RETAIL PEOPLE MAGAZINE SPECIAL RETAIL CONGRESS EDITION – THE YEAR OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES by MECS+R (MECSC) Publications

CONTENTS CONTENT

CONTENTS

18 04 WELCOME REMARKS FEATURED SHOPPING CENTRE 06 Times Square Centre – A Rare Example of Retail Growth Even During Challenging Times SHOPPING CENTRE UPDATE

10 Retail Is On Its Way To Glory 12 Enhancing Experiences, Improving Lives! 14 The Birthplace of Saudi Arabia – The Future

of Retail

16 Mall of Muscat – On a Clear Path to

Recovery

SPECIAL FEATURE 18 Architecture That Brings People Together FEATURED ARTICLES 21 How Big Data Will Help Retail Real Estate

Achieve Success

22 Wingstop Targets Middle East Markets 26 Experiential Retail: Repositioning Saudi

Christian Baldonanza Digital Media & Innovation Manager

connect@mecsc.org

Justin Espiritu

Relationship and Business Development Manager publishing@mecsc.org

Arabia’s Retail Sector

28 Virtual Reality Entertainment in Shopping

Malls. Will it Work?

30 Innovation & The Road to Recovery 31 Dubai Expo 2021: A Celebration of

Innovation and Recovery with BRANDS

32 Retail: Back to Basics

33 BackLite Intelligence: Data-Driven Mall Advertising PUBLISHED BY: https://www.mecsc.org/site/publications/RPM

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you would like to contribute an article, place an advertisement for our February 2022 issue or share your comments, suggestions or ideas,

34 Is It The End of Face Painting and Spend

and Win?

36 NFT – A Token of Ownership, Forever 37 Iranian Retail Market – From Corona Crisis

to Rental Campaign Advantages

38 Strategies for Success: 3 Tactics for Working

with Small Tenants

contact customercare@mecsc.org

Disclaimer: The viewpoints, articles and opinions contained in the Retail People Magazine are not necessarily those of MECS+R. RETAIL PEOPLE - SPECIAL RETAIL CONGRESS EDITION .3

WELCOME

WELCOME “Where focus goes, energy flows.”

– Tony Robbins, American Author, Coach, Speaker & Philanthropist RETAIL CONGRESS MENA 2021

The Year of New Opportunities 27th Annual Conference & Exhibition

YOUNUS AL MULLA

MECS+R Chairman Senior Vice President - Retail International Development, Shopping Malls Procurement & Government Affairs Majid Al Futtaim Retail

ENG. WAIL M. BALKHAIR MECS+R Board President Saudi Arabia

In life and business, focus is important as this will determine where we are heading to. Our life is controlled by what we focus on. Just like in photography, the focus is important because without it, images can lack sharpness and detail. We all know what the pandemic brought to every one of us. The impact was sudden and the effect is immeasurably heartbreaking. This experience taught us to become more resilient, more optimistic and more focused. With two months remaining before 2022 begins, we are seeing greater progress. Though the recovery process is a bit slow, we are blessed to witness these changes. We are delighted and encouraged to discover how other businesses like shopping centres and retailers thrive and survive in this difficult period. As the saying goes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With this RPM Special Retail Congress Edition “The Year of New Opportunities” it highlights various interesting stories of businesses and professionals on achieving greater success. To begin with, we are honoured to have the management team of Times Square Center as our Featured Shopping Centre headed by Nancy Ozbek. Here, they shared their strategy of how they flourished during the pandemic and boast an impressive occupancy level. In this edition, we also bring you an article from Rebecca Arnold, Mall of Dilmunia in Bahrain, on how Mall of Dilmunia has seen an encouraging trend whereby the mall footfall numbers have been growing steadily with a month-on-month increase. In Saudi, Ayman Alburti and Majid Algothmi from AZAD Properties announced their new development, Souq7, which brings the concept of popular souqs to international heights. Also, Alfie Gibbs, DGDA Strategic Retail Advisor introduced the Diriyah Gate project in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.

KAMEL SHABAN

CEO, SOLO MECS+R Board Vice President

JUBY JOSE

Head of Marketing & Specialty Leasing DALMA MALL MECS+R Board Treasurer

Moving to Oman, Hussain Jamal from Mall of Muscat, revealed that their mall footfall has witnessed the biggest jump over the 3 quarters, with an increase in leasing inquiries and sign-ups. When it comes to Shopping Centre Design, Davide Padoa and Salaheldin Ahmed from Design International UK stated that 2021 is an important year for them as a large number of their recent projects have opened or will soon be completed.

ALESSANDRO GAFFURI

These are just a few of the many promising stories that we curated for this issue. You can find more inspiring and insightful articles on this issue from Abdul Kader Saadi, Mohammad Shaaban, Charlie Morrison, Ishwar Chugani, Anthony Spary, Said Haider, Ali Chab, Frederic Fitoussi, Carlos Candal & Paul Hammond, Umesh Agarwal, Shahrokh Keshavarz and last but not the least, Shannon Alter.

DUAIJ AL RUMAIHI

Our team at the MECS+R is also excited to see and connect with you in person as we celebrate our 27th Annual Retail Congress MENA Event on December 6-7, 2021 at the Ritz Carlton DIFC.

GOGI GEORGE

We would like to thank all our advertisers, authors, members and readers for your continued support all these years. We hope that you will continue to be our supporters and partners as we pave the road to recovery. Should you want to be part of the upcoming issue, reach out to Mariz Matocdo at customercare@mecsc.org.

CEO & Founder CELS Group MECS+R Board Member

Mall Director, Bahrain Shopping Malls City Centre Bahrain MECS+R Board Member

GM - Development & Leasing Lulu Group International - Oman MECS+R Board Member

MOHAMMED AL QAED

Manager, Property Management SEEF Properties MECS+R Board Member

SAMAR AKKOU

Leasing Manager Nakheel Malls MECS+R Board Member

DAVID MACADAM

Chief Executive Officer MECS+R

RETAIL PEOPLE - SPECIAL RETAIL CONGRESS EDITION .4

Eng. Wail M. Balkhair Board President MECS+R

FOOD & HOSPITALITY CONSULTANTS TO SHOPPING MALLS Professional advice for malls & mixed-use environments Food Strategy - Sustainable F&B Volumes (GLA & AED) - Food Precinct Assessment - Food & Hospitality Mix

The Dubai Mall - Dubai

Image - Emaar Malls

The Galleria - Abu Dhabi

SHOPPING CENTRES

RETAIL HUBS

WATERFRONT PRECINCTS

Chadstone Shopping Centre - Australia

MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS

URBAN PLANNING

CULTURAL & ENTERTAINMENT HUBS

AIRPORTS & TRANSPORT

MASTERPLANNING YOUR ASSET’S FOOD & HOSPITALITY STRATEGY futurefood.com.au

Contact Francis Loughran on +61 418 586 149 or Floughran@futurefood.com.au

FEATURED SHOPPING CENTRE

imes Square Center, a much-loved communityfocused mall, based on Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai has been strategically executing its incredible planned transformation into an appealing, retail and family-experience-focused destination since 2019, and the results have been nothing short of phenomenal. When the pandemic hit two years ago and the retail industry started to suffer its biggest downfall since the 2007 recession, Times Square Center continued to implement its exceptionally strategic plan to try and create unheard of growth during these trying times. Through this unique, ‘Together through challenging times,’ strategy, Times Square Center worked with its tenants to become a shining example of how businesses can work together to create positive change. Times Square Center now proudly

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Nancy Ozbek TSC General Manager

L-R Seated: Nancy Ozbek, Michelle Bron L-R Standing: Sreejith Ayyappan, Abdassamad El Ghomri, Abhilash Puthan, Anoop Ajay Kumar

boasts an impressive occupancy level, with 29 new businesses launching since 2019. With the new strategy plan in place, Times Square Center even has potential new tenants on a waiting list when new retail space becomes available. Times Square Center has seen a 40% increase in new store openings within the past three years, which in itself, is an amazing achievement.

At TSC we are not just a retail space, but genuinely consider ourselves a family that share the same values and beliefs.

Times Square Center’s strategy was simple. It wanted to grow its reputation as the ultimate communityfocused mall, which would affect the types of retailers and brands that they would invite into its space. And, at the heart of this new strategy is, Times Square Center’s heart. It views its Management Team, its tenants, its suppliers and its extended team such as its PR, Creative & Digital Agency as part of one large family, all working together for the good of one another in order to achieve both individual and ‘family’ growth, goals and success. It is incredibly picky about which brands it allows to join its ‘family,’ ensuring that all brands are aligned with its goals and values, even when the financial aspect is enticing.

With a strong focus and appreciation for locally based and femaleowned businesses, Times Square Center’s General Manager,

Nancy Ozbek, has been at the core of this expansion and revolution, encouraging women to open their new stores and giving guidance on what direction she thinks the Times Square Center should be moving in.

When asked what she thinks has set Times Square Center apart from other retail spaces, Nancy said, “At TSC we are not just a retail space, but genuinely consider ourselves a family that share the same values and beliefs. We have realised that our strength really is in the communities that support us, whether that be our tenants or our customers. There is so much value in adapting, in order to offer our customers a space that they feel safe and comfortable in. Parents can drop their kids off at Adventure HQ for a little wall climbing while they relax over a hot beverage at one of our inviting coffee shops, before stocking up on farm-fresh fruit and vegetables and artisanal clothing, toys, and gifts – and maybe grabbing a couple of books from the second-hand bookstore on their way out. And since Viva launched in our mall, we really have become a one-stop-shop offering busy families everything that they might need. Times Square Center is a very special place, and we are so proud of everything that we have achieved in the past two years. We look forward to seeing what the next five years hold.”

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Traditionally, shopping centres have categorised retail tenants into two types. These are Traffic Attractors who draw footfall and traffic to the mall, and Traffic Users who pique the interest of those already at the mall and rely heavily on mall traffic. Times Square Center decided to break this rule and started to select every single retailer, from anchor brands to smaller concepts, as traffic attractors. Times Square Center started favouring smaller retail tenants known as micro-mini retail space tenants, who focused on community-type products and experiences and whose target groups tend to be mainly youth and younger adults. These brands operate on smaller overheads and bring concepts that are extremely popular in other parts of the world, to the city of Dubai, that essentially, have been missing here for years. Times Square Center launched several new brands including Eggs n Soldiers, Melodica, Studiyolab, Latin Fit, Picasso Artists, OtakuME, Maker’s Guild and Sparkbake to name a few into its space and found that these alternative brands really helped

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to rejuvenate the mall and attract a wonderfully loyal audience. An incredible charity initiative, Thrift For Good, is set to launch in one of the last few remaining spaces and this concept exudes everything ‘good’ that Times Square Center stands for. Thrift For Good sells a selection of clothing, shoes and books that have been donated to them from the community, and all proceeds go towards Gulf For Good children’s charities. The management team believes that these smaller, community-focused brands, is one of the main answers to its incredible success today. Times Square Center’s tenant onboarding criteria is very straightforward. Its ethos revolves around promoting well-being, education, edutainment, and sustainability. Most of its recent retailers have approached the management team simply because their personal objectives align with Times Square Center. It is also open to like-minded concepts that are willing to adapt to its strategy and focus. Times Square Center has several brands that specifically opened in its retail space and have been successfully growing in business and occupational space since their inception. A few incredible brands that have found success at Times Square Center are Malaak, Eggs n Soldiers, Baby Eats, Studiyolab, Makers Guild, OtakuME, Mums and Bumps, Tutoring Club and Blossom Honey.

Times Square Center is also getting ready to unveil its newly refurbished, sustainable and energy-efficient food court area, ‘Picnic Square,’ which will launch this November. Set to become the ‘beating heart’ of the family orientated community mall, the unique new concept will incorporate functional dining and coworking areas; greenery filled and open welcoming spaces. Picnic Square has been designed with families in mind, with artisanal, deli-style restaurants and cafes fitting snugly along the walls. Comfortable tables, including kid-sized table and chair seating will fill the majority of the space, while contrasting accents of shrubbery and greenery will add a literal breath of fresh air. Even new mums have been considered, with well-thought out ‘private pods’ allowing mums looking for a bit of privacy, the ability to feed their babies out of view from other shoppers. Almost completely filled with relevant brands, Times Square Center has announced a few limited spaces available for any new brands hoping to move into Picnic Square and tap into its exclusive, family-focused audience.

When asked about what the next two years has in store for Times Square Center, Nancy clarified that its strategy over the next two years is to work intensively as a group of establishments that are designed, planned, developed, owned, marketed, and leased in order to achieve overall success for everyone. The Times Square Center Management Team sees itself as one big family, offering success not just for one but for all, working harmoniously together like one unique organism. This wonderful Community Mall has reinvented itself in a challenging time and its unique, long-term strategy is clearly working, and as the last few remaining vacant spaces fill and interest continues to grow, it proves that staying true to your roots really can set you apart from the competition. Visit timessquarecenter.ae or follow @timessquaredxb on Instagram.

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SHOPPING CENTRE UPDATE

RETAIL IS ON ITS WAY TO GLORY MALL FOOTFALL SHOWS SIGNS OF RECOVERY

It has been a long and challenging year for many, but consumer and retailer sentiments are changing due to government initiatives and the increasing number of vaccinated individuals over the past few months. People are now reemerging from lockdowns, and they are venturing out again to visit shopping malls, entertainment venues, restaurants and cafes. Mall of Dilmunia has seen an encouraging trend whereby the mall footfall numbers have been growing steadily with a month-on-month increase. The summer season has been a particularly busy time with the opening of all four entertainment zones at Funscape World WLL. Summer camps were arranged for children so that they could experience ice, sports, play and adventure in an all-inclusive package. Children were thrilled to be able to visit and enjoy entertainment and sporting activities with friends.

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Rebecca Charlotte Arnold Deputy CEO & GM Mall of Dilmunia

The official launch of the Bahrain Aquarium kick started the aqua activities at Mall of Dilmunia. Fish feeding, Diving, Fish petting will be available to the public and educational visits will be available for children. We have signed with several new tenants. The newly signed tenants are a mix of new well-known and established European concepts that are now opening in the Middle East using the Kingdom of Bahrain to launch their expansion and others are well-known local and regional brands.

CrossFit Muharraq will open a CrossFit gym on the ground floor with a mix and ladies only section. Complete with ice baths and saunas, the fitness concept is tapping into the fast-growing wellness industry and the signing of CrossFit Muharraq reinforces the vision of Dilmunia Island as being a destination for health and fitness.

Kunefeci by MADO, which offers unique Turkish food and beverage experience with a retail offering opposite the Aquarium on the ground floor.

first branch in the Middle East at the mall. Eataliano’s mission is to serve food inspired by the values and ancient recipes of the Italian and Roman traditions. It includes coffee, a bakery, homemade gelato using quality ingredients made by the gelato world champion Sergio Colalucci, Roman Gourmet Pinsa - made by the pizza world champion, Max Moresi.

CHKN, Abby BRGR, Abby Shawaya & Robyan, will soon open on the lower ground floor with a location offering views of the canal and dancing fountains. Their quality fast-casual dining experience together with flavoursome dishes will be a favourite for visitors.

We are very happy with the brands that have joined Mall of Dilmunia to date as they complement the entertainment offerings and provide a point of differentiation for the mall. We will continue to attract additional leading and new brands in order to achieve a fully integrated and diverse mix of brands that satisfy our customers’ needs and wants.

Blue Island, a new gourmet waffle concept is making its debut in the Kingdom of Bahrain by opening its first branch at the Mall of Dilmunia and Eataliano, will open its

Mall of Dilmunia with its strategic location, breathtaking views, various amenities and entertainment venues is expected to cement itself as one of the Kingdom’s leading event venues. It is set to attract visitors from across Bahrain and abroad by emerging as a unique and ideal location for hosting cultural events and food festivals, attractions, and cultural programs.

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SHOPPING CENTRE UPDATE

ENHANCING EXPERIENCES, IMPROVING LIVES! Building on the urban regeneration model, Souq7 brings the concept of popular souqs to international heights. Poised as the largest lifestyle retail complex in KSA with a unique open market design, Souq7 offers an exceptional shopping experience in the heart of Jeddah.

BLENDING HERITAGE WITH CONVENIENT SHOPPING IN A MODERN SETUP Souq7 celebrates Saudi legacy and culture in an entirely reimagined souq setup. It reflects modernity and innovation in line with Vision 2030, while also embracing the Middle East’s originality, stimulating the senses and inciting a sense of discovery. Historically, Souq7 was a famous destination for shoppers looking for value products at affordable prices. Boasting a modern infrastructure and an impressive line-up of local and international brands in both the retail and wholesale categories, the renovated compound will offer a transformed shopping journey that ensures a pleasant experience for both tenants and visitors.

AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING ZONING SYSTEM Following the “one-stop-shop” motto where shoppers can find anything and everything they want under one roof, Souq7 will be divided into 7 main zones coming together in a beautiful mosaic that forms an all-encompassing lifestyle and retail space. These zones are:

The Food Stuff Zone - with food markets classified by food category – such as dates, meats, herbs, spices, and others - to provide an ultra-organized and seamless shopping experience.

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The Family Entertainment Zone - which makes up for almost half of the project. It has a Traditional Market with various bazaars, popular shops and gold markets. It also comprises an Entertainment Zone including a state-of-the-art 10-screen cinema complex, a variety of edutainment and entertainment centers, restaurants, cafes, and more. Finally, the section counts a Fashion Zone with a wide-ranging array of fashion, accessories, jewelry, and cosmetics brands.

An Electronics Zone - bringing major electronic retailers together to showcase the latest technologies in home and office appliances, smart phones, tablets, and more.

A Furniture & Home Supplies Zone - with a great choice of showrooms selling furniture, home accessories, draperies, upholstery, kitchen cabinets and accessories, and other products. A Building Material Zone - with all building material shops gathered up in one area for easier browsing. An Automotive Zone - set to be one of the largest Auto Park in the Makkah Region with car dealers, accessories shops, as well as detailing and spare parts centers. A Multi-Use Zone - also called Wellness Zone, offering a multipurpose space dedicated to health and fitness activities, banquet halls, and conferences.

A LOCAL SOUQ WITH NATIONAL IMPACT Spreading over 728,000sqm of lands, Souq7 counts 4,000 shops, around 7,000 parking spaces, 108 buildings, and 5 mosques, with a robust security system to ensure everyone’s safety at all times. A project of this size has an undeniable impact on the growth of the city of Jeddah, as well as on the national economy, as it is expected to create 24,240 jobs, generate SAR 2.3 billion in revenues. In addition to retail spaces, Souq7 is set to host numerous world-class events and year-round activities, delivering on its promise to be a leading tourism destination in KSA. Redefining shopping standards and reviving the spirit of popular souqs, it is no surprise that Souq7 is a flagship project by innovative asset and property management company, Azad Properties, which manages around 1.4 million sqm of Gross Leasable Area across Saudi Arabia today.

AYMAN AL BURTI Chief Executive Officer At AZAD Properties, we are proud of being one of the major players in the real estate industry. Our innovative thinking and foresight enable us to unleash our portfolio’s full potential. Leveraging the robust capabilities of local and international experts, our mission is to deliver meaningful and sustainable properties, ones that not only create optimal value for stakeholders, but also leave a positive impact on communities by focusing on innovation and agility.

MAJID ALGOTHMI Executive Director – Properties Souq7 is an urban regeneration project that aims to improve lives and promote self-sustainability models while preserving cultural heritage. Combining authenticity and modernism, the project is poised to become a landmark that radiates positivity and injects a global lifestyle in the city of Jeddah. As an innovating destination providing visitors with a 360-degree shopping experience to meet all their needs, Souq7 promises to deliver Economical Price, Diversity, and Experience. In fact, by bringing a rich mix of shops and brands from diverse industries under one roof and at great value, Souq7 offers shoppers an exceptional one-stop-shop consumer journey that’s hard to find elsewhere.

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SHOPPING CENTRE UPDATE

THE BIRTHPLACE OF SAUDI ARABIA - The Future of Retail

Diriyah, a SAR 190 Billion investment project, is a 7 square kilometres mixed-use historic, culture and lifestyle destination. Diriyah will become the Kingdom’s historic and cultural heart, proudly showcasing to the world Saudi Arabia’s 300+ years of history through an engaging and inspiring set of heritage, hospitality, education, retail and dining experiences for residents, tourists and frequent visitors. The Retail People Magazine had a chat with Alfie Gibbs, DGDA Strategic Retail Advisor, and shared exciting things about the DGDA. Alfie, thank you for speaking with us. First of all, what is the Diriyah Gate project and how does it fit into Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030? Our mission is to transform one of the most important historical sites in Saudi Arabia into a global hub for culture, heritage and tourism. Diriyah Gate will be a 7 square kilometre mixed-use development that protects and celebrates the exceptionally distinctive character of Diriyah. It’s a project with a USD $50.6 billion investment pipeline, adding around USD $7.2 billion to the Kingdom’s GDP. It will create 55,000 jobs and aims to attract 27 million visitors a year. As one of the first giga-projects slated to open, it is really the catalyst of Vision 2030 and is critical to the Vision’s success pledge to raise tourism’s contribution to the Kingdom’s GDP from 3% to 10% by the end of the decade.

What is it that makes Diriyah so special as a place? There is an immense pride in Diriyah amongst Saudis, particularly with it being the birthplace of the Saudi state. When I bring people to Diriyah, whether they be global brands or regional players, they fall in love with it. The uniqueness of any project starts with the location, so what we’re trying to do is curate an experience that delivers an authentic connection with visitors to Diriyah as a place. One of the ways we’re doing that is by building around our UNESCO World Heritage Site at At-Turaif. There aren’t many new developments in the world that can boast that sort of centrepiece.

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In terms of the project itself, what is the masterplan and what assets are you looking to have? It’s a hugely exciting project. It’s going to be an unprecedented mixed-use space with culture firmly at its heart. There will be a tangible connection to the history in its execution, but one that works hand-in-hand with innovation and the future. We have a whole host of assets in development—everything from cultural centres to offices, museums, residential areas, performance spaces, a grand mosque, luxury and ultra-luxury hotels—with a number of hotel operators already confirmed, many of whom will be entering the Kingdom for the first time. Six of these establishments hug the development’s first-rate retail heart – Diriyah Square. Diriyah will comprise the Kingdom’s most walkable destination, where service infrastructure, roads and parking are largely subsurface.

Talk to us about the retail offering. What can you tell us about it? We don’t think of our visitors as just shoppers, but as guests. The experience we want them to have goes beyond just buying the latest fashion or goods, it’s about much more than that. We want a feeling of discovery, a sense of wonder and curiosity. We want people to come to Diriyah and find something new every time.

The retail offering at Diriyah will be unlike anything ever seen before in Saudi Arabia. Getting it right is key to realising the vision. We have one of the most comprehensive retail libraries out there, so we’re looking to rival all the great shopping cities of the world. Shopping, dining, leisure, entertainment, together with education, health and well-being centres, all embedded within that retail heart. The centre of the development is Diriyah Square, which will be one of the Kingdom’s largest shopping destinations, at 186,000 square metres, with more than 400 iconic lifestyle retail, luxury brand, and dining offerings, all designed in the traditional Najdi style. It will be a brand-new lifestyle experience for the Kingdom and the wider region. We are striving to remain authentic to what Diriyah once was: that bustling hub of commerce. We’re creating a truly unique destination, the likes of which can’t be found anywhere else in the region. Luxury is a key component. We know from our research that the luxury consumer is educated, well-travelled, and is looking for unique, interesting experiences. That’s what we’re aiming to craft in Diriyah. It’s an unrivalled opportunity for our global brands to innovate and articulate new ways of marketing their products, among stunning Naidi-style architecture that protects and preserves the area’s distinctive past. We are also working with some of the world’s biggest brands to create innovative customer journeys and experiences within our unique architecture and design. Exciting and creative versions of amazing international, regional and local brands. Next year, we will launch and open our F&B retail precinct – Bujairi Terrace. Upon overall completion, Bujairi will be home to Riyadh’s new premium dining hub, enjoying uninterrupted views of AtTuraif. Bujairi Terrace will be comprised of a meticulously curated set of premium cuisines and beverage brands, encompassing every dining need – ranging from pit-stop coffees to leisurely fine-dining experiences, with 18 food and beverage brands brought together to cater for local and international visitors for the first time.

