History
The Batterjee presence in the commercial markets of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dates back to the beginning of the Kingdom as we know it today. Over a century ago, Ibrahim Hassan Batterjee was an active businessman and entrepreneur. Based in Jeddah, the Red Sea coastal city, he traveled throughout the Middle East. Founder of one of the original families of Jeddah, he was a highly respected member of the city. Among other businesses, he and his sons founded the Batterjee Pharmaceutical Company that still exists today.
The family has grown expansively over the years. The business has grown and diversified as numerous sons and grandsons have graduated from universities around the world and returned to establish themselves. Abd Almajeed Batterjee, the eldest grandson, founded BATTERJEE MEDICAL SERVICES (BMS) as well as BATTERJEE SECURITY PRODUCTS (BSP) in 1981, marking the beginning of the AM Batterjee Group. With offices in the Capital city of Riyadh, the Port city of Jeddah, and in the U A E, the AM Batterjee Group serves the entire G C C
The Batterjee House
The Batterjee House was built in 1277 AH( 1860 AD), and was a property of Sheikh Omar Bajubair for fifty years before the ownership transferred to Sheikh Ibrahim Hassan Batterjee in 1327 AH 1909 AD. Sheikh Ibrahim Hassan Batterjee made many improvements under the supervision of a famous engineer from Mekkah who was known as (Al Shareef), these improvements included the balconies and their columns and fenders that were made from wrought iron, carved wood and mosaic tile, and the concrete stairs that were inlayed with mosaic tile, which was considered extravagant for the times.
The first company to rent the house was called The British Company For Petroleum Resources Development In Western Arab Peninsulať followed by Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) which used it as a residence for its employees. The US government rented the house from 1940 to 1952 to be the first US Consulate in the kingdom. At the end of the lease the US counsel offered ten thousand dollars to purchase the main entrance door, but it remains in place to this day.
