The Abbas Salem Al-Shatti Group comprises the Al-Salem Chemical Services & Contracting Company, the "Asia Store" incorporating the "Abbas" S. Shatti Company, initially established by Abbas Salem Al-Shatti, owner and founder of the present Company, in 1952. The original Company was involved in importation and storage of materials, consumables and equipments.

In 1966, the Ministry of Commerce, in co-operation with the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce, implemented legislation to control and regularize commercial activities. The new legislation necessitated that our management change the company name from "Abbas S. Shatti Company" to the "Asia Store" ("Makhzan Asia"). The Company continued to trade under the new name, expanding and widening its activities. As commercial agents and representatives for international companies, the Asia Store supplied chemicals, printing paper, printing machinery, video tapes etc. Sewing machines bearing the "Al-Shatti" trade mark were a popular sales item at that time.

The continued expansion of the oil industry created a favourable atmosphere for further development. The Asia store extended its activities into successfully biding for business with Kuwait Oil Co., Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Government Ministries and other National Companies; supplying heavy engineering equipment in the form of tube bundles, heat exchangers and condensers.

With considerable foresight, Abbas Salem Al-Shatti who was currently employed in the Ministry of Electricity & Water saw the great business potential in the chemical supply and chemical service fields. In 1968, with the Technical support of Dr. Tom G. Temperley, O.B.E., C.Eng., Eur. Ing., and the support of a number of his colleagues, he formed a new Company. The new Company was named "Al-Salem Chemical Services & Contracting Company" after Abbas Salem Al-Shatti's father.

At the time, the newly formed Al-Salem Chemical Services & Contracting Company was the only organization in Kuwait to carry large stocks of industrial chemicals, laboratory reagents, scientific glasswares, laboratory instrumentation and test equipments. In addition, the new Company provided a broad spectrum of comprehensive services. These included, analytical testing and control of water and materials. Services provided included analysis and control of boiler waters, industrial cooling system, refrigeration system, swimming pools, water storage tanks, pipeline, testing and analysis of materials etc.

Later, the services provided by Al-Salem Chemical Services & Contracting Company were extended to encompass other Arab countries. Typical examples include, maintenance contracts that were successfully implemented for the boilers and central refrigeration systems at the Al-Rashid Hospital and the International Airport in Dubai, the Embassy Buildings in Qatar and Danish Dairy Company's facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

In conjunction with Dr. Temperley, Al-Salem Chemical Services developed and marketed "Salvap," an anti-scale evaporator treatment compound that remains amongst the most effective and economical, low temperature, anti-scale, evaporator treatments available. "Salvap" was used successfully in desalination plants in Kuwait, at Al-Khobar, Aziziyah, Jeddah, Tabuk, Wedj & Duba in Saudi Arabia, and the Dubai plants in the U.A.E., amongst other. Other proprietary chemicals were developed and marketed for the prevention of scale deposits and corrosion in various industrial water systems.