ALFIE GIBBS

DGDA Strategic Retail Advisor can we do better, and, in terms of customer service, this has directly benefited our project as we think more about what new experiences we can cultivate for our visitors. We have been presenting Diriyah to retail brands regionally and on the international stage also. I must say the reaction and feedback has been amazing. The retailers are really excited by the fact that they see this as a next generation retail, multi-faceted and completely experiential. They are also buying into the innovative nature of what we will deliver and can align themselves to the values we are trying to project. We’re very aware that retail has had a tough time globally and multi-channel has come to the fore, but if you have a distinctive project, backed by world-class team and a compelling retail offer, you will do well. Diriyah Gate is the next stage in the evolution of retail. Don’t believe me? You’ll have to come and see for yourself.

The pandemic has been a hard hit to retail everywhere. How are DGDA managing the recovery? Thankfully, DGDA was minimally impacted because we were still at the concept design stage. But what I’m seeing is that the pandemic has accelerated change and encouraged innovation. In retail, we have been forced to ask ourselves, what

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SHOPPING CENTRE UPDATE

MALL OF MUSCAT On Clear Path to Recovery

all of Muscat, Oman’s premier shopping and leisure destination has not been any more affected than the other shopping malls in the region, notwithstanding the fact that it only got about 10 months of play before the pandemic wreaked havoc and tore through the very core of its business, it has remained resilient through the crisis. The mall is now on a steady path to business recovery post the turbulent COVID-19 business restrictions period as all retail, F&B and leisure categories are now fully functional. In spite of the fact that mall visitors now need to have taken at least 1 dose of the approved COVID-19 Vaccinations to enter the mall, Mall footfalls in Q3 have witnessed the biggest jump over the past 3 Quarters with an approximate QOQ increase of 30% over previous quarters. Majority of the mall’s Anchor tenants including Debenhams, H&M, Centrepoint, R&B, Matalan, REDTAG and others had all launched their summer sales promotions which has resulted in Q3 seeing the highest growth in tenant sales turnover over the past 1 year with majority of the tenants reporting a minimum of 20% up to 40% increase in business. Contrary to the negative business sentiments in the market during Q2 of this year, the mall witnessed the new opening of an Edutainment Venue Mahaweb, Turkish Street Food Concept, Reema’s Kumpir and the legacy traditional fabrics retailer “Mahdi Store.” The mall has also experienced an increase in leasing enquiries over the past 3 months as business confidence has started to gradually improve with multiple new lease signings

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during the quarter. Furthermore, tenancies which were being supported with special considerations have now initiated discussions to wean themselves off from the special conditions and revert to fixed rentals as the special conditions start exceeding their original contracted values which is an extremely positive sign for the retail operators within the mall. With leisure & F&B forming a major component of Mall of Muscat’s tenant mix, relaxation of the dining-in capacity has given the much needed boost to the F&B operators such as PF Chang’s, Molten Chocolate, Café Di Roma, Starbucks, etc. who have now gone into 100% seating capacity which has provided the much needed comfort to mall visitors and now do not need to wait longer to be served. The mall’s flagship leisure destination “Oman Aquarium” on its part, ever since the opening has embarked on an unprecedented path to enhancing the customer experience and engagement. It has launched multiple experiences to provide guests with an unforgettable experience, activities such as Scuba Diving with a

world class diving operator, kids workshops for all age groups, Yoga at the Aquarium, Special Events booking for events such as Birthdays & Anniversaries, Exotic Birds Show, Shark, Crocodile & Penguin Encounters, etc. have gone a step further in adding value to the visitors experience to the mall. As the Aquarium plays a pivotal role in the efforts of the Mall to attract more footfall, no efforts have been spared to make it more accessible to customers across all demographics. It has now entered into multiple marketing agreements with coupon aggregators and loyalty programs with the country’s major banks and telecom providers expanding the reach and accessibility to a wide range of customers.

“

With leisure & F&B forming a major component of Mall of Muscat’s tenant mix, relaxation of the dining-in capacity has given the much needed boost to the F&B operators...

”

HUSSAIN K. JAMAL Head, Mall Operation Mall of Muscat

The mall’s other entertainment venues such as Novo Cinemas, Fabyland and Xtreme Zone have been very active promoting their venues with aggressive marketing and advertisement promotions which has helped all co-tenancies such as the Food Court and Restaurant operators to take advantage of the increased footfalls. The mall has utilized Q1 and Q2 to formalize plans to enhance the facilities within the mall by entering into various agreements with multiple operators which will come into fruition in Q4. Facilities such as a unique drive through bank are being added to the existing services within the mall. In addition, the mall will be witnessing the opening of various retail, F&B and Leisure operators such as Abdul Samad Quraishi, Chocolala, Dashing Nails, Fone Zone, Alex Avien and many more. The mall will also be launching Oman’s first indoor sports complex which is bound to have a big impact on the mall footfalls. All in all, the mall has positioned itself strategically to take advantage of the positive changes in the business environment in the country and is already on the path to a strong recovery in both short and long term.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

ARCHITECTURE THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER

ESIGN INTERNATIONAL is an Architecture firm with over 55 years of history and more than 10 million square metres of built architecture, constantly evolving to adapt to everchanging people’s habits. Building from its strong experience in Retail, the practice has now projects encompassing a wide range of sectors, including Mixed-Use Developments, Residential, Hotels and Hospitality. “As a place is defined by the experience and emotion it evokes, we seek to create spaces that intrigue and engage people, encouraging them to explore the opportunities they offer” explains Davide Padoa, CEO of Design International. He continues “To create communities, we choose to partner with international Retailers, Developers and Asset Managers that share the same values and ethics, to develop projects in which the artistic, commercial, environmental and social aspects are in complete harmony.” Salaheldin Ahmed, Associate Architect & MENA Regional Manager, explains: “The projects we design can be described as ‘Cities within a City’ for our ability to shape local stories to

Ferrari Centro Stile, Italy

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DAVIDE PADOA CEO Design International

SALAHELDIN AHMED

Associate Architect & MENA Regional Manager Design International

create unique experiences for every visitor. History and culture of countries are the foundations of every project as we strive to create meeting places in which visitors relate to and give them the desire to return again and again.” The Urban, Environmental, and Social approach of Design International is led by architects with great skills in creating public places to live day by day. The team, recognized internationally for the strength and depth of its expertise, designs projects following urban planning principles specifically adapted to the

site conditions and the opportunities given. In synergy with the clients’ team, every member brings their unique culture and individuality to the project, allowing Design International to develop exceptional places that are imaginative, iconic, and within budget. 2021 is an important year for Design International as a large number of their recent projects have opened or will be completed soon. In April 2021, Silicon Central Mall opened its doors in Dubai, inaugurating the 209th Hypermarket by Lulu Group; the project has recently won the International Property Awards for the Leisure Architecture category in Dubai, proving itself to be already a new landmark for the city. By the end of the year, Lulu Mall Sharjah Central will be inaugurated, following the recent opening of Forsan Central in Abu Dhabi. Two of the biggest shopping malls in India will open their doors to the public before the end of the year: Lulu Mall Trivandrum – that won the International Property Award for Retail Architecture in India – and Lulu Mall Lucknow, that introduces for the first time in Uttar Pradesh the concept of a three-levels ‘High Street’ with entertainment ‘Piazzas’.

add something precious to the local context to enrich lives and bring local communities together. Davide Padoa, one of the driving forces of Design International, concludes, “For more than 55 years now, we have believed in design that shapes how people feel about a place, and today more than ever we believe in creating places that engage emotions and shape memories”.

Livat Changsha, China

In China, the fifth development by Swedish Group, Ingka Centres, opened last August: Livat Changsha, a mixed-use project that alongside the traditional LIVAT Centre and IKEA store has a unique, IKEA inspired, Soho Tower. In Italy, the refurbishment and enlargement of I Gigli have given visitors more space to meet in a welcoming place for families, workers and shoppers, while the inauguration of Mercato di Corso Sardegna project will revitalise the historical market restored in Genoa and will give the citizen large areas of public green space. All these projects follow the principle that architects have the social responsibility to design buildings that

Silicon Central, UAE

Hubtown, Italy

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AR C HI T E CT U R E TH AT B RI NGS PEO P L E T OGE T HE R

w w w. d e s i g n i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m

Destination Mall, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

FEATURE

How Big Data Will Help Retail Real Estate Achieve Success

odern retail real estate has evolved into an immersive experience with something for every type of visitor, from high-street favourites and department stores to designer shops and restaurants. These shopping malls include family-focussed attractions such as aquariums, zoos, cinemas and ski slopes, which is why technology now plays a crucial role in managing multiple aspects of the modern shopping experience. With all these assets to think about, it can be difficult to know where to begin. That is where your data comes in. You need to explore and understand your regional trends including demographic shifts, culture and politics. This type of data is key in helping you plan location, shopping centre sizes and can help determine what technology you need to implement going forward. Data is the core of every successful strategy, but if you don’t have the right systems or the right strategy in place to use that data, it can become obsolete. Single connected solutions such as Yardi’s Retail Suite, including Yardi Voyager Retail, can help you evaluate current and future occupancy with visual floor plan graphics, attract prospects, improve customer experience as well as gain better analytical insight from one fully integrated platform. They remove the hassle of collecting data from multiple disparate systems and can help reduce costs, drive revenue streams and increase asset value.

Big Data’s Key Role The retail sector now generates more data each month than most vertical real estate markets. This is why simple tools or spreadsheets aren’t enough anymore for you to gain valuable insights into your data or trends. Advanced, integrated technology now exists with a plethora of helpful tools that are easy to use. It can centralise your data, automate workflows and help property managers work more efficiently and maintain successful retail centre operations.

Said Haider

Regional Sales Director Middle East YARDI

The significance of big data in retail and turning this into easily accessible, meaningful and precise metrics should not be underestimated. Big data helps shopping centre managers satisfy the needs of their shopping centre visitors, retailers and investors in ways that e-commerce can’t. Analysing data, anticipating changes in customer needs and aligning it with specific assets and investment strategies can help you drive a sustainable and successful retail real estate.

By utilising a cloud-based solution, you gain access to insightful analytics that you can use to make better-informed business decisions, whilst working from any location.

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FEATURE

Wingstop Targets Middle East Markets

ingstop is a dynamic and growing brand, looking for growth in many regions. Our sights are set on opening over 6,000 restaurants globally. The Middle East region offers great opportunities for our expansion plans. Following our success across our European markets, gives us a great position to strengthen our presence in the Middle East as well. Continued expansion and social media push in the UK, as well as the recent marketing campaign and large increase in social followers following the launch of UAE’s TikTok account are examples that could translate well in the Middle East markets. Our small-box formula in Singapore is a great solution for the markets with high occupancy costs. This can also be transferred to some of the markets in GCC as well, as we know large metropolitan markets can lead to expensive real estate, and we’ve seen our small-box footprints lead to tremendous success for Wingstop. This supports our interest in expanding further into the Middle East while exploring similar deals to our recent Canada and UK growth agreements.

Canada Expansion – Looking for Similar Size of Deal in Saudi Arabia We’re extending our global reach by expanding into Canada through an agreement with JPK Capital to develop 100 Wingstop locations across Canada in the next 10 years, with the first set to open in Toronto in early 2022. “As technology entrepreneurs, we’ve been impressed with Wingstop’s investment in innovation and look forward to offering a best-in-class digital and in-restaurant experience to Canadians,” said Joe Poulin, Founder and CEO of JPK Capital.

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Charlie Morrison CEO Wingstop

We see the Middle East and Saudi Arabia having similar attributes as Canada especially in consumer behaviors, digital engagements and off premise dining.

areas that if we believe the brand awareness is sufficient that we can start to drive a delivery-only model through dark kitchens.”

Digital - The Future of Ordering

Moving Forward in 2022

To help fulfill our objective of “digitizing every transaction,” we’re planning to heavily advertise delivery, 100 percent of which is digital. “Our pillar of sustaining same-store sales growth is supported by our strategies around delivery and digital expansion,” said Charlie Morrison, Wingstop CEO.

Wingstop has a great business model with a 4:1 sales/ investment ratio. Overall, the right business model, small footprint approach, digital platform, and social media focus are key areas we’ll continue to grow and evolve as we expand into other markets. Our recent successful openings and upcoming expansion into Canada encourages us to bring the above strategies and experiences to new territories.

Wingstop’s investments in digital and technology have enhanced speed of service and been a driver of our business in international markets.

UK Success We opened our first Wingstop in the UK in late 2018. Our brand partner Lemon Pepper Holdings successfully opened in the heart of central London and its portfolio now has a mix of high street, shopping mall and ghost kitchen locations. “We’ve been delighted by the overwhelming response from guests and look forward to bringing our brand to more regions of the UK in coming years.” Said Tom Grogan, Director of LPH.

Small Footprint Prior to the pandemic, offpremise represented the majority of Wingstop’s sales in the U.S., which quickly pivoted to 100% off-premise overnight at the onset of the pandemic. This off-premise approach has been outlined as a key growth driver for our business. Ghost kitchens also present an opportunity for the brand to enter trade areas that otherwise might have been challenging for opening traditional restaurants. Small-box solutions for markets with high rent have been key for the brand with expansion in Singapore, UK and other major metropolitan markets. The idea behind these locations’ feeds into Wingstop’s continued focus on delivery. “A good example might be a business hub in a large market where there’s a lot of daytime population, a lot of businesses that are there, but there’s no real retail presence,” said Charlie Morrison, Wingstop CEO. “We could drop a kitchen making it available for delivery to our guests. There are

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WE’RE ON A MISSION TO SERVE THE WORLD FLAVOR Proven Winner One of the world’s fastest growing franchises is expanding into the Middle East and the opportunity to invest is now. Wingstop is on a mission to Serve the World Flavor through an unparalleled guest experience centered around our highly craveable classic wings, boneless wings and tenders, always cooked to order and hand-sauced-and-tossed in our unique flavors. Our investors find success with a proven model that combines a small retail footprint, easy-to-run operations and a technology platform that gives our digitally-savvy guests convenient access to the brand for delivery or takeout. Global Growth At Wingstop, we have our sights set on opening over 6,000 restaurants globally and are well-positioned to grow given the increasing, international demand for craveable and unique food. A key focus will be broadening the Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific regional markets, where we see immense opportunity. In the Middle East, we are striving to amplify our presence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Join us in our goal to become a Top Ten Global brand. Founded in Dallas, TX, Wingstop has offered guests flavor without compromise since 1994. (NASDAQ: WING)

CHARLIE MORRISON CHAIRMAN & CEO

OVER 1,500 LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE

CONTACT RADEK PODRACKY, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TO LEARN ABOUT FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES. RPODRACKY@WINGSTOP.COM

CBRE in Saudi Arabia. Our expertise. Your bottom line. Offering landlords, developers, global brands, and regional home grown concepts, with comprehensive strategic and execution solutions across Saudi Arabia’s dynamic retail landscape.

Retail Consultancy

Leasing Services

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Project vision Concept design reviews Project zoning & phasing Category mix and sizing Rental projections F&B consultancy Retail analytics Asset management

Scheme positioning Leasing strategies Merchandise mix Leasing services Marketing strategies Market benchmarking Lease negotiations Market analysis

CBRE is the market leader for real estate consultancy services both globally and across the Middle East region. Operating in the region for over 15 years, CBRE has extensive experience providing dedicated retail services to support both regional and multi national clients with their real estate strategies.

Learn more at cbre.sa

Mohamad Hammoud

Anthony Spary

Associate Director Advisory & Transaction Services +966 53 722 7788

Director Head of Office Investor Leasing & Retail +971 52 846 9701

FEATURE

Experiential Retail: Repositioning Saudi Arabia’s Retail Sector Saudi Arabia’s retail sector is undergoing a range of changes in both the supply and demand side. CBRE highlights the importance of understanding and delivering successful demand drivers, particularly in the food and beverage segment of the market, and their impact on asset performance.

he retail sector in Saudi Arabia has been undergoing material structural shifts over recent years which have underpinned significant changes in both the supply and demand of retail amenities. These shifts have largely stemmed from changes in legislation which have ranged from the reintroduction of cinemas, 100% foreign ownership, to the implementation of Saudisation in the sector. Over this period, we have also seen changes in consumer spending patterns, driven by the reductions in cost-of-living allowances, relatively anemic growth in average real wages, the growth in e-commerce and demographic shifts. The onset of the pandemic not only accelerated the pace of these changes but also has introduced new complexities in the market. The increase in the rate of VAT from 5% to 15% has further impacted the purchasing power of consumers. This combined with an uncertain economic backdrop, decline in international visitation, increased e-commerce take-up and on-going social mobility restrictions, have materially impacted the retail sector. According to estimates by Euromonitor, the total value of store-based retailing in Saudi Arabia fell year-on-year by 15.9% in 2020, with many retailers consolidating

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Anthony Spary

DIRECTOR – HEAD OF OFFICE INVESTOR LEASING & RETAIL CBRE

or closing branded stores all together given the tougher trading conditions. However, as mentioned above, the retail sector was already facing headwinds prior to the pandemic, where in the four years to 2019, total storebased retail sales fell by 1.0%. This is despite the increasing levels of recreational spending over this period.

Therefore, arguably, there is a misalignment of demand and the supply of retail amenities, which must be addressed in order for the sector to reach its true potential and contribute effectively to a more diversified economy. Given Saudi Arabia’s young population, where almost 60% of Saudi nationals are below the age of 30, the current delivery model of retail is arguably out of step with young cohort’s requirements. Many assets in the Kingdom lack appropriate demand drivers to generate footfall. This is particularly true for experiential focused retail amenities, a segment which is seeing a global surge. Saudi Arabia is no different, in fact, due to the recent surge in entertainment related concepts, after a prolonged absence, the sector has significantly higher growth potential compared to the global average. Whilst a substantial number of internationally recognised durable goods and apparel stores have entered the market in Saudi Arabia, the entertainment sector still lacks quality offerings. More so, in this space, Food and Beverage offerings are becoming the primary draw for entertainment venues. Therefore, before more complex experiential retail concepts are rolled out in Saudi Arabia, the low quantum of quality concepts in the entertainment sector of the market must be addressed. We are already seeing developers addressing this with future schemes in the Kingdom with the likes of Saudi Entertainment Ventures looking to capitalise on this gap in the market.

“The onset of the pandemic

not only accelerated the pace of these changes but also has introduced new complexities in the market.

”

The successful execution of this will be critical in attracting footfall to help sustain other retail architypes. According to the ICSC Industry Insights Report 2019, consumers are increasingly looking to have food, drink and entertainment in one location, with 70% of consumers preferring to visit entertainment venues for groups outings, rather than casual dining destinations. Therefore, alongside the entertainment aspect of retail placemaking, incorporating quality international food and beverage will act as a significant demand driver in the Kingdom, this will promote locations as a social hub and will be the key component of a successful retail mix. However, landlords must curate a mix of tenants which offer a varied mix of menus and experiences to avoid dilution of sales. Alongside onboarding recognised concepts, there should also be provisions for home grown concepts, which can even startup in such locations before moving up the chain scale in the event they are successful. Detailed studies must be carried out as to what the required quality, quantity and mix of food and beverage will be in each location. Understanding and catering for the asset’s catchment demographic will lead to greater levels of footfall and dwell time. Landlords in turn will be able to bolster occupancy rates and even command premium rents by leveraging these demand drivers to attract a range of auxiliary tenants.

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FEATURE

Virtual Reality

Entertainment in Shopping Malls.

Will it Work? In the GCC region, shopping malls are the main drivers of the retail industry. These establishments provide the opportunity for retailers to showcase their brands. Having said that, competition among retailers is fiercer than ever, resulting in higher demand for shopping malls to generate more footfall. While in the past, malls initially served only as a convenient retail hub for residents, changes have begun to appear. The influx of international luxury retailers, the increasing growth of F&B and entertainment offerings, saw malls evolving into weekend and entertainment destinations. Speaking of entertainment, the Retail People Magazine had an insightful conversation with Frederic Fitoussi, Managing Director of Palais Royal Technology that manages the Virtual Center in Dubai, one of the leading Virtual Reality Games providers in France.

Can you give us a brief information about yourself and what you do? I have been living in Dubai for the past 14 years developing retail brands in the region from different industries. I am here with the family. We love this country, it’s lifestyle and all the benefits the nation offers.

What is Virtual Reality (VR)? Virtual Reality (VR) gaming is a multi-sensory, immersive gaming environment where hardware and software come together to offer a virtual world experience via head-mounted displays. Sensors within the headsets track the user’s movements and keep changing the views accordingly. This gives users the impression of being physically present in a surreal environment.

How big is the Virtual Reality in gaming market? In 2020, record shows USD 150 Billion for the global gaming industry while the global virtual reality in gaming market is about USD 16 Billion. VR represents 10% of the global gaming industry market and should reach by 25% in 2025. Over the past 5 years, game editors have received 43% of their total funding to develop VR games. The best example would be Mark Zuckerberg, Owner of Facebook, as he decided to invest big in VR. Currently, he’s utilizing 25% of his task force only in VR to develop tomorrow’s VR experience.

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Frederic Fitoussi

Managing Director Palais Royal Technology

What is the market for Virtual Reality entertainment in the region? The Middle East emerge as one of the fastest-growing regions for VR gaming after US and Asia. According to the industry, the estimate revenue for gaming in the MENA region this year is USD 5bn. Approximately, the number of Middle East gamers is 100 million and close to 2.5Bn worldwide. With this numbers, VR gaming market will generate an estimate of USD 400M in the region this year.

What are the factors driving the virtual reality? VR has the ability to create a reality ‘outside’ of the real world. A safe space for consumers to isolate themselves from the real word, so VR has enhanced the gaming experience by offering a real-time ability to take gamers into their screens. The key factors that are driving the market growth including the rising demand of gaming is the youth or the Generation Z and Millennials. In fact, Hollywood is already stepping into VR. Cinema blockbuster movie producers start to understand the potential of VR. More and more producers are now adding a VR trailer to promote their movies.

What do you think is the people’s perception about VR? VR is still very new for most. People who tried VR for the first time are amazed by the experiences it can provide. The industry and consumers in MENA have a limited

perception of what VR gaming and experiences are all about. They believe it is all about affordable simulators with poor VR graphic game and some shooting games catering to a limited audience. However, we can’t blame them, as this is all you can find in the region for now, but with Virtual Center, it is far more than that.

So why is Virtual Center different from what we see in the market? First, VC has no competitor so far. We are pioneer in VR entertainment over the past 5 years and our experience across France allowed us to polish our concept. Virtual Center is offering all in one solution for developers and operators. We tailor the best VR games selections that fulfil the operator’s need for entertainment value while balancing the investment required. Within a space of 9 sqm, you could be on a rollercoaster or in a pyramid playing an escape game with your friends. How about Space repairing the NASA international space station? Or jumping from the top of a building or racing in F1. These are just a few examples, and all of these can be done in 9 sqm. Imagine how much operators can save in terms of fit-out fees and renting space.

