Company Insights Majid Al Futtaim Group Retail Majid Al Futtaim Group Overview Majid Al Futtaim Holding is a family-owned Emirati holding company based in Dubai. It owns and operates shopping malls and other retail and hospitality businesses across the Middle East and North Africa. Its business arms include Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Majid Al Futtaim Retail and Majid Al Futtaim Ventures. Majid Al Futtaim Properties’ malls include the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, the Mall of Egypt, the Mall of Oman and the City Centre chain of malls in locations such as Manama, Muscat and Fujairah. Since entering a joint venture in 1995, Majid Al Futtaim has been the Mena franchisee and operator of French supermarket chain Carrefour, taking full control in 2013 when Carrefour divested its 25 percent share. It has also bought and rebranded other hypermarkets in the region to the Carrefour brand, such as Géant in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain, and Hyperstar in Pakistan. Brands operating in Mena under the Majid Al Futtaim Fashion umbrella include Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Lululemon and Liz Claiborne. It also operates home furnishing retailer Crate & Barrel.Majid Al Futtaim Ventures runs companies such as cinemas and leisure facilities. These include a range of waterparks and indoor ski venues, along with more than 300 cinema screens across the region, as well as toy retailers Lego and American Girl. Majid Al Futtaim Group News Video length: 04:53 Analysis Retail Rise in retail M&A predicted as Gulf stores struggle An increase in mergers and acquisitions in the GCC’s retail sector has been predicted for this year, as operators try to cope with an increasingly uncertain economic environment. Six retail M&A deals have taken place since the beginning of 2023, all involving intra-regional players. Thirteen retail M&A deals were concluded in 2022, of which five […] September 30, 2024 Retail Carrefour and Dubai’s Apparel Group plan India expansion Dubai’s Apparel Group has teamed up with Carrefour to take the French supermarket retailer into the Indian market. The franchise agreement will see the first five Carrefour stores open in 2025, with a particular focus on the north of India, before expanding nationwide. “This partnership represents a significant step in strengthening our position in India,” […] September 9, 2024 Retail Majid Al Futtaim retail revenue drop drags H1 profit Increasingly frugal shoppers and currency devaluations led the retail division of UAE conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim to report an 11 percent year-on-year drop in revenue in the first half of the year, resulting in its net profit dropping 6 percent. The company’s retail operations account for around 70 percent of its total business and consist […] August 27, 2024 Video length: 07:34 Analysis Retail Retail staff shortage dents GCC shopper satisfaction Shoppers across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are being put off their purchases by a shortage of skilled staff in the region’s retail sector, as prices of products continue to rise. Annual retail sales in the six GCC countries are expected to grow to $300 billion by 2028, a 37 percent increase from 2022. But […] August 21, 2024 Video length: 04:53 VIDEO Retail Rents keep rising while space is in short supply at Dubai’s malls Demand for retail space is outstripping supply in Dubai’s most popular malls, leading to hefty rent rises for all tenants, whether big, small, established or new. The highest rents on new leases were recorded in Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall, according to a report by consultancy company Nikoliers, with Emaar Malls prime assets […] August 9, 2024 Sustainability Forests in the desert: more than just a pipe dream Planting trees in the sand has been done before and can be done again, but when water is so scarce it is a remarkable challenge, says Valentina Pasquali July 8, 2024 Analysis Leisure & Hospitality Arabic films gain star status in Middle East cinema An Emirati family’s life spirals out of control when the behaviour of their son Ahmed, a once softly spoken, confident young boy changes – with terrifying consequences. As his actions become increasingly unpredictable, the lives of those around him are placed in serious danger. Some counsel medical intervention, but the boy’s mother Maryam is convinced […] July 5, 2024 Analysis Retail Does Dubai need more malls? The people say yes In a city that already has more than 60 million square feet of leasable retail space, one of the highest per capita in the shopping-crazy