Lulu Group International

Lulu Group International, operating in the UAE primarily through its retail arm Lulu Retail Holdings PLC, is a leading pan-Gulf full-line retailer headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Founded in 1989 by M. A. Yusuff Ali, the group entered the UAE retail market in 1995 with its first supermarket in Abu Dhabi and has since grown into one of the region's dominant grocery and hypermarket operators.

In the UAE, Lulu operates more than 175 stores, spanning stand-alone hypermarkets, express stores (everyday shopping), and mini-markets (grab-and-go), alongside outlets embedded in major shopping malls. Across the wider GCC (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain), the group's total network reached around 250 stores by the end of 2024, with continued expansion into 2025 and beyond.

As a major FMCG buyer, Lulu sources an extensive assortment of groceries, fresh produce, dairy, bakery items, beverages, household essentials, and beauty and personal care products, blending international brands with local favourites. Its hypermarkets are known for fresh food sections, in-house bakeries, and dedicated beauty and wellness aisles, positioning the group as a key retail partner for manufacturers and suppliers seeking distribution across the Gulf region. Private-label products represent a growing share of sales, around 29-30% of total retail revenue in recent periods, alongside a rapidly expanding e-commerce channel supported by a partnership with Amazon in the UAE.

Lulu Retail Holdings completed an IPO on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in November 2024, raising roughly $1.72 billion. For fiscal year 2024, the company reported group revenue of approximately $7.6 billion, up 4.7% year-on-year, with net profit of about $216-249 million. The group employs roughly 65,000 people worldwide, with a substantial share of that workforce based in the UAE, its largest and most mature market.

Beyond core grocery retail, the broader Lulu Group conglomerate has interests in shopping mall development, food processing, manufacturing and trading, and hospitality, but its retail hypermarket operations remain the primary driver of its FMCG buying activity and market relevance.