Could you tell us more about what a client can expect when entering a Virtual Center? Compared to a traditional entertainment center, we are not targeting only kids or teenager, although they are the footfall drivers but let us not forget about the parents. Virtual Center is designed in such a way that parents will want to have their own virtual experience with their kids or alone. We have games, programs, and explorations beyond your imagination for adults. We are working with schools in France to bring classes on a field trip to our centers to experience educational VR programs, where they can learn more about nature and the environment in a fun way in a virtual world. Our expert teams are constantly developing new technology and listening to what customers want.

What is your Expansion plan for the Middle East? Our franchise model is working extremely well in France, and we are planning to open 30 VC in MENA by 2025. We are in the process of opening our office in Dubai which will be ready very soon. It will also include a small showroom where you can test our VR concept and experience the magic.

What would you say about Virtual Reality in shopping malls in just a few words to conclude this interview? VR is not a niche product inside the gaming industry, but rather it is the gaming industry of the future. Our VR entertainment industry suffers during COVID. Same as the cinemas, we had to shut down all our franchise centers in France. Fortunately, the recovery is doing extremely well. Our industry is now booming as the demand for new entertainment in Malls is high.

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FEATURE

Innovation & The Road To Recovery

n the aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 is proving to be an innovative term for Abdul Kader Saadi, MD of Glee Hospitality Solutions. Many operators have had to pool all their resources and seek new avenues of thinking in order to ensure their continued success within their respective markets. To this effect, technology will always be one of the strongest tools for fostering success and the F&B sector is no exception in this aspect. In light of this trend of technological symbiosis with the F&B market, Abdul Kader with a dedicated new team has launched a new B2B application dubbed Eighty6. The Company is part of the DIFC innovation hub enclave, with an allocated Angel capital from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. (Women Spark / https://womenspark.co/) Eighty6 was launched in September 2021 within the UAE and within the first quarter of 2022 in KSA. The addressable markets would cover a wide spectrum of targets that would include F&B operators and vendors; 40,000+ potential customers between the two aforementioned markets. The purpose of Eighty6 is to create a more efficient ecosystem between suppliers and restaurants where both parties come out in a beneficial win-win scenario. The system will enable chefs to reduce the time they spend on procurement to give an example of projected efficiency. Chefs on average spend approximately 7 hours a week on procurement and with the implementation of Eighty6, we are looking to drop that time by more than 50%. Additionally, Chefs will also be able to search for existing or new products via the application, further empowering them to shop and compare products with greater clarity and ease. To supplement this, we will also incorporate a supplier dashboard that will seek to minimize the data entry process, handle aggregate orders, and empower them to market their product at the touch of a button.

Abdul Kader (Aboudi) Saadi Co-Founder and Managing Director Eighty6

In addition, Eighty6 will incorporate state of the art AI tech to help chefs predict their procurement requirements based on par levels and consumption patterns. Eighty6 is design by a long-term solution to long-term tangible problems/challenges that currently exist within the sector. Approximately, half of businesses have already invested in digital infrastructure and with the addition of an application like Eighty6 we are giving operators the perfect tool for their e-commerce to thrive. Social distancing in our physical space forced us to carve a stronger piece of the digital environment, with zoom meetings and online ordering options taking over the volume of previously opted interpersonal associations. COVID-19 changed the way we perceive and conduct business forever and operators need to adapt to seize new areas of potential opportunity. We live in a digital age and much like the advent of inventions such as the wheel and the steam engine, those that implement and equip the most innovative tools of the times create the greatest chances for success. Eighty6 is the culmination of the F&B industry’s most influential experts collaborating with the state-of-the-art digital applications, which will not merely prove beneficial but in some cases be utterly imperative to the road to recovery. For more info, visit https://www.eighty6.shop/

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FEATURE

Dubai Expo 2021: A Celebration of Innovation and Recovery with BRANDS

ecovery is an ongoing process with no standard formula, even in the case of established businesses. Bouncing back from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we identified in BRANDS that the key is finding what works best for us while keeping the interest of our customers at heart. We must remain tuned and responsive to the needs of our growing customer base. Time is of the essence and we at BRANDS focus our efforts on providing not just products but solutions: a value for money men’s wear collection. Part of our road to recovery is through the Dubai Expo 2021, a global event that will play a big part in the recovery of most businesses in the UAE, including the retail industry. Expo is an amalgamation of ideas, collaboration, and innovation three elements that BRANDS have always excelled at. The pandemic caused destruction to several businesses but ours was a disruption that provided opportunities to strengthen what we stand for. We are known for our affordable price strategy, but BRANDS’ excellent quality and comfort is not a compromise neither a point for negotiation. BRANDS will leverage the Dubai Expo 2021 by attracting visitors and tourists through our competitive prices and high-quality products. Each of our items address the varying style and personalities of men. We have also launched the Factory Prices Campaign to allow our customers to avail of our unparalleled products with up to 55% discount when buying 5 items. We guarantee saving more and elevating your fashion never like before through our unique collection.

Mohammad Shaaban

Business Development Manager BRANDS

supporting both BRANDS and the retail industry across their path to recovery. We look forward to warmly welcoming you to BRANDS and Expo as you plunge into exceptional clothing pieces offering comfort, quality, and value. For more info, visit https://brandsco.com/

The pandemic proved that the retail industry is not only malleable to innovation, but that the market is constantly acclimatising to new purchase patterns. Our main strategy revolves around tailoring our prices based on our customers’ purchasing capacity. Our differential pricing strategy eliminates customers’ main barrier to making a purchase - money. Therefore, customers are given incentives to navigate across our collection which complements each man’s mood, personality, and charisma. We empower every man to have access to our products by ensuring unique pieces are at their disposal. BRANDS was able to flourish during the pandemic because of our wholesale strategy, and it has been the company’s business approach since its inception. While others are negatively affected by the pandemic, BRANDS proved to be resilient as we opened 3 additional stores since the opening of businesses last year (2 in Sharjah, UAE, and 1 in City Center Doha in Qatar). The Dubai Expo 2021 will open more doors for BRANDS to work on expansion and achieve our vision of opening 30 more stores in the first quarter of 2022. We encourage you to spend abundant time exploring Expo. Notwithstanding the invaluable experience of joining one of the world’s biggest celebrations of culture and diversity of thought, you will be

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FEATURE

Retail: Back to Basics…

hinese philosopher Lao-Tzu is often credited with saying ‘when you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.’

For a long time now, the apparel retail industry has been fiercely competitive and dynamic. Customers can often feel disillusioned by the plethora of options marketed to them by different brands through different channels. As retailers, we first need to go back to basics to make sure that shopping in our stores is an enjoyable experience. It is up to us to ensure that factors such as customer service, health and safety, and technology integration are of the highest quality so that our customers’ in-store experiences will be as seamless as possible. Today’s shoppers want a good shopping atmosphere, convenient store locations, and helpful and knowledgeable sales staff. In fact, they expect no less. This is not all. Recent studies have revealed that there is a growing requirement for special promotions and sales, efficient return policies, on-line presence, and continuous brand reliability. Customers do not buy from a company; they buy from someone they can trust, someone knowledgeable, someone who delivers what is promised. Retailers also need to consider that today’s global customer is cost and time-conscious: thus, our retail offering should be relevant, functional, and affordable. It is rare that you will find a customer who thinks of cost as no obstacle, never mind time. This said, the future of retail is being built around the notion that what you sell is less important than how you sell it. Forget about product differentiation – the future of retail is about distinct experiences. To create such experiences, retailers must understand the critical importance of connecting with their customers. True customer loyalty cannot simply be bought for discounts, ‘miles’ or points. These are a short-term fad, which get boring when they do not deliver on the initial expectation. Your loyal customers will ultimately return because the experiences you create for them are preferable to those delivered by your competitors.

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Ishwar Chugani

CEO and Managing Director Giordano

Thus, the opportunities to create repeat customers lie in the experience you offer to your shoppers as soon as they step into your stores. Your competitors may be able to match your products and services, feature for feature, but the experience your brand offers is yours alone and provides you with a true competitive advantage. To enjoy profitability in the long-term retailers, need to reach out from the confines of the box, continually innovating and varying their offering to attract customers. There is no single magic formula that works for all retailers, but it seems increasingly apparent that the retailers that survive and thrive are those that understand their customers and know what services they would value. I end with the words of Steve Jobs, “Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.”

FEATURE

BackLite Intelligence

Data-Driven Mall Advertising

hopping mall advertising is unique in that your advertising message is in close proximity to the point of sale. It is exposed to target audiences who are already prepared to spend money. The digitisation of mall networks adds flexibility to the buying process. It can now be bought online programmatically, meaning ads can be changed, amended – or switched off – in real-time. Creatives can be replaced automatically to respond to the external environment, maximising the effectiveness of any placement. With Programmatic Out of Home, you plan and buy your campaigns in a similar way to that of online, by impressions. But how can this be done effectively? Where do you start? Data is critical to the process. With BackLite Intelligence, we aggregate data from multiple sources, then analyse it with custom algorithms. This analysis generates insights around traffic flows, audience demographics, buying behaviours, and dwell times. The result? Audience profiles ensure your messages and ideas are seen by the right people, not just passersby.

Ali Chab

Head of Malls and Cinema BACKLITE MEDIA FZ LLC

BackLite Intelligence powers The MediaXchange, our programmatic platform. The MediaXchange delivers one of the biggest advantages of the OOH medium: the ability to run hugely impactful ads on premium digital sites with relevance and flexibility. But what are the most significant benefits?

Speed By automating our transactional process and making our inventory available online, the speed at which a campaign can be launched has gone from weeks to days to hours.

Agility

An audience-first approach now enables the integration of online and out-of-home marketing messages, increasing visibility, reach and brand awareness. So for whatever conditions you might want to set, programmatic can help you accomplish your goals. As soon as the time is right, you’ll be able to automatically deliver the right message to the right screen to reach your audience, whoever they are.

Because campaigns are activated through a trading desk, it means they can be changed, tweaked, adjusted, modified very quickly.

Targeting A critical piece of the programmatic DOOH puzzle is the ability to target your audience more precisely.

Dynamic Scheduling Programmatic streamlines and simplifies the process for using dynamic creative for OOH.

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FEATURE

IS IT THE END OF FACE PAINTING AND SPEND AND WIN?

n 2020, the global pandemic impacted the theatrical and home/ mobile entertainment, as movie theaters and production studios temporarily closed. Since millions were quarantined and lock down was implemented, viewers were forced to stay home for their video entertainment. As the vaccine has rolled out all over the world, different industries which was hit much by the pandemic is opening slowly to a period of road to recovery. The Retail People Magazine had a one-on-one interview with Carlos Candal, CEO of GMG who’s planning to bring a unique and experiential solutions to the MENA region.

Can you tell us a brief info about yourself, your company and what do you do?

Carlos Candal

CEO Global Marketing Group Global Creative

I am the Founder & CEO of Global Marketing Group. I may say that I already survived and excelled in the industry for 32 years. GMG was founded in 1989 and it has grown to become one of the world’s leading merchandisers, production company, and an integrated events agency, with 14 offices around the world, it prides itself in providing unique and powerful solutions. Global Creative based in Dubai is the latest addition to the GMG family of businesses. It was established in the UAE in 2016. I have asked Paul Hammond to join me as COO and acquired his Feel the Magic brand. Paul has experience in the retail and leisure industry and has conceived and created many projects across MENA and beyond. We’ve worked together for more than 30 years over multiple business genres and are both convinced of exciting times ahead. We are all driven by a clear vision and a distinct culture with a team of planners, creative minds, marketing professionals with local, regional, and international exposure. It uses the wider Global resources at its disposal, enabling the company to deliver award winning events and activities from around the world.

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That’s remarkable. Recently you celebrated 30 years of GMG, with a celebration here in Dubai. How did the company start? One of my part time jobs as an eighteen-year-old was working at the box office, selling shows at the Pavilion Theatre and Bournemouth International Centre (BIC). I met the prolific theatrical producer, Paul Elliott, and he offered me a job. I saw an opportunity for theatrical merchandising, so we set up Global Marketing Group Ltd as the World’s first dedicated theatrical merchandise company in 1989.

How do you see GMG working with the Retail sector? Malls have faced a difficult time, the retail industry is resilient, and we see how it is bouncing back. The latest data shows that the Middle East retail market’s recovery is continuing. I have always been involved in destination marketing, creating a wow, creating the unexpected, bringing people together by capturing the imagination. The market is competitive. Creating a number one destination is the key to succeed. I believe that in a competitive market there must be a reason for the consumer’s visit. If it was just for a retail experience there is an abundance of choice, Malls are at the centre of the community, where the consumers feel a sense of belonging and part of something unique.

Do you see online as a threat to the retail industry? Online is simple, one click and it is yours but let’s not lose sight of the fact that people love tangible, they are driven by experiences and emotions by visiting the physical destination it allows them to have a sensory experience. The Middle East malls are masters of the personalised in store shopping experience, it’s the ambience, decor and unique moments that attract this which you cannot get online.

What do you think makes the difference with GMG and what is unique about your company? In Dubai I have strong, experienced, creative thinkers, and retail storytellers. We have some unique concepts, and I am excited at the future possibilities. Brand Loyalty is not as strong as it was a decade ago, with consumers moving between Malls like never before, consumers want more than face painting and spend and win, of course there will always be a place for this, but we look forward to sharing our ideas and concepts with our clients.

What made you decide to expand into events and activities? Global Creative is an expansion of our activities, a continuation of what we already do successfully, around the Globe. We have existing retail clients, and we’ve been working with Malls on activations and events in Asia Pacific for some time.

Paul Hammond COO Global Creative

How does Merchandise and Event Management work together? The Art of Banksy Exhibition is an example. Currently we are exhibiting in London, this gave us the unique opportunity to develop an extensive merchandise range to best showcase some of the most iconic works of undoubtedly, one of the most controversial and powerful artists of our time. GMG Merchandise products were bought by thousands of Banksy exhibition goers in Melbourne, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Auckland, Toronto and now London as well as Chicago.

As we end, what would you like to leave as your final thought to our readers? Are you managing a Mall or a destination? Let GMG work with you to create a destination retail and event experience where customers Expect the Unexpected. For more info, visit www.globalcreative.ae

Be First Be Different Be Unique Be Local Be Global

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FEATURE

NFT – A Token of

Ownership, Forever

ovid-19 accelerated the consumers’ shift to digital shopping. The retailers & the brands had to look for leveraging the power of technology to remain relevant in the pandemic-era world, and beyond. NFT is one such next big emerging tech trend for the retail industry.

What is NFT? To put it simply - “Non-Fungible Token” or NFT, is “A digital certificate (token), issued against a unique (non-fungible) digital asset, when traded digitally”.

Umesh Agarwal

Retail Business Professional and Practitioner GUCCI acquired the much talked about Ghost GIF which it bought in $3.6K and put on sale for $16k. McDonald’s launched NFTs for their iconic Menu Items

The owner of the asset lists it for trade on a block chain (a secure digital ledger technology) and buys NFTs against it. Thus, the token becomes available for others to bid/buy/view. Every subsequent buyer becomes the new owner while the original owner still retains and remains the owner of the physical asset forever. All the past and present details of the creator, owner(s) and the reserve price are dynamically updated and always remain accessible to all. NFTs have some unique advantages for the Retail Industry as they can be used: By the consumers to pay for their purchases To issue against each product a consumer buys so that they own it in both physical and digital format To replace loyalty points with NFTs

The year 2017 is when the NFT came into existence with CryptoKitties, a block chain game, where each NFT was a unique digital pet.

NFT – How retailers and brands can leverage NFTs? NFTs became prevalent with the digital artwork space. With the passage of time, it creeped into other industries as well including the retail. The fashion designers and luxury fashion brands were the first ones to jump on the NFT bandwagon. Below are some classic examples of the humongous monetary benefits it offers: A digital artwork referred to as “Everydays-The First 5000 Days”, was sold in $69 Million in March 2021 at Christie’s. Nike sold its very own, one-of-a-kind, digital sneakers. It patented a block chain enabled system called CryptoKicks.

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To customize products as per individual consumer’s preferences To create limited edition products in partnership with celebrities, artists, sports clubs etc. To prove authenticity and fight against counterfeits To sell to raise funds for a social cause or to create an alternative revenue stream As entry invitations/tickets to exclusive events It shows that, with some innovation, retailers and brands can take advantage of the current NFT frenzy and elevate their consumer engagement & brand positioning. NFTs have the power to provide sustainable growth and work as catalyst in their “road to recovery” in a faster manner.

ran’s pristine retail market does not benefit much from the services and products of foreign brands due to international restrictions. As a market of more than 80 million, it tried to strengthen domestic brands and despite the spread of COVID-19, it had significant success in introducing and expanding domestic brands. In this regard, Shahrokh Keshavarz, Regional Representative of the MECS+R in Iran, the Retail People Magazine had the privileged to interview him where he described the trend of the Iranian Retail Market during the corona outbreak. What was the impact of the Coronavirus on the Iranian retail market? We commonly use a different methodology to identify the causal impact of the pandemic shock. We found out that during the strictest lockdown months from March to April, the year-over-year growth rate in the value of transactions dropped by 41% compared to the months before the pandemic started. Following the reopening of the economy and shopping centres in Iran from May to June, the year-over-year growth rate rolled up by 12% above the benchmark months, suggesting an accumulated demand discharge after the reopening. What was the reaction of chain stores and brands during the covid-19 pandemic? In the recent crisis caused by the pandemic, not only manufacturing companies but also stores have been unable to meet the mutated demands of anxious customers, and we have seen empty shelves and long queues in most department stores. The retail structures of some countries, including Turkey and Iran, were less damaged by the pandemic, and we did not see any serious crises and empty shelves in stores. You launched a campaign to support the tenants shopping centres in Iran. This campaign has been successful in helping Iran’s Retail Industry get through these hard times with less loss. Can you enlighten us or share your thoughts on this?

Shahrokh Keshavarz

Founder & CEO, Golden Business Magazine MECS+R Regional Representative – Iran

of the economy. This can imply a persistent effect of COVID-19 on consumer preference for online shopping. What was the development of chain stores in Iran during COVID-19? The process of opening and operating chain stores and shopping malls in Iran were very positive even despite the widespread corona outbreak. Despite the initial shock of closure and inactivity due to the corona outbreak and with the gradual improvement of the situation, we saw the opening of chain stores even virtually. This trend accelerated after passing several dangerous corona peaks, and it can be argued that in terms of positive activities in the field of chain stores, the situation is the same as in the pre-corona era.

We have started a campaign to support the tenants of these shopping centres. With more than 50 convinced owners and managers of great shopping centres, participated to help and support their tenants. Each one assumes their social responsibility by allowing these tenants to work rent-free for 2-3 months or by substantially reducing their rent. As a result, thousands of retailers and shopkeepers was relieved and no longer felt distressed. After being acclaimed by shopping centres and appreciated by the tenants, this campaign has swiftly brought attention to itself by drawing the attention of television channels, newspapers, and social media and has become widespread throughout the country. How do you assess the increase in online sales following the Corona outbreak? The COVID-19 pandemic led to a spike in online transactions of activities with online terminals. The impact continued to exist after the reopening

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FEATURE

Iranian Retail Market - From Corona Crisis To Rental Campaign Advantages

FEATURE

Strategies for Success: 3 Tactics for Working with Small Tenants

aryam just knew her idea to open a children’s bookstore in her local mall was a winner. She had never opened a store before, but it was her hobby and she knew lots of families were moving into the area. She figured it would be easy to gain potential customers. Due to the pandemic, several spaces in the mall had been vacant for almost a year and Maryam was willing to take a space with limited visibility. Daniel, the landlord, liked Maryam; she was very enthusiastic. After all, one of his best retailers had convinced him the idea would be a sure-fire hit. Fast forward to Maryam’s opening day: When Daniel visited Maryam’s store, he realized she had tried to save money by postponing fixture delivery. Merchandising seemed scattered and her exterior sign wasn’t up. She met him at the door to ask for a deferral on her first month’s rent.

Shannon Alter, CPM Owner Leaders Exceed

What was the problem? When times are tough, it can seem like filling a vacancy with any retailer means progress. Although it’s tempting to take the immediate solution, leasing to small tenants (under 10,000 SF) often fail due to these common challenges: inadequate finances, no business plan, faulty customer service and limited marketing strategies. Often, this means these tenants move out almost as soon as they move in. While owners and managers cannot guarantee every retailer will succeed, they can increase the likelihood of success with 3 key tactics:

“Sometimes when

there has been a lull in the market, we just want to put a tenant in the space. As a result, the caution we exercise in lease negotiations is thrown to the wind.

”

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Consider your tenant mix

Look at the marketing

Choose the right retailers for your center, period.

Have you ever walked into a store that seems to have a little bit of everything yet not enough of anything? Neophyte tenants with less business savvy often mistakenly think marketing is an unnecessary expense. Ultimately, this is ineffective merchandising and it can have a huge effect on the success of a retailer’s business. Because marketing isn’t everyone’s expertise, a landlord’s help can be instrumental.

Sometimes when there has been a lull in the market, we just want to put a tenant in the space. As a result, the caution we exercise in lease negotiations is thrown to the wind. Perhaps, like Daniel, we’re anxious to get a deal done and fill our vacancies - we choose an inexperienced tenant like Maryam, even though her concept may not add value to our centre’s existing mix. For instance, your location is not ideal for a particular type of business, it’s your job to choose tenants who are the best fit for your property and who are most likely to do well.

Evaluate your tenants Does your prospective tenant have an actual business plan? If not, send them back to the drawing board. Don’t underestimate the importance of understanding not only how your new retailer’s store will be financed, but what it will take to operate it. Novice tenants may not realize that it may take time for them to show a profit and they may be ill-equipped to cover operations for the long term. Juby Jose, Head of Marketing & Specialty Leasing for Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi, notes: “Smaller retailers often don’t carry what’s known as a ‘sinking fund.’ If they don’t have a cushion, a reserve fund to help them absorb losses during the crisis period, they can fail.”

Juby Jose suggests first to evaluate exactly what type of marketing assistance a tenant really needs. “In our case, our mall’s customer base is 65% Emirati, it’s essential for us to be relevant in the market. For example, we will include a start-up tenant in our incubation strategy program, as a way to test their concept and see if it works. Then, we will follow it with a story on Instagram or TikTok to further enhance the marketing message. In the UAE, it’s hot outside 8 months of the year, people are indoors most of the time. This means that the mall is their favorite habitat and the marketing has to be efficient,” he added. In today’s retail climate, it’s crucial to choose tenants who are likely to enhance your shopping centre, delight their customers and help you create value. Managers and owners who are able to refocus and follow these key strategies will be able to create successful shopping centres for the future. Shannon Alter, CPM is a global leader, trainer and speaker who works with organizations that want to communicate with clarity. For more information, visit www.leadersexceed.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonalter/

He adds: “It’s important for the landlord to quickly determine the point of no return for a tenant and then decide if and how they can further support them. For example, during the pandemic, we offered selected rent deferrals with a repayment plan.”

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Book your Ad Now! Contact MECS+R Office Today: Mariz Matocdo, Marketing Officer customercare@mecsc.org 971 4 516 3061 971 55 5517605 / +971 56 548 1380 www.mecsc.org/site/publications/RPM

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Through this unique, ‘Together through challenging times,’ strategy, Times Square Center worked with its tenants to become a shining example of how businesses can work together to create positive change.

Featuring:

Times Square Center Management Team

P10

MALL OF DILMUNIA Retail Is On Its Way To Recovery

P12

SOUQ7

Enhancing Experiences, Improving Lives

P18

DESIGN INTERNATIONAL

Architecture That Brings People Together

New Professional Credential

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimension. Oliver Wendell Hilmes, Jr.