Gulf, it is perhaps surprising to see more malls being built or added to the pipeline. Yet that is exactly what is happening in Dubai, where this week Sobha Realty […] July 4, 2024 Analysis Retail The pros and pitfalls of pop-up shops Pop-up shops are appearing in more shopping malls, hotels and even beach clubs. Whether they are for new brands looking to build a name or more established companies opting for a more experiential way to market and test their products, pop-ups are largely temporary affairs designed to create a buzz. They are also considered a […] April 9, 2024 Opinion Tourism Hotels and malls evolve in Bahrain’s battle for tourists To win over the region's visitors, Bahrain is adapting to changing expectations April 8, 2024 Posts navigation 1 2 … 6 Next
Video length: 04:53 Analysis Retail Rise in retail M&A predicted as Gulf stores struggle An increase in mergers and acquisitions in the GCC’s retail sector has been predicted for this year, as operators try to cope with an increasingly uncertain economic environment. Six retail M&A deals have taken place since the beginning of 2023, all involving intra-regional players. Thirteen retail M&A deals were concluded in 2022, of which five […] September 30, 2024
Retail Carrefour and Dubai’s Apparel Group plan India expansion Dubai’s Apparel Group has teamed up with Carrefour to take the French supermarket retailer into the Indian market. The franchise agreement will see the first five Carrefour stores open in 2025, with a particular focus on the north of India, before expanding nationwide. “This partnership represents a significant step in strengthening our position in India,” […] September 9, 2024
Retail Majid Al Futtaim retail revenue drop drags H1 profit Increasingly frugal shoppers and currency devaluations led the retail division of UAE conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim to report an 11 percent year-on-year drop in revenue in the first half of the year, resulting in its net profit dropping 6 percent. The company’s retail operations account for around 70 percent of its total business and consist […] August 27, 2024
Video length: 07:34 Analysis Retail Retail staff shortage dents GCC shopper satisfaction Shoppers across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are being put off their purchases by a shortage of skilled staff in the region’s retail sector, as prices of products continue to rise. Annual retail sales in the six GCC countries are expected to grow to $300 billion by 2028, a 37 percent increase from 2022. But […] August 21, 2024
Video length: 04:53 VIDEO Retail Rents keep rising while space is in short supply at Dubai’s malls Demand for retail space is outstripping supply in Dubai’s most popular malls, leading to hefty rent rises for all tenants, whether big, small, established or new. The highest rents on new leases were recorded in Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall, according to a report by consultancy company Nikoliers, with Emaar Malls prime assets […] August 9, 2024
Sustainability Forests in the desert: more than just a pipe dream Planting trees in the sand has been done before and can be done again, but when water is so scarce it is a remarkable challenge, says Valentina Pasquali July 8, 2024
Analysis Leisure & Hospitality Arabic films gain star status in Middle East cinema An Emirati family’s life spirals out of control when the behaviour of their son Ahmed, a once softly spoken, confident young boy changes – with terrifying consequences. As his actions become increasingly unpredictable, the lives of those around him are placed in serious danger. Some counsel medical intervention, but the boy’s mother Maryam is convinced […] July 5, 2024
Analysis Retail Does Dubai need more malls? The people say yes In a city that already has more than 60 million square feet of leasable retail space, one of the highest per capita in the shopping-crazy Gulf, it is perhaps surprising to see more malls being built or added to the pipeline. Yet that is exactly what is happening in Dubai, where this week Sobha Realty […] July 4, 2024
Analysis Retail The pros and pitfalls of pop-up shops Pop-up shops are appearing in more shopping malls, hotels and even beach clubs. Whether they are for new brands looking to build a name or more established companies opting for a more experiential way to market and test their products, pop-ups are largely temporary affairs designed to create a buzz. They are also considered a […] April 9, 2024
Opinion Tourism Hotels and malls evolve in Bahrain’s battle for tourists To win over the region's visitors, Bahrain is adapting to changing expectations April 8, 2024
