Lucid Motors, Hyundai Motor, and the automotive logistics company Park Masarat.
