Soft drinks rivals Coca Cola and Pepsi have both increased their prices by 50 percent in Bahrain, just a month after doing so in Saudi Arabia.
Cans of the cola drink produced by either company now cost 150 fils instead of 100 fils, the Gulf Daily News reported.
Other soft drink brands produced by the firms have also gone up in price, including Miranda, 7-UP and Mountain Dew for Pepsi, and Fanta, Sprite and Canada Dry for Coca Cola.
“For the past 30 years, Pepsi cans have been sold to consumers in Bahrain for 100 fils. We kept our prices constant, despite the escalating cost of overheads, labour and raw materials,” bottler Ahmadi Industries general manager Ali Ahmadi told the paper.
“Naturally over the past few years, the increasing costs have put tremendous pressure on the viability of the business, hindering our ability to grow our business and employment base.”
Coca-Cola Export Corporation Middle East business unit public affairs and communications manager Antoine Tayyar said: “Whether it is sugar, the flavouring or other costs, there has been a huge increase. We cannot afford to continue to offer the same prices anymore.”
Officials for both companies in Saudi Arabia said at the time the price rise was also to cover escalating costs. The price of a can of either Coca Cola or Pepsi in the kingdom now costs SR1.50, up from SR1.
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