CXS Customer eXperience Specialist This new credential certification was carefully designed for retail and shopping center professionals who seek to understand the principles of customer experience. You will learn concrete methodology to design, build, measure, and manage positive, engaging, fulfilling, and memorable customer experiences. The certificate of achievement earned in this course provides a credential for retail and shopping center professionals from both Senteo and MECSC+R as a Customer Experience Specialist (CXS)

BENEFITS: Stay on top of the industry trends in Customer Experience Increase your earning potential with a new credential Grow your expertise and skills in Customer Experience Boost your professional credibility Network with a community of certiﬁed professionals

The Senteo Learning Experience: LEARN - Understand the theory and mechanics behind each aspect of the methodology

SEE - Observe real world applications, examples and case studies related to each aspect of the methodology

DO - Apply the different aspects of the methodology during exercises and work groups

EXTEND - Identify and support the possibilities for real-world applications of the methodology speciﬁc to each person’s current needs

A boutique multinational consultancy that helps clients create unique and memorable

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Organized by the largest Retail Industry Association

Keynote Speakers

Avi Alkas

Steve Dennis

Ahmed Alkhaja

Bob Phibbs

Serge Derhy

Chairman

Keynote Speaker / Author of “Remarkable Retail”

CEO

The Retail Doctor

Owner & CEO

Expert Speakers

Alfie Gibbs

David Macadam

Younus Al Mulla

Wail Balkhair

Claire Boscq-Scott

CEO

Chairman

Board President

CEO

Phil McArthur

Vanessa Hinton

Khalid AlJanahi

Gogi George

Shahram Shamsaee

Chairman

Director - Marketing & Customer Service

Chief Leasing Officer

GM - Project Devt & Leasing

CEO

Stephen Richards Evans

Ramit Harisinghani

Ekaterina Ilieva

Lee Talbott

Bill Kistler

Regional CEO, EMEA

General Manager

Head of Retail Devt - Fashion & Luxury

Retail Portfolio Director

Founder & Managing Partner

Amit Puri

Michael Ruckman

Paul Firth

Lizelle Fitoussi

Artin Malatjalian

Vice President - Leasing

CEO

Associate Principal

Director - Marketing

Chief Commercial Officer

Phil Bedford

Shane Phillips

Richard Dean

International Speaker, Best Selling Author & Owner

CEO

Radio Anchor

CONTENTS 45

47 52 54 119 121 123

48 53 100 120 122

Welcome Message Thank You to MECS+R Board Members & Regional Representatives 2021 RETAIL CONGRESS MENA Sponsors, Exhibitors & Partners Conference Program & Speakers Exhibitors and Deal Making Event Floor Plan Sponsor Profiles Exhibitor Profiles 2021 MENA Shopping Centre & Retailer Awards Welcome Message MENA Shopping Centre & Retailer Awards Jury Judging & Scoring Procedure 2021 MENA Shopping Centre & Retailer Awards Finalist

Category 1: Traditional Marketing

124-142

Category 2: NOI Enhancement

143-146

Category 3: Design & Development

147-151

Category 4: Retail Excellence

152-153

Category 5: BEST MENA Retail Brand

154

Category 6: Retail Professional of the Year

155

Category 7: Service Excellence

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156-157

2021 WELCOME MESSAGE Retail Congress Conference & Exhibition

The Middle East Council of Shopping Centres and Retailers (MECS+R) are pleased to welcome you to the 27th Anniversary of the Retail Congress Conference, Exhibition, Awards Presentation & Cocktail Reception for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Western and Central Asia Region. This event is the leading retailer and shopping centre convention and is the region’s dedicated forum for Retailers, Shopping Centre Owners, Developers, Service Providers, Managers and all Retail Industry Professionals. In 2021 and beyond, our outlook is bolstered by the development of effective vaccines rolled out globally. With this, we see the virus under control. We see more businesses gearing-up and flourishing again. The team at the MECS+R, see great promise for 2022. It will be a new year of growth and development for online & physical retail and the shopping centres, in which a new normal will be adopted. Before the year ends, we are excited to conduct our live in-person event after the pandemic! The Year of New Opportunities – is our theme at the 2021 Retail Congress Conference. Keynote Speakers: Ahmed Alkhaja is our first keynote speaker. He is the CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. Ahmed will discuss the great initiatives of the Government of Dubai for supporting the growth of sustainable tourism in Dubai and the importance of a lively, vital and evolving retail global presence. The ultimate goal of Dubai is to become the world’s most visited city. Dubai’s Tourism Vision for 2025 is the strategic roadmap with the key objective of attracting 25 million visitors per year by 2025. Making Dubai the first choice for international leisure and business travellers, Retail is a key component for attracting repeat visitors from around the globe. Join us and listen to his views on Dubai – The Global City of the Future. Steve Dennis is our second keynote speaker. Author of Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. In a world where even very good is no longer good enough, retail success is not about being everywhere, it’s about showing up in remarkably customer relevant ways where it really matters. Steve Dennis has been named the top global retail influencer. His thoughts on retail are shared in Forbes where Steve is a Forbes Senior Contributor. Bob Phibbs is The Retail Doctor. He has been transforming the shopping experience for all categories of retail for decades. Retailers and shopping centre teams thrive through the proven tools Bob delivers. To succeed in challenging retail online and real time physical experiences join us to learn from the retail master. Joining us from New York to update us on the very latest successful trends, Bob is a fabulous speaker. Avi Alkas joins us from Israel, he is no stranger to the global retail industry and the MECS+R. Avi’s business which is headquartered in Istanbul, range throughout Europe, the GCC and the Far East over the past many decades. Past Chairman of JLL Turkey for many years, Avi now is the Chairman of JLL in Israel. Join us to hear from these retail legends during a frank, open and candid discussion on stage. Serge Derhy will join Avi Alkas on stage in our Conference Day 2 and will give a keynote address about the impact of Israel in the GCC Market. Serge is the CEO and Owner of the fashion brands Renuar and Twentyfourseven. He has decades of experience in the retail industry. With a view to understanding retail markets and opportunities in the UAE as well as other GCC countries, Serge will explain what the important considerations are for any expansion. Our speaker line-up and panel sessions are full of innovative thought leaders who all have a great track record in the retail industry. These retail industry leaders will share their insights into what is creating the fabric of the current retail scene. Deal Making Sessions, Exhibition and the MENA Awards are once again the main features at this year’s Retail Congress Conference. Our members tell us that they can complete a full year of business in two days at our Retail Congress Conference. Our team at the MECS+R urge every-one to take advantage of this unique annual opportunity to meet and chat with the retail industry professionals and colleagues throughout the Conference. We want to thank the MECS+R Board Members, Regional Representatives and thank you also to our tireless workers on the MECS+R team who have worked so hard over the past months to make this 2021 Retail Congress Conference a reality. Best Wishes for a Great Conference!!

DAVID MACADAM

Chief Executive Officer MECS+R

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TO OUR MECS+R BOARD MEMBERS AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Our organization is blessed with great members who support the MECS+R with their time, talent and advice. It is our privilege and honor to work with such a passionate group of accomplished professionals as Board Members and Regional Representatives. Our Regional Representatives have contributed enormously again in 2021 to the success of the new digital event platforms such as the GVS E-Learning and MECS+R Webinars. We have expanded plans for the Springboard Networking Events including more custom education programs planned in 2022 and 2023. The MECS+R team has already begun working on the new and expanded version of the 2022 MECS+R Directory. We want to make the MECS+R Directory the ‘go-to’ reference book and a ‘must-have’ for the retail industry in the MENA region in both hard copy and digitally. Through our enhanced digital platforms, the publication is now growing to new heights. A collective effort is essential to make the MECS+R Association the success that it has become. The credit belongs to our professional Board Members, committed Regional Representatives and the truly passionate team at the MECS+R. A sincere THANK YOU to each and every colleague, member and friend for their time, effort, energy and support in achieving our many successes.

MECS+R BOARD MEMBERS Wail Balkhair MECS+R Board President SAUDI ARABIA

Kamel Shaban SOLO CEO & MECS+R Board Vice President UAE

Juby Jose Dalma Mall Head of Marketing & Specialty Leasing & MECS+R Board Treasurer UAE

Alessandro Gaffuri CELS Group CEO & Founder UAE

Duaij Al Rumaihi City Centre Bahrain Mall Director, Bahrain Shopping Malls BAHRAIN

Gogi George Lulu Group International - Oman General Manager – Project Development and Leasing OMAN

Mohammed Al Qaed SEEF Properties Manager, Property Management BAHRAIN

Samar Akkou Nakheel Malls Leasing Manager UAE

DAVID MACADAM

Chief Executive Officer MECS+R

MECS+R REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

Claudia Kassab Tarazi Retail Consulting Group Managing Director LEBANON

M. Ziad Moghrabiah

Jabal Omar Development Co. Asset Management Director SAUDI ARABIA

Hussain K Jamal

Lina Abbas

Tamani Global Development & Investment LLC Mall of Muscat Head, Mall Operation OMAN

Tamdeen Group Deputy General Manager - Leasing KUWAIT

Prem Mohan, CSM

Rebecca Charlotte Arnold

Line Investments & Property LLC Dy. Head of Leasing UAE

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BAHRAIN

Malik Qaiser Awan

Sila World Consultancy & Nextransact Pvt Ltd CEO PAKISTAN

Shahrokh Keshavarz

Golden Business Magazine Founder & Owner IRAN

Mohamed Galal TSM AlSanad Chairman EGYPT

Shaukat Khan

Saudi Bonyan Co. Chief Executive Officer SAUDI ARABIA

Mohammad Jamal Al Shawish

Alef Group Chief Sales & Leasing Officer UAE

Zain Abu Sitteh

Real Estate Manager for Levant & Iraq Kuwait Food Company (Americana)

JORDAN

ORGANIZED BY THE LARGEST RETAIL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

INVESTMENTS

‫ﻟـ ﺳـــﺘـــﺜـــﻤــﺎر‬

SHOPPING MALL DIVISION OF LULU GROUP INTERNATIONAL

INVESTMENTS

‫ﻟـ ﺳـــﺘـــﺜـــﻤــﺎر‬

SHOPPING MALL DIVISION OF LULU GROUP INTERNATIONAL

EXHIBITORS

McARTHUR

re ransform

+ COMPANY SHOPPING CENTRE SPECIALISTS

solutions for real estate

group

Data Analytics, Insights & Actions

SUPPORT PARTNERS

Pursuing Greatness

C R E AT I V E

OFFICIAL SIGNAGE PARTNER

OFFICIAL AIRLINE PARTNER

OFFICIAL EXHIBITION CONTRACTOR

TECHNOLOGY PARTNER

MEDIA PARTNERS

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CONFERENCE PROGRAM& SPEAKERS Conference Day One: Monday – December 6, 2021 09:00 – 10:00 10:00 – 10:15

Registration and Coffee

Join us to learn from the foremost expert and gifted speaker on retail and the future of retail globally! In the Middle East, we lead the world in many ways with our fantastic retail venues creating community. Now we can learn what and how to place our retailers today and in the future.

Conference Official Opening & Welcome

11:15 – 11:30 Richard Dean Emcee Radio Anchor / Dubai Eye 10:15 – 10:20

David Macadam CEO

Designing Experiences to Connect with our Customer’s Emotional Level

Claire Boscq-Scott CEO

MECSC+R

Welcome Addresses Your business will only differentiate itself and add value for its customers by focusing on the highest levels of the “emotional drivers” of customer satisfaction.

10:20 – 10:45

Younus Al Mulla Chairman

Wail Balkhair Board President

MECSC+R

Keynote Address: Dubai – The Global City of the Future

Ahmed Alkhaja Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment

The ultimate goal of Dubai is to become the world’s most visited city. Dubai’s Tourism Vision for 2025 is the strategic roadmap with the key objective of attracting 25 million visitors per year by 2025. Making Dubai the first choice for international leisure and business travelers, Retail is a key component for attracting repeat visitors from around the globe. Ahmed Alkhaja is CEO of Dubai Tourism. Ahmed heads up Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment. Ahmed will discuss the great initiatives of the Government of Dubai for supporting the growth of sustainable tourism in Dubai and the importance of a lively, vital and evolving retail global presence.

10:45 – 11:15

Let’s take a look at your environment and create sensorial experiences with harmonious workplaces, retail spaces and environments by making simple but powerful changes which will increase your employees’ productivity, well-being, reduce sickness, churn, and so many more benefits for your people. Leaving your customers with positive, trusting feelings toward your business, increase their loyalty and your brand awareness, ultimately impact human care.

Keynote Address: Omni-channel Is Dead. Retail’s Future Is Hybrid & Harmonized Steve Dennis has been named the top global retail influencer. His thoughts on retail are shared in Forbes where Steve is a Forbes Senior Contributor.

Steve Dennis Author of Remarkable Retail: How to win & keep customers in the age of disruption

In a world where even very good is no longer good enough, retail success is not about being everywhere, it’s about showing up in remarkably customer relevant ways where it really matters. As the lines between physical and digital continue to blur, we must see the customer as the channel and work to deliver well harmonized experience, anytime, anywhere, anyway. This fundamentally changes what the stores of the future must look like and how retailers overall go-to-market strategies must evolve. Steve Dennis has over 30+ years of experience as a strategic advisor, board member, general manager and C-level executive at two Fortune 500 retailers. He has worked with dozens of retail, luxury, technology and social impacts brands to inspire, catalyze and design more remarkable and profitable growth strategies.

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11:30 – 12:00

On Stage Discussion: Retail Leaders Setting the Future of Shopping Centre Innovation Come to learn what the regional industry leaders are doing to ramp up the performance of their retail and shopping centres. The guests on stage have decades of experience with the strongest brands in the most successful shopping centres regionally.

Moderator Phil McArthur Chairman McARTHUR Retail Development Specialists Phil joins as moderator for the session with 40+ years experience locally, regionally and globally.

Artin Malatjalian Chief Commercial Officer Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Co.

With a career spanning decades in KSA, Artin is the leading figure regionally for retail real estate and shopping centres. Previously Artin was with MAF Shopping Centres, Vice President of Shopping Centres at Intimaa and delivering the landmark Red Sea Mall in Jeddah. Artin delivers on providing innovative solutions to all portfolios he handles. We look forward to hearing from him on what the future shopping centres will include and will not include. Come and join this interactive session.

Alfie Gibbs CEO Future Retail Advisors

Alfie is the legend of leasing and revenue generation in the MENA region. With a career spanning decades with Majid Al Futtaim, Chief Retail Officer of Dubai Holdings and other senior roles, Alfie has been involved at the highest level with retail shopping centres locally and regionally. Diriyah Gate Development Authority in Riyadh is the next massive project where Alfie is involved. Alfie always has a considered approach to retail and the development of shopping centres in the region.

Gogi George

Gen Z is pushing brands out of their comfort zones — and reshaping the very definition of what a brand is. Concept stores combine culture with the business of selling a certain lifestyle or theme. Department stores have fallen out of favor with the younger customers. Concept Stores are now generating the Buzz in retail. Pushing the boundaries of thought, innovation, ingenuity and investment create the most successful Concept Stores. What are the Concept Stores all about? What is their future? How can you create your own customized Concept Store? Ekaterina Ilieva is a retail leader in Qatar for over a decade. Currently with Msheireb Properties her work with Sheikha Moza, the Queen Mother of Qatar has created great opportunities for new Concept Stores. Kat’s history of working with the leading retail groups in Qatar as a buyer, merchandiser, brand creator and leasing director has brought her in close contact with all the leading global luxury brands. Come to hear Kat’s recent success with a Presentedby Store and other digital Concept Stores in Msheireb. Ramit Harisinghani is the Concept Store General Manager and leader in the Chalhoub Group for creating new and innovative retail. B8ta store which is part of the Business France initiative recently opened in Dubai Mall. Products and innovation ideas covered in mobility, entertainment, artificial intelligence, health and education. B8ta is the opportunity for Gen Z’s and others to experience, test and buy the most innovative and cutting-edge products available in the store or online. Ramit is at the forefront of designing new concept stores globally. Come and listen to his story.

General Manager Project Development and Leasing Lulu Group – Muscat, Oman

Gogi has changed the retail landscape regionally with the development work he has led in Muscat, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The most recent role with Lulu is adding an IKEA Mega Store into the mix at Oman Avenues Mall. Gogi has been involved with many of the leading development companies including Line Investments, ITC in Abu Dhabi, Zubair Corporation and Union Properties.

Khalid AlJanahi Chief Leasing Officer Arabian Centres Company

Khalid has around 10 years of experience in the Real Estate Development and Financial advisory industries. He has been successfully leading and managing the leasing portfolio of 21 Arabian Centres’ shopping malls spread across KSA. Prior to joining Arabian Centres Company, he was working as Leasing Director at SHUROOQ (Sharjah Investment and Development Authority), and before that he was the Manager of Retail Leasing at MERAAS Dubai. Khalid has also worked as a Consultant in the Financial Advisory in Ernst & Young, Bahrain. Come and join the session to understand what these industry leaders have in mind for shopping centres to be delivered in the next five years.

13:00 – 13:45

Panel Discussion: Rethinking Marketing Strategies for 2021 and Beyond

We look forward to hearing from this wonderfully experienced group of professionals on what the future shopping centres will include and will not include.

12:00 – 12:30

Aleta Planet & Union Pay – Connect Your Business to the World’s Largest Card Association – UnionPay

Radio Anchor / Dubai Eye

CEO - EMEA Aleta Planet

Lizelle Fitoussi Director - Marketing Merex Investment Group LLC

All retailers and shopping centre owners in the GCC must have Aleta Planet & Union Pay as part of their updated offering to the customer base which is rapidly evolving globally. Come and hear from Stephen Richards Evans the CEO EMEA for Aleta Planet and Union Pay. Stephen is a career banker with 40+ year’s global experience from Hong Kong to London, Dubai to Paris. Residing now in Dubai, Stephen is well placed to expand the footprint of this massive digital financial platform throughout the GCC and beyond.

Lizelle’s success in the region is decades long. Working in and leading the marketing departments of regional developers including MAF, Meraas, Dubai Festival City and Dubai Tourism, Lizelle has established her credentials as a leading marketing professional. Lizelle has great experiences to share with us on stage. Come learn what we need for successful marketing programs post-Covid. How has the pandemic changed the way we work? Learn from the experts how to make marketing work in your social media accounts, at your retail organization and within your shopping centres.

Gen Z- Driving New Formula for Consumer Engagement and Successful Retail. The Concept Store - How Successful Retail is Evolving

David Macadam Moderator

Marketing programs throughout the retail industry have been transformed. The marketing experts Vanessa and Lizelle will be on stage to tell us how to revamp and succeed in building shopping centre and retailer marketing programs to bolster traffic and increase sales. Social media plays a leading role in all marketing roles today. Come and learn how to ensure your Social Media Program and Marketing Strategy are operating at the highest level.

Ekaterina Ilieva

Head of Retail Devt- Fashion & Luxury

Msheireb Properties

Ramit Harisinghani General Manager MENA B8ta Lifestyle Chalhoub Group

Director - Marketing & Customer Service Nakheel

Vanessa wins numerous marketing awards for her organizations. She launches many successful marketing initiatives through her vision of the future and the desired outcome of the programs. Vanessa understands the issues and consistently delivers on that vision. Vanessa succeeds through focus, her attention to detail and perspective. Come and learn from Vanessa what successful marketing programs deliver today.

Over one million mainland Chinese nationals are forecast to reside in the UAE by 2022. This digital financial platform Aleta Planet & Union Pay provide open access to more than 1 Billion card holders from China. From online retail purchases, contactless payment, supply chain wholesale settlements in China and the Far East. Even the ability to purchase residential real estate in the UAE via international transfers is facilitated by Aleta Planet & Union Pay.

12:30 – 13:00

Vanessa Hinton

Richard Dean Moderator

Stephen Richards Evans

13:45 – 15:00 15:00 15:00 – 15:20 15:30 – 16:30

Networking Lunch Close of Conference Day One MECS+R Annual General Meeting MECS+R Board Meeting

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CONFERENCE PROGRAM& SPEAKERS Conference Day Two: Tuesday – December 7, 2021 09:30 – 10:00 10:00 – 10:15

Registration and Coffee

Asia including Singapore airport bid, Korea and CIS markets. With Merex Investments Group, five (5) super regional malls start to finish and a number of smaller developments in the pipeline.

Opening and Welcome Remarks

We look forward to hearing from Shahram on his current role and what he sees in the coming months for the retail industry locally, regionally and globally.

11:00 – 11:30 Richard Dean Emcee Radio Anchor / Dubai Eye 10:15 – 10:35

David Macadam CEO

Being Brilliant On The Basics

Bob Phibbs The Retail Doctor

MECS+R

Keynote Address: A Discussion on Stage: The Impact of Israel in the GCC Retail Market There is a lot of talk about channels, digital-first, and hybrid but the reality is 70% of what you sell is sold by someone else either in person or online. With the rediscovery of stores as the anchor for customer adoption, and being the face of the brand, how you look at your employees has never been more important.

Avi Alkas

Serge Derhy

Chairman JLL Israel

Owner & CEO Renuar / Twentyfourseven

With millions leaving the service industry from hospitality, restaurant, and retail what will it take to keep those associates? What is it they crave and what needs to change in 2022 as retail rears back to life? Hint: it isn’t picking and shipping online orders.

Serge Derhy joins us from Israel. As CEO and Owner of the fashion brands Renuar and Twentyfourseven, Serge has decades of experience in the retail industry. With 1300 employees, his brands Renuar and Twentyfourseven are some of the largest fashion chains in Israel. With a view to understanding the retail markets and opportunities in the UAE as well as other GCC countries, Serge will explain what the important considerations are for any expansion. Join us for this interactive and informative session to understand these fabulous brands and the expansion into the region.

That’s because there is one thing that brick-and-mortar retailers can do that by design online retailers won’t ever do. In this fast-paced session, Bob outlines the startlingly simple but mostly overlooked insight that will help you to not just grow your profitability but reinvent your business as a whole. Bob Phibbs, CSP is an internationally recognized business strategist, customer service expert, sales coach, author of three books, podcaster, and motivational business speaker known for his highenergy content, passion for retail, and immediately actionable takeaways.

Avi Alkas is no stranger to the global retail industry and the MECS+R. Avi’s business which is headquartered in Istanbul, range throughout Europe, the GCC and the Far East over the past many decades. Past Chairman of JLL Turkey for many years, Avi now is Chairman of JLL in Israel. Join us to hear from these retail legends during a frank, open and candid discussion on stage.

10:35 – 11:00

Bob was named one of the top retail influencers, has nearly 400,000 followers on LinkedIn and his website and blog have been named Best On The Planet For Retail by Feedspot. He is listed on over twenty retail influencer lists, often as #1. He hosts Tell Me Something Good About Retail, the #1 podcast for retailers who want to grow their business. He and his work have been featured in articles in Entrepreneur, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He performs business makeovers for the Los Angeles Times and is a member of the National Speakers Association.

CEO in the Retail Industry – Rebound Plan

Shahram Shamsaee CEO Merex Investment Group LLC

Bob received the highest increase in sales from South Coast Plaza, at that time the highest-grossing mall in the USA. He has worked with over a thousand retail executives and entrepreneurs to grow margins, improve customer service, and train employees.

How do you plan for a rebound that may or may not come? How do you drive your corporate strategy going forward? Technology, changing business models, adapting quickly to pandemics, and updates to services and offerings in the evolving market conditions. The role of a CEO has never been as complicated as it is today.

Bob Phibbs has been transforming the shopping experience for all categories of retail for decades. Retailers and shopping centre teams thrive through the proven tools Bob delivers. To succeed in challenging retail online and real time physical experiences join us to learn from the retail master. Joining us from New York to update us on the very latest successful trends, Bob is a fabulous speaker. Come learn from the Retail Doctor!

Making strategic decisions based on evolving conditions in the retail industry and consumer behaviors requires a steady vision and faith. Shahram Shamsaee is the CEO of Merex Investment Group headquartered in Dubai. A veteran of the retail industry in the GCC and particularly Dubai for two decades Shahram is known as the man who can find solutions and create successful sustainable revenue models with the strongest retail mix. Merex Investments Group LLC is a holding company with Brookfield and Dubai Holding as Joint Venture Partners and shareholders. Shahram, over the past twenty (20) years has been involved in twenty-five (25) million square feet of retail projects. Twelve (12) years with Majid Al Futtaim heading the Shopping Malls business for all operating assets including new developments and redevelopments. Partner in mSquared Shopping Malls advisory business headquartered in Dubai with business in the MENA region,

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11:30 – 11:45

Disruption is the Mother of Innovation

Bill Kistler Founder and Managing Partner urbanOvation - uO

The built environment faces accelerating and unprecedented change. Agility, collaboration and innovation will be more than ever the keys to success in this challenging environment. A fireside chat with Bill Kistler will explore the forces driving change and the opportunities they create.

Executive roles at IBM, Disney and Cushman and Wakefield shaped Bill’s unique perspective on the trends driving change. As EMEA leader for ULI, Korn Ferry and ICSC, he worked with industry leaders to understand the trends reshaping cities and the real estate industry.

A seasoned and hands on professional with insights learned throughout his career in leasing and asset management. Come and hear what Lee sees as the future of community engagement with new forms of shopping centres in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, focusing on entertainment, services, hospitality and food and Roshn’s vision to become the largest, most trusted and most innovative community Developer in the Region.

Bill will share his insights into the challenges and opportunities ahead for retail real estate as well as the inspiration behind the innovative new platform, urbanOvation.

11:45 – 12:10

Digital Retail Shaping From your Home or Anywhere From the Palm of your Hand

Amit Puri, MRICS Vice President - Leasing DAMAC Properties

Michael Ruckman CEO Senteo - Moscow, Russia

An American, speaking Spanish, Russian, English and other languages, Michael has been living in Europe for over 26 years. Through his business called Senteo, he and his team deliver leading insights and consulting to the banks, retailers, telecoms, and even governments around the world. Michael has long been a global leader in the retail world for education programs and for promoting customer experience, relationship management, and loyalty to improve business performance. In this interesting session, Michael discusses ‘Eyezon’ and other current technologies used to enhance the quality of customer contacts and the overall retail experience. These new technologies are already adopted by the most forwardthinking companies. Come to learn how you can improve sales and the quality of customer relationships in this dynamic session with Michael.

12:10 -12:40

Amit joins the stage for discussions with us on what the future of retail looks like, especially in community centres and residential towers. With over a decade of hands-on experience in the retail business as an investor, developer and consultant, we look forward to hearing from him what plans DAMAC has for their retail portfolio. In his capacity to handle DAMAC’s retail and residential Leasing P&L, Amit’s core focus is to establish DAMAC as a strong retail player in the Region including the new territories of KSA, Iraq and Jordan. We will learn how the evolution of retail is envisioned and delivered.

12:40 - 13:15

New Shopping Centre Designs – How to Plan for the Next Five Years with Physical and Phygital Real Estate

“Defining Community and Experiential Retail” We have seen a global shift in spending and consumption towards home-delivery and to nearby locations. Now more than ever the provision of retail services and amenities is a fundamental part of the value proposition for residents of master-planned developments. This panel will talk about the critical success factors to deliver ‘community as amenity’: variety, new formats, partnerships, public realm, walkability, wellness, digital strategy, and resident engagement.

Chairman McARTHUR Retail Development Specialists

Associate Principal CallisonRTKL – New Lifestyle Centres – FEC and Entertainment are the focus. Mixed-use projects are the way forward.

Lee has decades of regional and international leasing and asset management experience with leading developers including Aldar, Nakheel, Msheireb and Roshn.

Recruitment Business Leaders in the GCC The Phillips Group

Shane is well known locally and regionally through hosting his many radio shows, education programs and providing career advise. An author of two books and a tireless networker, Shane is a force of nature. Shane’s education programs are industry leading. His primary business is sourcing CEO’s for the many successful businesses in the region. Shane’s team enable the transition from good to best in the industry.

Paul Firth

Retail Portfolio Director ROSHN Real Estate Company KSA

Shane Phillips

International Speaker International #1 Best Selling Author & Owner Asentiv GCC and The Rebel Networker

Phil’s audiences globally are keen to hear his story and proven steps for success - again and again.

Phil joins as moderator for the session with 40+ years experience locally, regionally and globally.

Lee Talbott

Phil Bedford

Phil’s message is clear. Relationship based marketing is the best and only way forward. The idea that following the time proven 15 steps to ensure you are able to succeed in any circumstance in business and life. Phil’s education program is worth your time to explore. Personal success is the outcome.

Moderator Phil McArthur

Paul is a leading architect in the MENA region with CallisonRTKL. With knowledge of what is being planned in the coming years throughout the MENA region and beyond, Paul will describe how the shopping centre design process has evolved. With insights into what we can expect and how existing centres can be meaningfully updated, Paul will lead us through the next phase of design for the creation of successful shopping centres.

The Great Resignation – Workplace Realignment – Fact or Fiction

Come to learn what the employers of today are looking for in their search for the best talent. Both Shane and Phil have decades of experience in the region. How to be your best at work and for living the life you aspire to. Come learn from these industry leaders.

13:15 – 15:00

Networking Lunch

15:00

Close of Conference Day Two

15:00 – 17:00

MECS+R MENA Awards Presentation (Afternoon at Samaya Ballroom, no gala dinner)

18:00

MECS+R Awards Cocktail Celebration (Evening at Olive Garden)

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EXHIBITORS ABDULLAH AL OTHAIM INVESTMENT CO. / ABDULLAH AL OTHAIM LEISURE & TOURISM CO. SAUDI ARABIA / UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Booth No. 6 - 7

MUDON REAL ESTATE

ALETA PLANET FZ LLC

INDIA / UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Booth No. 25

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

ARABIAN CENTRES COMPANY

Booth No. 37 - 38

SAUDI ARABIA

AZAD PROPERTIES

Booth No. 48

SAUDI ARABIA

BLACHERE ILLUMINATION LLC

Booth No. 27 - 28

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

BLUE RHINE INDUSTRIES & WAAI TEK

Booth No. 29

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

CONIQ

Booth No. 54

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

DALMA MALL

Booth No. 22 - 23

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

DAMAC PROPERTIES

Booth No. 15 & 17

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

DEPOINT

Booth No. 10

ISRAEL

DUBAI INVESTMENT PJSC

Booth No. 19

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

FOOTPRINT LLC

Booth No. 30

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

HAMAT HOLDING

Booth No. 55 - 58

SAUDI ARABIA

IPERA SOLUTIONS & V-COUNT

Booth No. 52

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

JUBAIL MARINA MALL

Booth No. 3

SAUDI ARABIA

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMIC CITY

Booth No. 5

SAUDI ARABIA

Booth No. 18 Booth No. 4

QATAR

PATHFINDER GLOBAL

MALLCOMM

UNITED KINGDOM

Booth No. 51

McARTHUR + COMPANY (Shopping Centre Specialists) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Represents Booth 4, 5 & 16 MECCA CLOCK TOWERS

SAUDI ARABIA

MK ILLUMINATION

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

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Booth No. 16 Booth No. 20

Booth No. 26

RETRANSFORM (Annet Technologies Middle East) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SAUDI BONYAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT

SAUDI ARABIA

TAPGEST

CZECH REPUBLIC

THELEISUREWAY

SPAIN

THINKHANCE

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Booth No. 1 Booth No. 12 Booth No. 49 Booth No. 13 Booth No. 11

UNIFIED REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

SAUDI ARABIA

UNIFYND

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

VEMCO GROUP

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

VIRTUAL CENTER

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

XPANDRETAIL POWERED BY SAVANT

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Booth No. 45 - 47 Booth No. 21 Booth No. 14 Booth No. 36 Booth No. 24

DEAL MAKING Line Investments & Property United Arab Emirates

Tamdeen Group Kuwait

Red Sea Mall Yardi System

Unified Real Estate Development Saudi Arabia

Booth No. 39 - 44

Booth No. 2

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

United Arab Emirates

MALL OF DILMUNIA

BAHRAIN

MALL OF QATAR

NEOSOFT TECHNOLOGIES

Saudi Arabia

LPFLEX Base Industry LLC

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Booth No. 50

KUWAIT

Arabian Centres Company Saudi Arabia

Blachere Illumination United Arab Emirates

Mallcomm

United Kingdom

Unifynd

United Arab Emirates

The Leisure Way Spain

SALON 1 - VIP ROOM SALON 2 - VIP ROOM SALON 3 - VIP ROOM SALON 4 - VIP ROOM SALON 6 - VIP ROOM Booth 37 - 38 Booth 27 - 28 Booth 51 Booth 21 Booth 13

Organized by the largest Retail Industry Association

EVENT FLOOR PLAN

EXHIBITORS COMPANY NAME

COUNTRY

6-7

ABDULLAH AL OTHAIM INVESTMENT CO. / ABDULLAH AL OTHAIM LEISURE & TOURISM CO.

SAUDI ARABIA / UAE

ALETA PLANET FZ LLC

UAE

37 - 38

ARABIAN CENTRES COMPANY

SAUDI ARABIA

AZAD PROPERTIES

SAUDI ARABIA

27 - 28

BLACHERE ILLUMINATION LLC

UAE

BLUE RHINE INDUSTRIES & WAAI TEK UAE

CONIQ

GROUND FLOOR 6-7

UAE

22 - 23

DALMA MALL

UAE

15 & 17

DAMAC PROPERTIES

UAE

DEPOINT

ISRAEL

DUBAI INVESTMENT PJSC

UAE

FOOTPRINT LLC

UAE

55 - 58

HAMAT HOLDING

SAUDI ARABIA

IPERA SOLUTIONS & V-COUNT

UAE

JUBAIL MARINA MALL

SAUDI ARABIA

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMIC CITY

SAUDI ARABIA

LPFLEX Base Industry LLC

UAE

MALL OF DILMUNIA MALL OF QATAR

QATAR

MALLCOMM

UNITED KINGDOM

Represents McARTHUR + COMPANY 4, 5 & 16 (Shopping Centre Specialists)

UAE

MECCA CLOCK TOWERS

SAUDI ARABIA

MK ILLUMINATION

UAE

MUDON REAL ESTATE

KUWAIT

NEOSOFT TECHNOLOGIES

INDIA / UAE

PATHFINDER GLOBAL

UAE

1 12 49

RETRANSFORM (Annet Technologies Middle East)

UAE

21 22

CONFERENCE & AWARDS PRESENTATION

23 24

25 ENTRANCE

PRE-FUNCTION AREA

LIGHT BOX

37-38

39-44

SALON 1

SALON 3

SALON 4

LINE INVESTMENTS & PROPERTY

RED SEA MALL SALON 5

TO LOBBY

MEZZANINE AREA

UNIFIED REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT CO.

BUSINESS CENTER

GUEST LIFTS

SALON 7

SALON 6

DEAL MAKING DEAL MAKING ROOMS

COMPANY NAME

COUNTRY

SAUDI ARABIA

SALON 1 - VIP ROOM

Line Investments & Property

United Arab Emirates

TAPGEST

SALON 2 - VIP ROOM

Tamdeen Group

Kuwait

SALON 3 - VIP ROOM

Red Sea Mall

Saudi Arabia

SALON 4 - VIP ROOM

Yardi System

United Arab Emirates

SALON 6 - VIP ROOM

Unified Real Estate Development Co

Saudi Arabia

Booth 37 - 38

Arabian Centres Company

Saudi Arabia

Booth 27 - 28

Blachere Illumination

United Arab Emirates

Booth 51

Mallcomm

United Kingdom

Booth 21

Unifynd

United Arab Emirates

Booth 13

The Leisure Way

Spain

SPAIN

THINKHANCE

UAE

45 - 47

UNIFIED REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

SAUDI ARABIA

UNIFYND

UAE

VEMCO GROUP

UAE

VIRTUAL CENTER

UAE

XPANDRETAIL POWERED BY SAVANT

UAE

YARDI SYSTEMS

CZECH REPUBLIC

THELEISUREWAY

MEZZANINE LEVEL

SALON 2

TAMDEEN GROUP

SAUDI BONYAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT

SAHAAB 1 and SAHAAB 2

BAHRAIN

39 - 44

26 REGISTRATION

8&9-F&B 1

STAGE

BOOTH No.

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 39

Since its launch in 2016, Mall of Qatar has continuously enhanced the shopping experience in Qatar to outstanding levels cementing the Mall’s position as the Nation’s Mall and the preferred destination in Qatar and the region, with sophistication and elegance, it encompasses more than 500 world-class retail, lifestyle, dining, entertainment, and leisure experiences in a one truly great destination. Mall of Qatar supports the strategic goals of the 2030 Qatar National Vision that aims to create a diversified economy by providing a luxurious tourist destination suited for the visitors of Qatar and the region at large.  Setting new benchmarks and standards, Mall of Qatar captures the imagination of the entire nation with its superior entertainment shows on a 360-degree, custom-made revolving stage. The Mall is complemented by an international edutainment concept KidzMondo, a 19-screen Megaplex inclusive of IMAX’s revolutionary laser projection on the region’s largest screen, and the 5-star AlRayyan Hotel Doha operated by Curio, a collection by Hilton.

Mall of Qatar Building No. 800, Street 373, Zone 51, PO Box 24235 Al Rayyan, Qatar +974 4034-6000 info@mallofqatar.com.qa www.mallofqatar.com.qa

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 37

& 38

Arabian Centres Company (“ACC”) is Saudi Arabia’s leading developer and operator of shopping malls. ACC owns, operates and manages 21 commercial centres and complexes located strategically throughout 10 cities in the Kingdom. With a total GLA of around 1.3 million square meters, ACC malls provide shoppers with their preferred point of access to the full range of international, regional and local retail brands. ACC’s premium tenant mix allows it to offer a shopping experience of the highest quality. Arabian Centres’ developments include several iconic lifestyle centres, such as Mall of Arabia Jeddah, Mall of Dhahran, Nakheel Mall Riyadh – which was recognized at the Arab Luxury World Forum in 2017 as being consumers’ favourite shopping mall in Riyadh. The Company’s lifestyle centres has more than 1000 unique brands across 4,300 stores and hosts more than 95 million visitors on an average every year. Currently operating 21 shopping malls successfully, ACC plans to open 6 new shopping and lifestyle destinations in the upcoming 4 years.

Arabian Centres Company 8338 – King Saud University, Unit No. 70 Riyadh 12373 – 4925, Saudi Arabia

Khalid AlJanahi Chief Leasing Officer

+966 11 825 2111 +966 59 998 2233 khalid.aljanahi@arabiancentres.com www.arabiancentres.com

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EXCLUSIVE AWARDS COCKTAIL SPONSOR

The Red Sea Mall is one of the largest shopping destinations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Mall is located in North Jeddah on King’s Road, with an area of 242,000 square meters. It is connected to a five-star hotel, seven office floors, outdoor and underground parking with a capacity of 5,000 cars. In addition to that, there are 20 entrances that provide easy access to the mall. The Red Sea Mall provides world class service through customer service desks and professional representatives, so that visitors can relax and enjoy their shopping experience. Additionally, the Red Sea Mall contains a wide range of international and popular local brands, restaurants and entertainment centers for young people and children. Jeddah is a city well-known for its diverse cultures, breath-taking beaches, and traditional souks. The city has a population of about 4 million people, making it the second largest city in Saudi Arabia. Jeddah’s retail offer has expanded significantly in recent years and retail supply is expected to continue increasing, making Jeddah an attractive destination for both tourists and investors alike.

Red Sea Markets Company Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Widyan Bayazeid Marketing Manager

+966 12 215 1551 w.bayazeid@redseamall.com www.redseamall.com

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Crystal Awards Metal Awards Acrylic / Wooden Awards Corporate Giveaways Velvet / Leather Gift Boxes

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit sed diam nonummy nibh et ismod tincidunt ut laoreets dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad mi nim veniam, quis nostrud.

VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 45

Unified Real Estate Development Company is Saudi Arabia’s largest and fastest-growing outdoor shopping centre developer with over 50 shopping centres around the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Unified is a vertically integrated, internally managed retail-oriented shopping centre developer; undertaking: ownership, location selection, planning, design, construction management, construction supervision, property management, marketing and leasing. Due to Unified’s strategic location selection, attention to tenant mix, unique designs and, most importantly, our approach to work with our tenants as partners; we have developed long-lasting, growing relationships with all of Saudi Arabia’s largest retailers including Majid Al Futtaim, Bin Dawood Group, Savola Group, M.H. Al-Shaya, McDonald’s Saudi Arabia, Al-Tamimi, Landmark Group, Bank Al-Jazeera, Magrabi Optical, AlFaisaliya Group, MAF Retail and more. In addition, Unified is the largest single developer for each of the VOX Cinemas, Danube Supermarkets, Panda Supermarkets, Bank Al-Jazeera and McDonald’s Saudi Arabia. Unified is a member and major participant of the most important domestic and regional retail and shopping centres councils, participating in all major conferences, exhibitions and property conferences including The Middle East Council of Shopping Centres and Retailers.

Unified Real Estate Development Company Unified Holding Building, 2nd Floor, Hitteen District, Exit 2 Prince Turki Ibn Abdelaziz Al Awwal Rd PO Box 54110 Riyadh 11514, Saudi Arabia

+966 11 207 55 00 info@unified.com.sa www.unified.com.sa

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 22

Dalma Mall is a super-regional shopping mall and one of the largest in Abu Dhabi, prominently situated on Abu Dhabi-Tariff Al Ain highway, opposite Mohammed Bin Zayed City at the heart of Abu Dhabi’s growth corridor. Sprawling across a total built-up area of 2.75 million sq. ft. and retail space (GLA) of 1.63 million-plus sq. ft. area, the mall houses a wide range of international and local fashion brands, entertainment and dining options. Owned by The Developers Holding LLC, the mall boasts of more than 450 renowned retail brands such as Carrefour, Centrepoint, Debenhams, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Max, Matalan, Home Centre, Pottery Barn, E-max, Jashanmal, Fitness First, Toys R Us, Fun City and many more including a wide collection of over 50 F&B outlets, 14 screens Cinema and a large variety of Entertainment stores. A short distance from Maqta Bridge and Abu Dhabi’s International Airport, Dalma Mall, is one of Abu Dhabi’s shopping and tourist destinations whilst being a part of the strategic plan of Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision which sets out the framework of Emirate’s long-term growth.

Dalma Mall P.O Box 91122, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Lino Oommen Baby Brands & Events Manager

+971 2 550 6111 info@dalmamall.ae www.dalmamall.ae

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 6

Al Othaim Real Estate Investment & Dev. Co. OREIDCO (established in 1998), a closed joint stock company, owning 8 malls with more than 5,000,000 sq.ft of Retail GLA and a vision to establish more malls in the near future. Al Othaim Malls are characterized by unique designs, excellent locations, easy accesses and are strategically planned to suit local demographics in the region. Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. is an integral part of the OREIDCO. The group has been involved in creating benchmark Family Entertainment Destinations across many cities in the MENA region that offer endless family fun for everyone from all age groups. Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. is built for children entertainment and fun. The family entertainment centers are equipped with latest state of the art games with advanced gaming machines with arcade, along with enthralling rides that provide fun in safe environment for everyone.

Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Co. Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co.

2403 Grosvenor Business Towers, Barsha Heights PO Box 50710 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Chandan Baherwani Marketing Manager

+971 4 276 6388 c.baherwani@othaim.com www.othaimleisure.com

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 55

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EXCLUSIVE LANYARD & BADGE SPONSOR

Hamat is a leading company in the commercial real estate industry in the Kingdom. We own and operate a portfolio of finest shopping centers with international standards across the Kingdom. Since its founding in 2012, Hamat has experienced tremendous growth and has played a critical role in reshaping the industry by creating unparalleled destinations for shopping and entertainment. We take pride in creating places that became the most preferred destinations for tenants and customers alike. Today it stands as a testimony to all that we’ve achieved over the years and is the driving force that inspires us to move forward. We strive to continuously upgrade the shopping experience through our commitment to our tenants to own and efficiently operate smartly designed shopping centers and to deliver superior services to shoppers to maximize footfall and to create value for our customers, employees and clients. We distinguish ourselves through our innovative digital solutions for creating a better shopper experience and engagement.

Hamat Holding Tulip Tower, First Floor, King Fahad Road PO Box 2323, Riyadh 12333, Saudi Arabia +966 92 000 9467 crm@hamat.sa www.hamat.sa

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BackLite Media is a premium out-of-home media company recognised as one of Dubai’s leading experts on the local media landscape. With strategic thinking, intelligent technology and careful curation, we help brands own the spotlight. We believe that sought after brands don’t happen by chance. They’re created. We assist brands to be seen, appreciated and remembered by the right audience. Founded in 1984, we have a well-justified reputation for our advertising signs’ elegant and unique designs, and we’re known for only installing them in the UAE’s most prestigious locations. We are the number one partner with the RTA, with over 100 prime locations on Sheikh Zayed Road. We operate high profile malls and cinema advertising in the UAE and partnered with Merex to manage their extensive digital networks, installed at key outdoor retail and leisure destinations across Dubai. With our elegant sites, landmark locations, data-driven insights and trusted expertise, the brands we display are more desirable to audiences.

BackLite Media Office 2501, Media One Hotel Media City, PO Box 48794 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ali Chab Head of Malls and Cinema

+971 4 446 7540 info@backlitemedia.com www.backlitemedia.com

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Gender

Age

Gender Age Mood Attention time

Male 37 Unhappy 4seconds

Mood Attention time

Gender Age Mood Attention time

Female 32 Neutral 12seconds

Gender Age Mood Attention time

Female 24 Happy 30seconds

Data-Driven Out of Home We offer the ability to plan and buy using audience profiles that ensure your messages and ideas are seen by the right people not just passersby For more information visit our website

www.backlitemedia.com/intelligence Or connect with us on social media

Gender Age Mood Attention time

Male 27 Happy 22seconds

Astronaut Male 32 Surprised 50seconds

EXCLUSIVE LUNCH & BREAKS SPONSOR

Kinan is one of the leading companies in the development and management of residential communities in addition to the development and management of commercial centers in various cities of Saudi Arabia. Kinan is a Saudi closed joint stock company with a capital of SR 1.7 billion and was established in 2003. Kinan is developing 6 residential projects in Riyadh and Jeddah on an area of over 6 million square meters. With more than 17,000 residential units and investments of more than 6 billion Saudi riyals, it also develops and operates 10 commercial centers in 6 Saudi cities with investments of more than 1.4 billion Saudi riyals.

KINAN International Real Estate Development (CJSC) 13th Floor, Saudi Business Center, Madinah Road PO Box 32200 Jeddah 21428, Saudi Arabia

Mohammed Nizamuddin Assistant Manager Malls Coordination

+966 12 651 9393 +966 50 531 4455 mnizamuddin@kinan.com.sa www.kinan.com.sa

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Yardi® develops and supports property, asset and investment management software and mobile apps for all types and sizes of real estate companies and portfolios. Understanding and delivering solutions that meet the individual needs of specific markets is at the heart of what we do, including meeting the challenges of retail real estate management. Our solutions help clients optimise all aspects of retail centre management, allowing clients to easily evaluate current and future occupancy with visual floor plan graphics, attract prospects, improve customer experience, and gain better analytical insight from a single connected platform. Established in 1984, Yardi has its global headquarters based in Santa Barbara, Calif., and serves clients worldwide from offices in Australia, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. Based in Dubai, Yardi has grown its Middle East operation substantially over the past 8 years. For more information, visit yardi.ae.

Yardi Systems Yardi Systems Limited, Unit 331-336, DIC Building 16 Dubai Internet City, PO Box 500562, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Saja Nowwar Marketing Associate

+971 4 432 2679 saja.nowwar@yardi.com www.yardi.ae

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ShopperTrak is now part of Sensormatic Solutions. Sensormatic Solutions is the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls enabling smart and connected shopper engagement. By combining critical insights into retail inventory, shopper traffic and loss prevention, Sensormatic Solutions powers operational excellence at scale and helps create unique shopping experiences. Our solutions deliver real-time visibility and predictive analytics for accurate decision-making across the enterprise, enabling retailers to confidently move into the future. With more than 1.5 million data collection devices in the retail marketplace, we capture 40 billion shopper visits and track and protect billions of items each year. Our retail portfolio features the premier Sensormatic, ShopperTrak and TrueVUE brands.

Sensormatic Solutions (formerly ShopperTrak) Office 2401, API World Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road PO Box 211851, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Vivek Singh Regional Director, Middle East

+971 50 705 8480 vivek.2.singh@jci.com www.sensormatic.com

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Measure Footfall

Increase Customer Experience

Streamline Operations

Performance Benchmarks

Sensormatic Solutions, with its ShopperTrak Traffic Insights, empowers shopping centres and retailers to optimise their retail space, shopping experience and improve profitability through data-driven insights.

vivek.2.singh@jci.com +971 507058480

www.sensormatic.com

VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 15

DAMAC Properties has been at the forefront of the Middle East’s luxury real estate market for nearly two decades, delivering award-winning residential, commercial and leisure properties across the region. In 2002, Dubai’s leadership opened up the real estate market to international investors by allowing freehold ownership. Hussain Sajwani, an Emirati businessman and entrepreneur, identified the opportunity and founded DAMAC Properties. The company purchased land for its very first project in the Dubai Marina area. Since then, the company has delivered over 75 towers and approximately 36,400 homes. Joining forces with some of the world’s most eminent fashion and lifestyle brands, DAMAC has brought new and exciting living concepts to the market in collaborations that include a golf course by The Trump Organization, and luxury homes in association with Versace, Cavalli, Just Cavalli, Rotana, Paramount Hotels & Resorts, and Radisson Hotel Group. With a consistent vision and strong momentum, DAMAC Properties is building the next generation of Middle Eastern luxury living. DAMAC’s story compliments the UAE’s journey to becoming the world’s foremost trade, hospitality and lifestyle destination. Its towers have dominated the Dubai skyline and its master development communities are expanding to meet rising customer demand.

DAMAC Properties DAMAC Executive Heights, Barsha Heights PO Box 2195 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Amit Puri Vice President – Leasing

+971 4 373 1000 amit.puri@damacgroup.com www.damacproperties.com

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A BOLD NEW VENTURE IN RETAIL Presenting Ventura Mall at DAMAC Hills A distinctive community known for its world-class experiences, DAMAC Hills is primed for another jewel in the crown - Ventura Mall. Crafted to be a landmark in the community with a selection of premium retail, dining and leisure stores, it’s set to give your shopping experience an iconic makeover.

Call DAMAC leasing 00971 (0) 4 2702840 or email leasing@damacgroup.com

DAMAC

H ILLS

VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 48

Azad Properties (Azad) is an asset and property management company established by AWJ Real Estate to manage a large mixed-asset portfolio consisting of retail, residential, offices, workshops and industrial properties. The company has five major functions: Development, Leasing, Marketing, Operations Management, and Facility Management. It manages around 1.4 million sqm of Gross Leasable Area across Saudi Arabia through focusing on Customer Centricity, Tenant Engagement, Operations Excellence, and Asset Re-development to champion collaboration and joint initiatives in building efficient and thriving ecosystems. With several prime projects in KSA, Azad has become a key player in the Real Estate scene. Most recently, the company launched Souq7, a flagship project inspired by urban regeneration with the aim of improving lives and promoting self-sustainability. Spanning 728,000 sqm, Souq7 vows to uplift one of Jeddah’s oldest popular markets while safeguarding its traditional character to preserve Saudi heritage. Envisioned as the leading value shopping and entertainment destination in the region, Souq7 promises to deliver an enjoyable and safe shopping and dining experience in an unconventional setting. It celebrates the best of Saudi bazaars and souqs, merging heritage, culture and traditions with a contemporary infrastructure that provides modern amenities to both tenants and shoppers alike.

Azad Properties Kornish Road, Quartz Building, 3rd Floor Jeddah, Makkah 23953, Saudi Arabia

Rayan Hindi Leasing Director

+966 92 002 2575 r.hindi@azad.com.sa www.azad.com.sa

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 27

Blachère is the original and largest illumination provider with over 48 years’ experience and a network of 26 branches worldwide, we create sublime light sculptures for over 150 countries. From the twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower to welcome the new millennium, to the illumination of Champs Élysées, the most beautiful avenue in the world, Blachere Illumination has illuminated cities such as Dubai, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Vienna, Moscow, London, Rio and many more. Shopping centers are no longer places to make purchases but are social life-enhancing spaces, designed to offer the visitor a unique experience. Digitalization, generating a buzz, staging a display - everything is put in place to ensure that the visitor enjoys their shopping center experience with a series of surprises and special touches. When decorating a central foyer, adding touches to a forgotten aisle, or dressing an individual store, we ensure our designs adapted to venue design, technical and security issues and match the increasingly high expectations of our clients. We adopt this holistic approach believing that joy should be at the heart of every visitor experience. Our goal is to understand the challenges faced by towns, shopping centers, hotels, and communities, and deliver projects of the highest quality from creative design to installation. For each project, an international team of over 30 designers create vast range of motifs and designs that suit our clients’ wishes: pole mounted motifs, transverses above the streets, facade decor and fun 3D characters. While we aim to create beautiful pieces around the world, being eco-friendly is one of our priorities. Having been the first to make the LED lights the norm, we are now revolutionizing the actual structure of the illuminations with our patented environmentally friendly innovations BioPrint and RecyPrint.

Blachère Illumination LLC

Mehmet Soltay Regional Director Middle East

FAB Property Management Buildings Building 22 Unit 3 A-B DIP 1, PO Box 340742, Dubai United Arab Emirates +971 4 254 8856 blachere-middleeast@blachere-illumination.ae www.blachere-illumination.ae

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 36

Immersion Virtual Center Immersion is the ultimate Virtual Reality Gaming Center. It provides a unique turnkey solution for new experience for Generation Z from pre-teens, teenagers and young adults. It provides the best and the most reliable VR Gaming and Experiences in dedicated individual ‘VR Cells’. Our immersion concept is the perfect virtual reality gaming solution to integrate Shopping Malls and Cinemas. VC Immersion comes fully equipped with a range of 60 games to cater to the whole family offering the latest and most advanced VR games in the world. Our interactive touchscreen info-kiosks make it quick, easy and informative for guests to find their perfect games. VC immersion size is flexible. It provides high-rate sales per m2 and additional income to mall owners with an excellent return on investment. Space Requirements for VR Immersion: From 200sqm to 1000sqm

Virtual Center Showroom 2010, Grovesnor Business Tower, Tecom Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Frederic Fitoussi Managing Director

+971 52 641 3910 frederic@virtualcenter.ae www.virtual-center.com/en

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 54

Coniq is the Total Customer Engagement Company for growth-minded shopping malls, outlets, and retail brands. The platform Coniq IQ, provides a faster, simpler and more economical way to generate revenue by understanding, anticipating and engaging customers through unique and personalised experiences in real-time across multiple channels. Coniq IQ provides the tools and data needed to increase shoppers’ trust, satisfaction and loyalty through unique and personalised experiences. Coniq powers over £1billion in sales annually for its customers, with more than 20 million consumers shopping from 1,800 brands in 24 countries worldwide. Hundreds of shopping centres and retailers trust Coniq to generate footfall, sales and loyalty. Our clients include Apsys, Bicester Village, Compagnie de Phalsbourg, ICON Outlet, LIWA, London Designer Outlet, Starbucks, TORG, VIA Outlets and many others. For more information, visit www.coniq.com

Coniq Lamborghini B., 2nd Floor, PO Box 413184 Dubai United Arab Emirates

Carly Albright Marketing Manager

+971 4 524 0354 marketing@coniq.com www.coniq.com

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 51

Mallcomm - the organisational spine of real estate operations and tenant communication and is the world’s leading property management and tenant technology operating in over 400 million square feet of real estate around the world. Mobile apps today more than ever are the tools with which we navigate ourselves through the world. They serve and support our need for information, intellectual stimulation, help us manage our obligations, make educated decisions, feed our hunger for entertainment, and ultimately fulfils our growing desire to stay connected with the community and world around us. By transforming the users’ experience of the space, Mallcomm creates loyalty by connecting people to places. The multi-device platform is the most advanced and comprehensive technologies in the market, and the only one that engages B2B and B2C audiences in one platform as a leader in the retail and mixed-use space.

Mallcomm Beacon House, Kempson Way, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 7AR United Kingdom

Mikaela Lovlund

+46 707 976299

Regional Director Middle East & Nordics

mikaela.lovlund@mallcommapp.com www.mallcommapp.com

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VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 11

Thinkhance is a Dubai based company, which brings vast and combined experience in IT and real estate industry to offer niche solutions to businesses. We always keep customer needs at the center and strive to create value from technology. Think, Build and Enhance will always be our key motto as we strive to continuously improve what we do. Thinkhance presents accio, a SaaS based solution that automates the fit-out scheduling and tracking process for retail and commercial design and delivery team. The solution allows stakeholders to log in, perform their tasks, share documents etc. avoiding any manual process. Fit-out progress and delays are visible real time to all stakeholders making the fit-out status transparent. The solution also generates various insightful reports for senior management. We ensure our solution helps you manage your business cost-effectively and make this a fun and mutually sustainable journey.

Thinkhance PO Box 336560, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Yogesh Shah

+971 52 836 4571

Co-Founder

hello@thinkhance.com www.thinkhance.com

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At McARTHUR Retail Development Specialists, we provide comprehensive consulting, planning and management services to owners of retail developments around the globe, including: • Strategic Development Planning & Leasing Services • Retail Real Estate Management & Marketing • Mall Review & Turnaround Solutions Our experience and expertise span across Shopping Centres, Lifestyle Centres, Mixed-Use Properties, Resort Retail, Community Malls, Business Improvement Districts, and Master Planned Communities. We work on all kinds of projects whether they are at the concept stage, currently, underdevelopment, those that are under-performing post-opening, and ones that are looking to take their asset’s performance to the next level. We work diligently to understand each unique project and the characteristics of its trade area. Our mission is to provide well-researched analysis and recommendations for improvement on every project we pursue.

McARTHUR Retail Development Specialists

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Mr. Phil McArthur

+971 55 697 3356

Founder / Chairman

info@mcarthur-specialists.com www.mcarthur-specialists.com

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WE CREATE GREAT DESTINATIONS

OUR SERVICES Market Research and Development Analysis Retail Development Review and Turnaround Solutions Strategic Planning and Concept Design Review Retail Leasing and Merchandising Advisory Shopping Centre Management Advisory Property Financial Analysis and Business Plans Marketing and Promotional Strategy

FOR INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT: +971 55 697 3356 (UAE) +1 905 317 5500 (Canada) info@mcarthur-specialists.com www.mcarthur-specialists.com Dubai, United Arab Emirates

VISIT US : BOOTH STAND 24

Xpandretail powered by Sávant, has been delivering consumer intelligence analytics and business intelligence solutions for 16+ years to the retail sector. With a global footprint in 40 countries, 500+ relationships and 40,000+ installations – we are the leaders in the MENA region for retail analytics and innovative business solutions. The Xpandretail BI Tool is an engineered platform that translates data accumulated from our AIEnabled Solutions to display key touch points of the shopper’s journey. Through our solutions, businesses have taken actionable decisions that help them with delivering a seamless consumer shopping experience. By strategically implementing Xpandretail AI-Enabled Solutions, retail establishments obtain transparency on their day-to-day operations and consumer relationships. Armed with knowledge of repeat visitors, customer journey and gender segmentation, retailers have targeted their consumer base effectively and increased brand loyalty. Xpandretail AI-Enabled Solutions do more than the traditional footfall tracking solutions. We understand the challenges the modern retailer faces. Be it RFID solutions, Visitor Analytics, Video Analytics or Analytics Database Solution, Xpandretail offer it all.

Xpandretail powered by Sàvant 605, Single Business Tower, PO Box 116396, Dubai United Arab Emirates

Ameet Gwalani Chief Business Enabler

+971 4 393 9315 ameet.gwalani@sdsdxb.com www.xpandretail.com

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Your Ultimate Business Intelligence Partner Headquartered in Dubai since the year 2000, the commercial hub of the Middle East, Xpandretail powered by Sàvant market, is the leading solution provider of Business Intelligence and Retail Analytics across the MENA.

Xpandretail remains at the leading edge of technology by evolving with market trends, adopting new technologies, and setting high standards to ultimately beneﬁt businesses. Through Ai-Enabled 3D Stereoscopic & 5G Wireless Radio Magnetic Tracking solutions, Xpandretail helps establishments to utilize advanced analytics to pursue the right strategy. With over 500+ relationships in place, Xpandretail empowers its business partners with insights to optimize operations and boost conversion rates in just 60 days! We provide services in the following segments for businesses:

Visitor Analytics

Database Analytics

Interactive Technology

Asset Tracking

Be it People Counting, Facial Recognition, RFID Tracking, or Database Analytics - Xpandretail caters to all business needs. Xpandretail enables businesses to go beyond performance metrics to not only make strategic decisions on a day-to-day basis but also to forecast footfall through Predictive Analytics. The end results include improved conversion ratio, effective marketing campaigns, and reduced operational costs. +971 4 3939 315 | info@sdsdxb.com | xpandretail.com

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ROSHN is a national community developer fully owned company by the Public Investment Fund. The company is committed to actively supporting Vision 2030’s plans to increase the rate of home ownership to 70%. ROSHN’s mandate is to develop large-scale modern and integrated communities in nine cities across four regions in the country. The communities will advance the nation’s construction and infrastructure sectors through strategic partnerships with local organisations; knowledge-transfer with world-leading entities; and the sourcing of local building materials. ROSHN will play an integral role in the delivery of PIF’s ‘Saudi Real Estate & Infrastructure Development Investment Strategy’ whilst acting as an important catalyst for economic diversification. The communities will also make notable contributions to the GDP of Saudi Arabia and lead to significant job creation for Saudi nationals.

ROSHN Real Estate Company

Lee Talbott Director, Retail Portfolio

King Abdullah Financial District – King Fahad Road Alaqiq Dist. – Building No. 2877, Unit No. 4898 Additional No. 6686, ZIP Code 13519 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia +966 55 471 8910 ltalbott@roshn.sa info@roshn.sa www.roshn.sa

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IN VEST MEN TS

‫ﻟـ ﺳـــﺘـــﺜـــﻤــﺎر‬

SHOPPING MALL DIVISION OF LULU GROUP INTERNATIONAL

Line Investments and Property, a shopping mall development & management division of Abu Dhabi based Lulu Group International is surging ahead into the future with an impressive line-up of I NV E S T M E NTS ‫ﻟـ ﺳـــﺘـــﺜـــﻤــﺎر‬ shopping centres in the Middle East Countries, South East Asia & India. SHOPPING MALL DIVISION OF LULU GROUP INTERNATIONAL

Armed with a strategic vision of the future and with extensive experience in retail business environments across the GCC, Line Investments and Property’s expertise stretches over every conceivable area from selection of strategic locations, design & development, management and marketing, offering the optimal support for the brands. As leaders in shopping mall sector offering full 360-degree retail solutions, Line Investments and Property oversees more than 20 shopping malls in different markets with numerous properties ready to open in the near future.

Line Investments & Property PO Box 60188, Al Qusais Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Atif Altaf Marketing Manager

+971 4 707 6000 atifaltaf@lineinvestments.ae www.lineproperty.com

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OFFICIAL SIGNAGE PARTNER

Champion Digital (a member of Champion Group) specialises in the latest digital advertising solutions including indoor and outdoor LED screens, LCD signage displays and interactive technologies. Our indoor and outdoor solutions enhance the overall consumer experience across all industries. Such displays are custom-made to each client’s requirement ensuring their advertising objectives are met and they get a very high ROI on their advertising investments using such solutions. Champion Digital also provides rental solutions for events, exhibitions and conferences. We are also proud to launch our latest C Robotics division which focuses on providing innovative robotic solutions for delivery, service and advertising applications. In addition, Champion Neon is our Group’s pioneering signage manufacturer with over 32 years of experience in the region. Together, we provide turn-key signage and digital display solutions to our corporate clientele, with the highest quality standards, creativity and craftsmanship. Let the Champions bring your brand to life and be a part of your success story!

Champion Digital Champion Group HQ - Dubai Investments Park 2, Dubai United Arab Emirates

Shazil Merchant Managing Director

+971 4 285 6595 shazil@champions.me www.champions.me

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OFFICIAL AIRLINE PARTNER

TECHNOLOGY PARTNER

Emirates is an award-winning international airline with a global footprint across six continents, connecting passengers and facilitating global trade to and through its modern hub, Dubai to over 120 destinations. The airline operates one of the most modern and efficient aircraft fleet comprised of spacious and comfortable Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. With a culturally diverse workforce from over 130 nationalities, Emirates caters to its global customer base by delivering exceptional services and worldclass products. The airline also supports local communities worldwide and brings people together through its vast portfolio of international sports and cultural sponsorships.

Founded in 2014, EventX is a leading provider of event management software solutions specializing in Asia including China, for both event organizers and participants catering to over 135 countries and organizing over 10,000 events with over 5M attendees. The award-winning company offers both virtual and hybrid event solutions used by companies, organizers, and all leading trade bodies in Asia including HKTDC, Alibaba, Reed, and many more. With features such as the interactive exhibition hall, dynamic exhibitor booths, online registration forms, webinars, and interactive conference stages, EventX is the go-to service for many organizations attempting to broaden their audience into Asia Pacific. www.eventx.io

www.emirates.com

MEDIA PARTNERS

Global Trend Monitor is a monthly publication featuring business and luxury lifestyle topics and providing a comprehensive guide for individuals who like unique, bespoke and extraordinary elements that sets them apart from everyone else. We showcase luxury brands in the Hospitality, Real Estate, Marine, Fashion and Beauty, Automotive and travel sectors. Look out for our interviews and stories on Art, Culture, Cars, Yachts, F&B, Hotels, Destinations, Healthcare, Retail, Technology, Accessories and Fashion. www.globaltrendmonitor.com

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RLI is a Global Multimedia Platform comprising of ‘Retail & Leisure International’ the World’s only Global Retail & Leisure magazine, established in 2004 and distributed monthly to 85,000 named CEO’s, directors and key decisionmakers. RLI is the chosen Media Partner for all major Retail Real Estate Industry Events globally and the Organiser behind RLI Connect, Global Dealmaking Event and the highly coveted and prestigious Global RLI Awards now in its sixteenth year. RLI launched ‘RLI Talks’, last year, an inspiring podcast with iconic retail leaders, sharing interesting insights and secrets to success in the world of retail & leisure and more recently a weekly news RoundUP on RLI TV, a dedicated channel on YouTube. For further information on RLI, log onto www.rli.uk.com.

Click, Book

CHANGE YOUR MIND? No problem

Thinking of travelling but worried about a change of plans? Worry no more. Enjoy your holiday and Fly Emirates with ease. The Emirates experience that you know and love is still the same, and if anything changes, no problem. Rebook for no extra cost at any time in the next two years*. Visit emirates.com for more details. *Terms and conditions apply

SUPPORT PARTNERS Exclusive Delegate Bags, Attendee Face Masks and Cocktail Reception Entertainer Sponsor

C R E AT I V E

Since 1969 Dhamani has grown into a vertically integrated company offering a wide variety of rare Diamonds and precious stones to create the finest jewelry set in beautiful designs while maintaining the highest level of craftsmanship. Dhamani’s commitment to exclusivity & creativity is highlighted with the “Dubai Cut” diamond, a distinctive cut technique that elevates the beauty of a diamond, which can only be found at Dhamani and nowhere else in the world.

www.dhamani.com

Global Creative is an experiential service provider, driven by a clear vision, a distinct culture and a team of planners, creative minds, marketing professionals with local, regional, and international exposure, creating truly immersive marketing solutions and experiences. Established by entrepreneur Carlos Candal, Global has grown to become one of the world’s leading merchandisers, production houses, and an integrated events agency, priding itself in providing solutions, whilst thinking Globally and acting locally. The Global brand was established in the UAE in 2016, Global Creative uses the wider Global resources at its disposal, enabling the company to not only deliver award winning events and activations from around the world but our creative architects work with clients to ensure a bespoke one-of-a-kind experiential event. www.globalcreative.ae

Events Musical Director

Pursuing Greatness Right Selection Global Thought Leadership (RSGTL) is a global initiative, your “Ultimate Source” of Learning Solutions, spanning nearly three decades, with a goal to transform millions of lives by providing life changing programs, with the best solutions for you and your company. With the right help and guidance, each one of us can achieve our dreams and transform our lives. All we need is to do is to be open to learning from the experts who have been sharing their deep insights, personal experiences and success stories along their amazing journey RSGTL are here to help you easily connect and learn from these “Global Gurus”. Visit us at: www.rightselection.com

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V4texx Music Group LLC, was founded in 2005 by Dante Kennedy with a mission to be an inspiration to people who need to inspired. With Music and Entertainment at the foundation, we are sure to execute a great impact on the lives that experience the mission of V4MG. This is Creativity. This is Entertainment. This is where your vision and your dream can flourish. As our CEO Dante Kennedy says.

Visit www.v4texx.com

UK • EUROPE • DUBAI • USA • INDIA • HONG KONG • CARIBBEAN

WE CREATE MOMENTS www.globalmarketinggroup.co.uk

www.globalcreative.ae

www.gmg-productions.com

CHINA • PHILIPPINES • AUSTRALIA • NEW ZEALAND • SINGAPORE • KUALA LUMPUR

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 25

Aleta Planet FZ LLC

Toll Free# 800-6668

Founded in 2014 in Singapore, Aleta Planet is at the forefront of facilitating cross-border payments with China. Its proprietary end-toend technology gets businesses China-ready and enables merchants to accept payments or pay into China through UnionPay. Aleta Planet is a certified principal member of UnionPay International and JCB, a global acquirer for Discover and Diners Club and is WeChat Pay and PayNow enabled. Aleta Planet also has presence in Hong Kong, Dubai, Australia and Malaysia. With this comprehensive offering, Aleta Planet seeks to accelerate networks beyond China to the rest of the world.

+971 55 903 5588

For more information, please visit: www.aletaplanet.com.

Unit 210 Building @3 DIC, Dubai United Arab Emirates

Sahul Hamid Rauthar Assistant General Manager

cs.uae@aletaplanet.com www.aletaplanet.com

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 2

NeoSOFT Technologies The Ruby, 4th Floor, 29 Senapati Bapat Marg Dadar(w)Mumbai - 400 028, India

David Sequeira Manager - Digital Transformation +971 4 320 3344 +971 50 766 5687 david@neosofttech.com www.neosofttech.com

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NeoSOFT Technologies is a digital accelerator to Startups, SMEs, MSMEs, and large enterprises with a significant contribution across 22+ industries including BFSI, Healthcare, E commerce & Retail, Education & e Learning, Insurance, Tech Startups, Government & Semi-Government, and more. Backed with an impressive experience of 25+ years and a fast-growing family of 4000+ engineering professionals our capabilities span across IT Consulting, Strategy Planning & Execution, Business Process Re-engineering, IT Modernization, and Business Analysis Consulting, our solutions are devised meticulously to address the needs of specific industries. We are a CMMI Level 5 global IT Solution provider and Outsourcing company headquartered in Mumbai and footprints with 8 delivery centers in India and 10 global offices. Our success portfolio boasts of 6500+ projects accomplished across 1500+ clients in 50+ countries with client retention rate as high as 85%. Find more about us Company Deck - https://marketing.neosofttech.com/ Company Brochure - http://marketing.neosofttech.com/brochure/

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 29

Blue Rhine Industries & Waai Tek Blue Rhine Industries Plot No: 597-673 Dubai Investments Park 2, Jebel Ali Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Nita Odedra Director- Business Development +971 4 823 1444 hello@brisigns.com

Blue Rhine Industries are world class providers of digital and static signage solutions as well as digital system-integrators. With over 2 decades as leaders in the industry, we are headquartered in the UAE and operate out of a production facility spanning 85,000 sq ft. We have delivered 500,000 digital and static signage projects across over 35 countries. Waai Tek is an AI solutions company that can empower your organisation to scale artificial intelligence for your business. Utilizing computer vision, our retail-centric solutions include interactive customer experiences, smart mapping for shopping centers, and AIdriven offerings that help in understanding customer journeys.

www.brisigns.com

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 10

Depoint Hayahalomim 19 Ashdod Israel

Depoint is the operating system of the retail industry. Simply connects your systems, employees and processes to a unified platform using the best methodologies. Depoint solution is dedicated to the retail employees. From the moment the employee installed our app, he can execute, initiate, request and learn, all at one place.

Liron Samra Chief Sales Officer +972 50 465 3942 lirons@depoint.ai www.depoint.ai

Store managers can have full control over their store operations and scatter the tasks between the relevant employees. The HQ has a full operating system, to create content, tasks, procedures and have full control via a self-service analytics platform enabling them to make a decision according to data. Depoint becomes to be the main tool for all your departments, HR, operations, finance, marketing, sales and more. if you choose to use it that way. Depoint solution provides hundreds of predefined processes and best practices that enable you to go live in no time, working along with your existing tools and covers all the untracked operations.

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BOOTH STAND 19

Dubai Investments PJSC DI House, Dubai Investments Park PO Box 28171 Dubai United Arab Emirates

Tania Moubadder Head of Sales & Leasing +971 4 812 2400 tania@dubaiinvestments.com

Dubai Investments is a leading first-of-its-kind UAE-based investment company with more than 25+ years of expertise across diverse sectors including the retail segment. Operating in the segment through a strategic and a multifaceted approach, integrating retail components into the Company’s mixed-use developments across the emirates, the company has carved a niche by seamlessly integrating retail components within its landmark developments across the emirate. Adding substantial value to the communities and developed with the aim of creating authentic experiences, creating a new way of life, the Company’s retail offerings are focused on including and providing convenient retail options for residents, shoppers and business community.

www.dubaiinvestments.com

Official Exhibition Contractor

Footprint LLC Dubai Industrial Park 1 PO Box 36270 Dubai United Arab Emirates

Rohan Dodhi Manager, Business Development +971 55 558 9933 rohand@footprint.ae www.footprint.ae

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VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 30

Footprint is a Communication, Design and Production based Group founded in the year 2000 with a full-fledged fabrication & graphic printing facility. We believe in creating a synergy with our clients by working handin-hand catering to every specific need with an attention to detail. Our dedication and diligence have seen our client portfolio expand, serving top national and international brands over the years. Footprint is home to over 100 employees, headed by a team of qualified industry professionals who are supported with a 55,000 sqm in-house production facility located at the Dubai Industrial Park. With our office and production facilities located in Dubai and Riyadh, we are capable to serve our clients across the region.

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BOOTH STAND 52

IPERA Dubai Internet City DIC 12 Building Office 207/208, Dubai United Arab Emirates

Mustafa Duran Sales Director +971 50 459 7670 hello@iperasolutions.com

IPERA is a software company with the focus in digitizing physical spaces. It offers a cloud-based software platform that provides guest wi-fi analytics, visitor engagement and indoor location services, transforming your Wi-Fi & IoT infrastructure. Some use case applications include guest wi-fi management, tiered bandwidth, wi-fi marketing automation, occupancy sensing & monitoring, space utilization, employee attendance, visitor presence, indoor mobile wayfinding, indoor asset tracking and enterprise IoT services. Starling platform improves digital customer experience, delivering unique use-cases for hospitality, retail, shopping centers, healthcare, airports, gyms, café & restaurants, stadiums, smart cities and workplaces.

www.iperasolutions.com

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 52

V-Count The Offices 1, Office No: 01.03 One Central, DWTC, PO Box 9821 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Tuna Kartal Regional Sales Manager +971 50 246 0033 uae@v-count.com www.v-count.com

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V-Count is the leading manufacturer and provider of people counting & visitor analytics solutions around the globe. We increase our customer’s revenue by bringing e-commerce style analytics to their physical locations. People counting, age & gender demographics, zone & heatmap analysis, and queue management solutions help organizations measure the true performance of their physical locations. Our solutions are backed by a secure cloud-based business intelligence platform that leverages best-in-class AI and machine learning tools. Retail chains, shopping malls, supermarkets, airports, libraries, events, and smart buildings increase business results with V-Count. Our technology is installed in 42,000 locations, in 120+ countries, and counted over 14 billion people to date.

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES

Gregory Vogt School For Retail Professionals E-Learning Program - Level 2 Course VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 18

LPFLEX Base Industry LLC LPFLEX, a subsidiary of Maas & Roos, Germany, have been in the D-310, Dubai Silicon Oasis industry for more than 98 years & delivered 1 million+ signs from their PO Box 341242, Dubai factories in Germany, UAE and India across the multiple continents. United Arab Emirates Abdallah Omar Ayman Mohamed Enver Jason At LPFLEX, we help you cover and establish your goals on visual Kussad Gaber Kalkan De Guzman Emaar, The Economic City Kinan Majidi Mall queries Sulaimanion - Iraq Al Rugaib Holding elements, answer your techno-commercial aspects of Praveen Vijayakumar signs for your need, as well as help you with the state of the art Sr. Manager – Business Development hardware and software solutions. +971 4 371 2550 800 573539

From design to commissioning of mega projects, we will be there for you.

+971 55 470 6651

Are you looking for a reliable signage & technology partner for your next project? Visit our website www.lpflex.com for more details.

solutions@lpflex.ae lpflexpraveen@lpflex.ae

Kartik Pawani www.lpflex.com

Mohanlal Arjun Pawani & Co.

Mohamad Issa Al Nehlawi

Bawabat Al Sharq Mall

Mohamed Abdelkader Hussein Elgharbawi

Mohammed Zaki Uddin Sarah City Capital Mall

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 3

Jubail Marina Mall Alghanim Intl Genaral Trading & Contracting Fouad Alghanim & Sons Group of Companies Al Jubail - Dareen MUDP Project Saudi Arabia Engr. Adel Al-Otaibi Owner’s Representative & Real Estate Coordinator & Project Manager +965 6655 5776 adel.alotaibi@falghanim.com

Alghanim International Al-Saudia is proud to present Jubail Marina Mall, developed and constructed by Al Ghanim International. The mall is located in the Eastern Province, Jubail is the Kingdom’s epicenter of industry and international investment, benefiting from a significant white collar household population. Jubail Marina is a mixed-use project with a total built-up area of 200,000 sqm. The development surrounds the international marina basin in the city’s Dareen district and comprises 375+ apartments, 100 hotel suites & promenade retails overlooking a marina walk. The marina is equipped for 350 berths ranging from small leisure boats up to mega yachts. Jubail Marina Mall features:

Alghanim Intl Al-Saudia Fouad Alghanim & Sons Group of Companies

30,000 sqm of GLA on two levels

3,000+ sqm of entertainment

2,000 to 4,500 sqm hypermarket

Bowling & gaming centre

Ammar AlShaikh Deputy GM / Marketing Manager 965 2221 2051 ammar.shaikh@falghanim.com

Over 55 units of latest retail concepts

Health club

20+ F&B units including food court and restaurants with marina views

Fashion, home and sports anchor stores

Multiplex cinema

www.falghanimgroup.com

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 5

Knowledge Economic City King Abdul Aziz Road, PO Box 43033 Madinah 41561, Saudi Arabia

Seham Hafiz Business Development Analyst +966 92 000 8484 Ext. 4024 +966 56 027 0003 shafiz@madinahkec.com www.madinahkec.com Leased by

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Knowledge Economic City is the master developer of a 6.8 km of land within the urban development of Al-Madinah City, strategically positioned in King Abdulaziz Road that meets all traffics coming from/to the international airport and Haramain train station which is located within KEC land with only 5km distance from Al-Haram. KEC has launched many of its projects including: KEC Hub: The largest and well-designed super regional mall by Chapman Taylor with centralized entertainment hub that offers well considered retail mix, F&B, entertainment venues, outdoor and indoor elements, shopping boulevards, cultural village, Hilton 5-star hotel and branded residence with a total GLA of 122K sqm to provide great shopping experience for the residents and visitors of Al-Madinah. Madinah Gate: 1st in KSA transit-oriented shopping mall integrated and connected with the Haramain train station that feature wide selection of retail, dining, entertainment options tailored to meet the needs of both rail passengers and local community. The development will also include DoubleTree by Hilton and dedicated bus and taxi terminal.

McARTHUR + COMPANY SHOPPING CENTRE SPECIALISTS

Office: 612, 6th Floor, The Onyx Towers 2 The Greens, PO Box 283850 Dubai United Arab Emirates

Furqan Athar Managing Director +971 4 392 8304 info@mcarthurcompany.com www.mcarthurcompany.com

McARTHUR + COMPANY (Shopping Centre Specialists) McARTHUR + COMPANY works with the leading investors & developers of shopping centres, mixed-use developments and retail destinations. Our scope of services encompasses the entire lifecycle of any retail development and vary depending on the specific requirement of our client, taking into consideration the stage of development of each and every asset. We provide comprehensive services and assistance in the major areas of Development Advisory, Leasing Services and Shopping Centre Operations & Management. McArthur + Company is proud to collaborate with our Developers to showcase their strategic projects for Leasing at the MENA Region’s showcase event Retail Congress MENA 2021. Booth No. 4 - Mall of Dilmunia, Bahrain Booth No. 5 - Knowledge Economic City, KSA Booth No. 16 - Mecca Clock Towers, KSA

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 16

Mecca Clock Towers

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Fadi Hamameh Marketing Director +966 552 662 992

Mecca Clock Towers is located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and it is the largest hotel complex in the world accommodating more than 4 million guests per year. It is only a few steps away from Masjid AlHaram and consists of 7 skyscraper hotels including the tallest operational building in KSA, the Makkah Clock Royal Tower. Mecca Clock Towers contain a multi-story mall, hypermarkets, a hospital and many other necessities providing convenience and efficiency to all visitors. It welcomes more than 20 million visitors per year with the capacity of handling 60,000 visitors at any time making it the most valuable complex in the world.

Fadi.hamameh@bihg.sa www.meccaclocktowers.com

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VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 4

Dilmunia Mall Development Company WLL Mall of Dilmunia Flat/Shop No. 439, Bldg. 147, Road 6902 Block 269, Dilmunia Island Kingdom of Bahrain

Hasan Ahmad AlDhebaib Government and Tenant Relations Manager

+973 3 555 5885 hasan@mallofdilmunia.com

Mall of Dilmunia offers contemporary retail & unique dining, entertainment leisure attractions & services for the whole family. Featuring The Bahrain Aquarium which is home to more than 2,700 marine creatures & 85 species rising on 4 floors of the mall. It is the first cylindrical aquarium of this magnitude inside a mall in the Middle East region. Another key attraction is Funscape World boasting 4 different fun zones including an ice-skating rink, a massive indoor wall climbing & ropes course, football pitches & a play zone. Furthermore, Dilmunia Canal, the Kingdom’s longest man-made water canal, offers waterfront restaurants with breathtaking views of the fountain shows.

www.mallofdilmunia.com Leased by

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 20

MK Illumination Shangri La Hotel, Office 702 Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai United Arab Emirates

Mohammed Saeed Senior Manager +971 4 298 0888 mohammed@mk-illumination.ae www.mk-illumination.ae

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At MK Illumination, we know how to connect with your customers. We are the world leader in spectacular festive lighting, decorations, animations, and grottos and are experienced at creating unique atmospheres that attract people and engage with their emotions. We have been an established and popular company with an excellent track record for the best customer satisfaction. We create exceptional temporary and permanent display concepts tailored to your specific location. Thanks to our local proximity, global approach, and production facilities, we can deliver bespoke projects of any size and scale. We set the industry standards in design, development, technical expertise, service and in corporate social responsibility – providing excellence in everything we do.

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 50

Mudon Real Estate Block 5, The Gate Mall 2nd Upper Floor, Eqaila, Kuwait

Magda Bastouli Executive Secretary +965 2 205 6211 m.bastouli@mudon-kw.com

Mudon traces its roots back to 2008 in Kuwait. Since then, the company has witnessed exponential growth in real estate development. Mudon has contemporary vision that offers new and unique services and solutions in real estate leasing, development, and project management. In Kuwait, Mudon has launched several of leasing and asset management projects and proved its value by achieving outstanding results for clients from different sectors. Today, Mudon has more than 712,237 sqm of gross leasable area, with more than 46 projects in Kuwait and three internationally. With more than 4714 leasing units and counting, Mudon is growing sky high.

www.mudon-kw.com

re ransform solutions for real estate

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 1

Retransform

(Annet Technologies Middle East FZE) D204, Dubai Silicon Oasis Headquarter Building, Dubai Silicon Oasis, PO Box 341472, Dubai United Arab Emirates

Pinkesh Shroff Vice President +971 4 501 5931 +971 52 777 4337 pjshroff@retransform.com www.retransform.com

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We are a global technology provider and partner, dedicated to the real estate industry. We offer bespoke technology solutions, business management services and insightful analytics to all real estate sectors, including office, industrial, retail, hospitality, multifamily and residential. We are experts in developing and implementing state-of-the-art technology, tailored to your business requirements. Through our platforms and services, we create efficiencies and improve productivity, creating more time for humans to do what they do best. With offices across North America, Europe, Middle East, India & Australia, we provide expertise & support to hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals across the globe.

VISIT US :

Support Partner

BOOTH STAND 26

Pathfinder Global 2 W 105, DAFZA, PO Box 371845 DAFZA, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Andrew Misra Director Sales +971 4 232 3271 +971 50 224 0344

Pathfinder has pioneered retail industry solutions since its inception in 1993. Having understood the industry challenges over the last 25 years, Pathfinder has become the undisputed leader in retail data insights with over 70% market share across shopping malls and airports in India. With a regional base in Dubai, we have an expanding portfolio in the Middle East and Africa and have won accolades from Dubai and Riyadh Airports, who use our platform. Accurate data collection and advanced analytics enable shopping malls to have unprecedented insights into retailer revenue. Leading shopping malls, airports and retailers consider us a trusted partner and value the transparency and insights we deliver.

andrew.m@pathfinder.global

140 Shopping Centers, 20 Airports and 1300+ Retail Brands

www.pathfinder.global

99% Data Accuracy 10K+ Retail Outlets Enabled

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 13

theleisureway Paseo de la Ribera, 8, 50015 Zaragoza Spain

Mihaela Maxim Business Development Manager +34 976 226 152 +34 642 541 074 mgmaxim@theleisureway.com www.theleisureway.com

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At theleisureway, we are committed to bringing value to assets by creating magnet content to generate traffic and increase dwell time and repetition. We create great places that promote a sense of comfort and belonging, allow for social and cultural interaction that supports the local opportunities and economy. Services that we provide: · Master planning · Technical development · Execution

· Concept design · Manufacturing · Certification

Our aim is to create emotions along the customer’s journey, to create leisure ecosystems and to add value with tailor-made experiences.

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 12

Saudi Bonyan 659 King Fahad Road PO Box 9102 Saudi Arabia

Shaukat Khan

Saudi Bonyan is the real estate development arm of Abdulrahman Saad Al Rashid & Sons Company in Saudi Arabia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary. Saudi Bonyan has a large and diversified portfolio of income generating assets that span across different sectors such as retail, residential and mixed developments. The company also engages in land development as part of its strategy.

CEO

+966 11 8290 800 s.khan@saudibonyan.com.sa www.saudibonyan.com.sa

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 49

TapGest Bašty 413/2, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Darko Ban Co-Founder & CEO +420 731 435 635 info@tapgest.com darko.ban@tapgest.com www.tapgest.com

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TapGest provides complex hardware and digital signage solution for shopping malls and retail parks, all controlled from mobile device or desktop. Publishing content on digital screens in real time enables real time communications and mall promotions, monetizing media space through commercial advertisement, touch interactions to retrieve information such as interactive mall map, or current discounts as well as it enables to publish gesture-controlled content such as polls or wheel of fortune. TapGest is on the market for four years and working with more than 50 shopping centres which made us the leader in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Our interactive software goes beyond creativity: we use artificial intelligence and augmented reality to attract new customers. We offer platform for marketing communication and entertainment, enabling real time control via touch or gesture. We improve your communication with your customers: instantly and efficiently. Digital signage in your hands.

SAUDI BONYAN Saudi Bonyan is the real estate development arm of Abdulrahman Saad Al Rashid & Sons Company in Saudi Arabia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary. Saudi Bonyan has a large and diversified portfolio of income generating assets that span across different sectors such as retail, residential and mixed developments. The company also engages in land development as part of its strategy.

AL RASHID MEGA MALL

AL RASHID MALL ABHA

AL RASHID MALL JAZAN

SAUDI BONYAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT CO. Al Imam Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz Branch Rd. Al Mohammadiyyah P.O. Box 9102, Riyadh 12364, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tel. no. +966 (0) 11 8290 800 info@saudibonyan.com.sa

VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 21

Unifynd (Unifynd Technologies Pvt. Ltd.) Unifynd Technologies, E-4, Gul Apartments St. Andrews Road Pali Hill, Bandra West Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050, India

Mall CRM | Loyalty Program | Surveys | Mobile & Web Application | Real-Time Analytics Unifynd is a leading customer engagement and loyalty platform for malls and retail. Our solutions engage 2M+ customers every month with 12M+ points in circulation and over $20M+ revenue driven for our partners. Our

Anish Jain

enterprise SaaS solution, FutureCustomer.tech, enables retail businesses

Co-Founder

to manage their customer lifecycle, drive targeted and personalised

+91 98332 18480 / +91 98334 31831 +91 98197 49732 jash@unifynd.com anish@unifynd.com avi@unifynd.com growth@unifynd.com

campaigns as well as deliver technology enabled in-store experiences to drive sales and engagement. FutureCustomer.tech (FCT) empowers marketing teams to manage and optimise their customer journey online and offline across multiple touch points. FCT is quick and easy to deploy. Our comprehensive and configurable solutions allow malls and brands to customise their offering while guaranteeing some of the lowest costs and fastest go-to-market time.

www.unifynd.com

group

Data Analytics, Insights & Actions

Office #506A Saaha Offices Block D Burj Khalifa District, Downtown PO Box 430761 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jacob Burrows Account Manager +971 4 514 6082 jb@vemcogroup.ae www.vemcogroup.com

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VISIT US :

BOOTH STAND 14

Vemco Group Vemco Group is an innovative software company founded in 2005. Our headquarters is in Fredericia, Denmark. We are represented globally with offices in Dubai, UAE, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Moscow, Russia, and Switzerland. We cover 85 countries and count on more than 185 licensed resellers worldwide. Our international network provides us with the global experience and local expertise necessary to help our customers establish and maintain accurate and reliable people counting and retail analytics solutions. We always strive to be relevant to our clients and their business

Welcome to the 2021 MECS+R RETAIL CONGRESS MENA Shopping Centre & Retailer Awards Celebration

The MENA Awards event at the MECS+R continues to be the pinnacle of recognition for excellence locally, regionally and globally in the retail industry. There was a gap between the 2019 and 2021 MENA Awards events due to the pandemic. Those leaders and retail professionals in the drivers seat of the business were not on break. The business leaders and their teams were working harder than ever before – running their shopping centres, online portals and retail shops while navigating the incredibly challenging pandemic landscape. Like many other industries, the shopping centre and retail industry have been challenged in ways nobody saw coming. Yet they faced each wave, each new round of restrictions and each new challenge with the same positivity, drive, passion and creativity that made them successful in the first place. The retail industry has proven again that it will continue to thrive, innovate and evolve despite the difficulties faced. The level of sophistication in these submissions is world-class. These latest submissions indicate the high levels of creativity and investment in the retail industry locally, regionally and globally. Our independent Judges who are regional industry professionals, deserve a special thank you for their time invested in their independent review of all submissions. With a large number of submissions, our judges spent many hours of their volunteer time reviewing the merits of each entry. Thank you! A very special thank you to the entire team who deserve true recognition for the tireless efforts to bring the Awards Event and the entire Retail Congress Conference to life! Congratulations to all entrants for taking the time, effort and investment to deliver these detailed and sophisticated submissions. Your striving for excellence and your desire to achieve exceptional results raises the standards in the retail industry in our region and globally. Best of all, we are all being recognized for our excellence on the world stage! The winners in the 2021 MENA Shopping Centre & Retailer Awards will receive great exposure, as this publication will be distributed and accessible to thousands of individuals. It will be presented on our website www.retailcongressmena.com and www.mecsc.org and issuu platform for readers who are involved in administering, supervising and investing in businesses around the MENA region and beyond. Congratulations to the winners of the MENA Awards 2021!

DAVID MACADAM

Chief Executive Officer MECS+R

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2021

MENA SHOPPING CENTRE & RETAILER AWARDS JURY

Bhupinder Singh

Emre Pelin

Gogi George

Dalma Mall Chief Financial Officer

Andarakis Advisory Services Partner

Lulu Group GM - Project Devt. & Leasing

Jamal Al Shawish

Lizelle Fitoussi

Alef Group Chief of Sales & Leasing

Merex Investment Group LLC Director - Marketing

Maimunah Shebani

Nada Ghaoui Abou Saab

The Retail Agency Managing Director

FIKRA Consultants Ltd Co-Founder & Director

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Judging and Scoring Procedure The Middle East and North Africa Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards Jury, a group of leading industry experts, will review eligible submissions and score them confidentially. The jury will not review entries from their own companies or any entry that might constitute a conflict of interest. Judges review each entry according to a specific criteria and award points accordingly. Please refer to the specific awards categories. In each category and classification there is a potential for honouring Gold and Silver winners. All entries with a total of 85 for Design and Development and 40 for Marketing, NOI Enhancement and Retail will be honoured with a Gold Award and entries with the score of 75 points but less then 85 for Design and Development and 35 points but less then 40 for Marketing, NOI Enhancement and Retail will receive the Silver Award regardless of how many other winners are in each category or classifications. The entries that score within the top 50 percent are designated finalists. MECS+R seeks to honour entrants in every category and classifications, but remember, the programme is designed to recognise the highest level of excellence, so entries must achieve a minimum number of points required to be considered for an award.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2021 MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA SHOPPING CENTRE & RETAILER AWARDS FINALISTS!!!!

CATEGORY 1 TRADITIONAL MARKETING

CATEGORY 2

ADVERTISING CAUSE-RELATED MARKETING CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE DIGITAL / SOCIAL GRAND OPENING, EXPANSION & RENOVATION - NEW / EMERGING TECHNOLOGY - PUBLIC RELATIONS - SALES PROMOTION & EVENTS

- LEASING - MARKETING / SPONSORSHIP - OPERATIONS / OVERALL TEAM

CATEGORY 3

NOI ENHANCEMENT

DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

- NEW DEVELOPMENTS - RENOVATIONS / EXPANSIONS - RETAIL STORE DESIGN

CATEGORY 4

CATEGORY 7

RETAIL EXCELLENCE

SERVICE EXCELLENCE

Fashion Children’s Wear G o l d , J e w e l l e r y, a n d W a t c h e s Footwear and Accessories Sportswear and Goods P h a r m a c y, H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y Home and Office Furnishing Kiosks E n t e r ta i n m e n t, M u s i c a n d Leisure Bank and Financial Services Fast Food Restaurants Luxury Theme Park Cinema

- Property Management Software - D ata A n a ly t i c s - Technology Innovation - Decor & Design Installation - M e r c h a n d i s i n g D i s p l ay - R e ta i l C o n s u lta n cy Service

CATEGORY 5

CATEGORY 6

BEST MENA RETAIL BRAND

RETAIL PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

WWW.RETAILCONGRESSMENA.COM/AWARDS

Shopping Centre TRADITIONAL MARKETING This category is intended to recognise excellence in marketing and programmes that strengthen a shopping centre’s or company ’s bottom line. ADVERTISING Reset Review Rebound Reboot....Back With A Bang Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates “When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Gets Going” Being dormant for 108 days & a much delayed opening, still leading the race then variables of the equation must be accurate. A marketing campaign initiated by Dalma Mall after COVID pause to come back with a Big Bang and with an exclusive advertising idea executed at a minimal cost.

City Centre Almaza Launch Campaign - Kolo Henak Majid Al Futtaim Properties Egypt The Launch Creative Campaign embraced the positioning of City Centre Almaza as the convenient mall, however to get people to come, we told them not to, to push them to willingly want to come; which is a basic human instinct; what’s prohibited is wanted!

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& Retailer Awards Finalists 360 Car Promotion Tamdeen Mall Management Kuwait A car promotion campaign focused on the main strategy to dominate on different tools and platforms through delivering a clear, simple and relatable message that customers can grasp and share.

Pick & Choose Mall of Qatar Qatar Pick and Choose campaign is a marketing campaign giving out 20 fascinating cars on a weekly basis which was launched when the COVID restrictions were lifted in Qatar.

Bringing the World & Beyond! Majid Al Futtaim Properties Bahrain City Centre Bahrain introduced for the first time in Bahrain a full cross-mall sale, in addition to launching Bahrain’s biggest retail campaign in part of supporting our tenants, increasing sales, footfall and bringing back the image that the government was trying to uplift that life is getting back to normal after the longest lockdown in Bahrain.

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Shopping Centre CAUSE-RELATED MARKETING Thank you to our Local Heroes Nakheel Properties United Arab Emirates A multi centre campaign to recognize the work, dedication and commitment of Dubai Health Authority (DHA) staff, Dubai Ambulance Services and the Dubai Police by giving back via monetary donations and events to thank local heroes and elevate their sacrifices made.

Canvasses of Love... A Tribute to MOM’s Love Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates What feeling larger than love for the one who brought us into the world. It was not 1000 canvasses but hearts, emotions which when displayed in a Haute Couture Embedded with Emotional Marketing and a chance to win prizes worth AED 50,000 vouchers it binds the society with a cause.

The More You Run...The More The Fun Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates What’s a better cause than keeping our community Healthy? Dalma Mall Indoor Run...You choose the length We Give You Track and a Magnanimous Indoor Run of over 4693 participants sweating 4 different spans from 1.5 km to 10 km across 3 floors of the mall, making it the biggest Indoor Mall Run.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists COVID-19 Response CSR Initiatives by Cairo Festival City Mall Al Futtaim Malls - Cairo Festival City Mall Egypt CFC Mall quickly launched a series of CSR initiatives from saluting healthcare heroes and spreading joy amongst orphans, to releasing indebted mothers and supporting unsung service workers with food commodities, CFC Mall ensured that its efforts helped the largest number of families in need.

COVID Test and Vaccination Drive Lulu Mall Fujairah United Arab Emirates During the pandemic when it was discouraged to go out, Lulu Mall Fujairah was open for a greater social cause. It hosted 11 blood camps, 6 COVID test camps and 6 vaccination drives during this initiative and continues to assist the local authorities to make Emirate of Fujairah a safe place during pandemic.

LuckyOne Mall COVID-19 Vaccination Center Lucky Landmark Private Limited Pakistan To overcome the challenges brought by COVID-19, LuckyOne Mall undertook multiple initiatives including a free and fully equipped COVID Vaccination Centre (CVC) on the mall premises. The success of establishing and operating the CVC is a result of the sheer dedication of the entire team.

The Studio at City Centre Al Zahia Majid Al Futtaim Properties United Arab Emirates An initiative to support the art communities and artists by partnering with the University of Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah and brought to life ‘The Studio.’ We worked on empowering students by giving them a platform to display their art and projects.

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Shopping Centre CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE &/OR ENGAGEMENT FabyLand Post COVID-19 Reopening Initiatives Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. United Arab Emirates FabyLand Family Entertainment Centre incorporated different initiatives post COVID-19 to rebuild customer confidence to visit the stores through health and safety initiatives communications. The customers’ communication was the assurance that all FabyLand Entertainment Centers are safe as per health, safety & hygiene norms for the kids and families to have fun experience.

Hamat Malls Shoppers Service & Engagement Program Hamat Holding Saudi Arabia Hamat’s Electronic Customer Relationship Management (e-CRM) initiated the integration of websites, social media platforms and loyalty programs into the overall CRM strategy. With the goal of promoting consistency across all channels in terms of leasing (B2B), and shoppers service and support (B2C) and marketing initiatives, it provides a seamless customer experience and maximizes customer satisfaction, loyalty and revenue.

7 Minute Eid Shopping Challenge... You Shop We Pay Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates The most enticing customer engagement program of Covid times with its campaign on The Eid Shopping Challenge You Shop We Pay. The very first major Post-Covid opening sale period introducing gamification of the actual shopping therapy.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists Ramp It Up... Germinating Models of the Future Dalma Mall, United Arab Emirates “Every Season Does the Flowers Bloom. Every Season Does the Fruits Ripe.” So does our Budding Superstars for the Dalma Mall Star Kids. The season FOR OUR TULIPS TO BLOOM IS HERE. Walk The Ramp. Be in The Spotlight @ Dalma Mall, where we have successfully Endeavoured to Give our young patrons an Experience of a Lifetime. 893 Participants turned into 80 Models for 8 distinguished brands. The most awaited kids event in Abu Dhabi. Lights On...Action

EV Charging Station Red Sea Mall Saudi Arabia Red Sea Mall First and Only Only Mall in KSA to provide EV charging station to its visitors in its parking. Two charging stations serving four electrical cars were installed at a premium parking-lot dedicated to EV Cars with Schneider electric and Red Sea branding guidelines along with 2030 vision.

Chinese New Year Celebration Dubai Festival City Mall - Al Futtaim Malls United Arab Emirates Dubai Festival City Mall celebrated the Chinese New Year through special IMAGINE show, fireworks display, roaming entertainers and mesmerizing Chinese New Year décor to mark Lunar New Year on 25 January 2020. Chinese tourists and residents also received 10% cashback on the Festival City Malls gift card, when buying a gift card worth AED 300 and above.

Packages Mall Shopping Festival 2020 Packages Mall Pakistan Packages Mall has always stayed a step ahead in bringing forth innovative ideas and creative campaigns in the retail sector of Pakistan. To revive the lost retail energy, Packages Mall organized the Packages Mall Shopping Festival 2020 for the upliftment of the drained retail energy, boosting of the tenant confidence and letting people experience shopping like never before.

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Shopping Centre DIGITAL / SOCIAL MEDIA Sharjah Coop Anniversary Nostalgia Campaign Sharjah Coop United Arab Emirates Sharjah Coop has been serving the emirates for the past 44 years, and to honor the loyalty of our customers and bring about our decades of service, we launched one of our biggest campaign for 2021, the Sharjah Coop Anniversary Nostalgia Campaign focusing on creating nostalgia and rewarding our shareholders and customers for their unwavering loyalty. Our raffle winners were rewarded with 3 BMWs, 44 gold pallets, and 100 pcs of AED 1,000 gift cards.

Mom & Me ... An Emotional Social Media Expedition Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates Mom & Me a Shopping Experience @ Dalma Mall encapsulating 11 Families, 11 Nationalities, 11 Different Shopping Experiences covering Fashion, Food, Entertainment, Make Up Furniture, Lifestyle enacted not by Models, but Real Life Families. It Just Went Viral!

Tik Tok Tik Tok...Time To Digitize Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates The 3-Sec Attention Span Module, with the essence of collaborative marketing, has turned on to be The Advertising Medium of today. TikTok with Dalma Mall, show your love to the UAE this National Day and get chance to win vouchers worth AED 50,000. The campaign trended the social media with total views and impressions of 10.7 million. Come let’s TikTok.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists The Breaking Pointe Nakheel Properties United Arab Emirates The Pointe and Red Bull partnered to create a spectacular aerial and water show with two worldwide renowned paragliders. The Breaking Pointe show was filmed after mall hours and released on The Pointe & Red Bull social channels, major publications and TV stations across the globe, making of it viral sharable content.

We Brought Partners to Give You Distance. Dine in Safe! Mall of Qatar Qatar A digital campaign with influencers was initiated by Mall of Qatar following the gradual lifting of restrictions that has allowed to open up restaurants and operate under limited capacity including social distancing among tables in Phase III. Mall of Qatar, took the initiative and installed dressed mannequins in the restaurants to ensure safe distance creatively as a gesture that reflects MOQ’s customer care and initiatives that would add new dimensions to their visit.

In This Together by BurJuman

BurJuman Centre LLC, United Arab Emirates Social media outreach was at the heart of BurJuman’s communication with its community/audience as we all struggled to deal with the ramifications of a pandemic that took over the world and filled it with fear, uncertainty and isolation. Through three heartwarming video content scripted and produced in-house, BurJuman spoke to its extended community’s emotions, said concerns, and hopes, to comfort and instil a feeling of togetherness and optimism towards a better future.

Al Rahmania Branch Opening Digital Campaign - Your Second Home Sharjah Coop United Arab Emirates

The opening of Rahmania Mall Hypermarket during the pandemic was the main challenge that led to creating the most creative omni-channel campaign to attract potential customers to make Al Rahmania Hypermarket their second home and best shopping destination during these trying times.

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Shopping Centre GRAND OPENING, EXPANSION & RENOVATION Grand Opening FabyLand Rahmania Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. United Arab Emirates Rahmania Mall is a community mall and the catchment area is the residential area of Rahmania District of Sharjah. FabyLand introduced the concept which will fit well for a community mall offering play area, trampoline and family oriented rides with games machines for kids of different age group. The play area, trampoline, major rides and game machines are customized with FabyLand theming.

The Palm Fountain Launch at The Pointe Nakheel Properties United Arab Emirates Launched in 2020, during very challenging and unprecedented times, The Palm Fountain could not launch with the single-minded message of being “the largest in the world,” it had to have a deeper more meaningful messaging that resonates with the market and consumers’ aspiration and stressing on the resilience of the UAE and its citizens and residents. Our message: “Gravity is defied when you aim for the sky.”

Grand Launch of City Centre Al Zahia Majid Al Futtaim Properties United Arab Emirates The mall opening is a testament to the commitment and optimistic spirit of Majid Al Futtaim, launching at a time when the economic times were extremely complicated and retailers were holding off venturing into new malls. So, we decided to stick to our commitment to the retailers, community and open our doors. We collaborated with local partners and brands and transformed unoccupied hoardings into unique experiences.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists #JoinOurCircle - Circle Mall Grand Opening Nakheel Properties United Arab Emirates

Circle Mall needed to grab not only the share-of-wallet but the hearts and minds of the Jumeirah Village Circle community and their families. Jumeirah Village Circle residents were welcomed with the #JoinOurCircle Launch Campaign, a marketing strategy deeply focused on delivering ‘hyper-local’ experiences that achieved record Phase 1 results and a loyal community following.

Functional Use of Open Roof Space by Opening Gymnation Khalidiyah Mall United Arab Emirates

With over 159 Units spanning across three floors, the vibrant Khalidiyah Mall optimized the use of dormant areas of the mall near the food court by opening the city’s largest gym. The Khalidiyah Mall team are known to embrace innovative and creative ideas and took the opportunity to capitalize the space that would be beneficial to mall visitors and local community.

City Centre Almaza

Majid Al Futtaim Properties Egypt City Centre Almaza Grand opening was long awaited since the inauguration of the Mall back in 2016. Given that the Mall opened its doors as a soft opening on the 30th of September 2019, the grand opening was the true reveal of the Mall to the Egyptian market featuring an exclusive Egyptian/Emarati Pre-Event, a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and a 14 day consumer activation.

360 Campaign Launch: The Grand Launch Tamdeen Mall Management Kuwait Bringing Together Our Community As we developed our brand to go hand in hand with our new positioning we decided to launch through our community. Everyone who worked on our launch was locally based. This was important for us to tell our community that everyone has a place at 360 Kuwait.

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Shopping Centre NEW / EMERGING TECHNOLOGY Festival Rewards - Al-Futtaim Malls Dubai Festival City Mall United Arab Emirates Festival Rewards is a lifestyle and loyalty app centered around enabling our customers to live their lives without limitations. By enrolling in Festival Rewards, they will gain access to exclusive 2-for-1 offers, shopping credits and discounts at Dubai Festival City Mall. This program was launched to provide shopper rewards, increase frequency of visits along with spend per customer, increase foot traffic, increase customer referrals and increase customer engagement and support mall tenant sales.

‘Play & Win Gamification’ - Weaving into the Buying Path Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates Dalma Mall weaves in a digital gamification into the buying path of customers to host its ‘Super Summer Splash’ campaign during the pandemic restrictions. Loaded with 1000s of prizes and a wide range of simple n’ exciting PLAY & WIN digital games, Dalma Mall successfully engaged many from its catchments, thro’ Geo-fence targeting, while driving footfalls and creating a brand bonding.

Dragon Mart Online Nakheel Properties United Arab Emirates Dragonmart.ae brings the largest B2B and B2C wholesale marketplace in Dubai from a variety, scale, cost and volume perspective online. The e-commerce platform harnesses digital transformation to connect Dragon Mart retailers to customers across the UAE and beyond. This was a direct response to a consumer problem, as more than 30 per cent of products purchased at Dragon Mart were directly linked to small to medium business retailers.

Scan Decode & Win…A Tech Game @Dalma Mall Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates When Menus and Catalogues become barcodes as a trend, Dalma Mall invented the tech challenge of decoding the barcode. An enticing and energizing gamification for kids this Back-To-School utilizing trending emerging technology. Clues to 3 Stores every alternate day, a barcode on the participating store reveals 2 alphabets jumbled, a clue to find the 7 Letter school related word to win gadgets worth AED 40,000. “DECODE & WIN”

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& Retailer Awards Finalists IBN Battuta Augmented Reality Tour Nakheel Properties United Arab Emirates

‘Ibn Battuta Augmented Reality Tour’ is an interactive first of its kind edutainment experience for customers which resulted in 14,000 interactions and cemented Ibn Battuta Mall as one of the first destinations back open to families. Through the use of an emerging interactive technology, ‘Ibn Battuta Augmented Reality Tour’ became an edutainment experience; combining education, positioning technology and a strong reason to return to the mall.

Tribute to Pop Hologram Concert at City Centre Deira Majid Al Futtaim Properties United Arab Emirates

The idea was to combine a unique musical experience with advanced technology to offer its audience a unique experience, hence The Tribute To Pop Hologram Concert. It was produced in Italy using a mirror technology which brought big music icons such as Michael Jackson back to life with their real movements and most famous tunes.

Bon Appetit (Food Festival) Doha Festival City Qatar

Doha Festival City developed a completely touchless experience for shoppers and tenants from promotion, registration, acquiring coupons/tickets, tracking, draw, and notifications - during their international food festival. To highlight our over 100 F&B offerings with varied cuisines from around the world, we launched a campaign in theme of a digital Food Passport, involving partnerships with various embassies and prizes.

Guest Wifi Analytics and Marketing Platform BurJuman Centre LLC United Arab Emirates

A powerful Guest Wi-Fi Analytics and marketing program was implemented to build a unified customer database with demographics, social media data and other customer preferences and communicate with center visitors based on their visit patterns, demographics, and social likes. Through the program, the center managed to deliver a seamless guest experience, communicating with its visitors effectively to deliver context-aware and location-based messages.

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Shopping Centre PUBLIC RELATIONS Be Our Guest Line Investments & Property United Arab Emirates Line Investments & Property (LIP) introduced a ‘Be Our Guest’ campaign with a number of initiatives for the month of February across three Malls in Northern Emirates, RAK Mall, Lulu Mall Fujairah and Mall of Umm Al Quwain with a focus on Mission Mars celebrations. For the Mission Mars celebrations, there were amazing photo opportunities with replicas of space shuttle an astronauts.

The Largest Kids New Year Party of The Town... Dalma Mall Winter Ball Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates New Year Bash is the Most Awaited Celebration of any Town, of course the Pre-Covid times. We all want to Paint the Town Red...Parties, Gathering, Get-Togethers you can have it all but what about our charming superstars. Presenting The Largest Kids New Year Bash. Have It All...Dalma Mall’s Winter Ball. Largest Costume Party, Lighted Dance Floor, Rocking DJ, Dance Instructors, Lights Music Smoke & Prizes.

Welcome Back, We Missed You! Mall of Qatar Qatar During the temporary closures of the stores due to the pandemic, the Mall Management worked thoroughly on full operational and communications plan to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and health of the staff, tenants and mall visitors in preparation for any decision that will be taken by the government authorities with the gradual lifting of the Malls re-opening in several phases.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists Cosmotel, The Glam Bot at City Centre Mirdif Majid Al Futtaim Properties, United Arab Emirates

City Centre Mirdif’s vision is to be the fashion & beauty destination in the UAE. With COVID restrictions in place and tenant’s performance at stake, we introduced COSMOTEL, a unique pop-up concept at CCMI and hosted a 6-day hybrid fashion & beauty events, enforcing the Centre positioning. The immersive activations promoted the mall’s top high street fashion, luxury & beauty retailers catering to young and millennial women specially Emirati GenZ.

Pick & Choose Mall of Qatar Qatar The two quarters of 2020 have significantly impacted all sectors of the economy, specifically the retail sectors, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hence, when the restrictions were lifted in Phase II, the biggest “Pick & Choose” Festival was initiated and launched with a total of 20 fascinating cars given away weekly until January 14, 2021.

Scratch & Win

Mall of Qatar, Qatar Following the huge success of the “Pick and Choose” shopping festival, Mall of Qatar kept the momentum for being the ultimate destination for shoppers, diners and people seeking to spend joyful times during the pandemic. The direction was to start a new Shop and Win campaign that is unique, exciting, and worthy. At the same time, it was a major push to our tenants in terms of business to compensate part of the difficult times they faced during COVID-19.

The World’s Largest Banksy Experience at Mall of the Emirates Majid Al Futtaim Properties United Arab Emirates Opening in 2021, the exhibition was the largest Banksy experience in the world with over 120 recreated works. Inviting the right media to witness how the artist’s witty work was brought to life in a retail space was a challenge. We managed to successfully launch an incredible opening that was attended by top-tier media.

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Shopping Centre SALES PROMOTIONS & EVENTS FabyLand Big Check-In to Albania with Big FM 106.2 Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. United Arab Emirates The campaign FabyLand did with Big FM 106. FM radio was to drive more engagement to Dubai Festival City branch as well as communicate about the latest offers across FabyLand centers in UAE. FabyLand brand got good exposure and turn-outs on the days of roadshows where both online listeners and in-store participants entered competitions to be the lucky winner for all expense paid trip to Albania.”

FabyLand Unlimited Fun Offer Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. United Arab Emirates FabyLand latest promotional offer is its newly launched Unlimited Fun at only AED 49 which includes unlimited rides for the whole day, entry to soft play area and trampoline.

Mall of Egypt and City Centre Almaza Summer Influencers Event Majid Al Futtaim Properties Egypt A Mega Summer Campaign was launched in both Mall of Egypt and City Centre Almaza with the creative idea of travelling which is one of the major deprivations that happened on a global level after the outbreak of COVID-19. The campaign launched with an exclusive fashion and lifestyle event in collaboration with our Luxury Mall tenants which took the whole scene by storm in Egypt.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists Rooftop Festive Village at Nakheel Mall Nakheel Properties, United Arab Emirates

An event launched to leverage on several unique selling points of our mall, starting with its location - in the midst of Palm Jumeirah Community - our rooftop outdoor space and our retail diversification, and to create an experiential and unique Festive Village that would live on and remain activated throughout the festive season. This event which was on the headlines of major publications would soon become the yearly awaited event for our community and visitors.

Locked In Love...What Does She Want... All The Above Dalma Mall, United Arab Emirates Locked In Love, an alluring opportunity to unlock the love at Abu Dhabi’s Favourite Mall, Dalma Mall. Spend just AED 200 in any store at Dalma Mall and get a chance to unlock love and win fabulous prizes. Time is ticking! Open The Vault, Find The Prize. All You Need is to Find the Key. A Game of Love which not only increased our sales by 17.2% in a week but also engaged huge participation for our audiences spanning all nationalities.

Hayat Mall

Alandalus Property Company Saudi Arabia With the return of normal life and the reopening of malls during the crisis of the Coronavirus-19, we launched in Hayat Mall a campaign to replace your bill when you have a coupon value of 250 riyals or more, you will get a free voucher from it in all restaurants, cafes and entertainment inside the mall.

Alandalus Mall Alandalus Property Company Saudi Arabia Alandalus Mall adopted the idea of setting the highest record in the world in the Guinness Book of Numbers with the number of Eid AlFitr greeting cards in the month of May 2021, submitted by visitors and shoppers to the mall, to collect them and put them painted on an industrial wall with the phrase “Eid Mubarak from Alandalus Mall” in Arabic, dedicated to visitors and shoppers of the mall.

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Shopping Centre Red Sea Mall Winterland Red Sea Mall Saudi Arabia

Red Sea Mall’s campaign is to bring in the winter experience to the mall visitors through an exciting activation that brings in all the winter season aspects such as winter village and unique and instagrammable views that visitors enjoyed taking photos with and sharing them online.

LuckyOne Spring Festival 2021 Lucky Landmark Private Limited Pakistan ‘LuckyOne Spring Shopping Festival’, a five week campaign celebrated the revival of Post-Covid ‘Shoppertainment’ and presented a new dimension to the challenging retail landscape by integrating a series of highly engaging activities with strict COVID protocols.

Celebrations Inspired by Her

Al Futtaim Malls, Cairo Festival City Mall Egypt Throughout March 2021, customers were encouraged to celebrate the precious women in their lives by buying Mother’s Day gifts from the mall and rewarding them with instant vouchers and free gift-wrapping. Visitors enjoyed fun photo opportunities, a photo contest and CSR pop-up events.

LEGO Brick Safari Exhibition & LEGO Space Mosaic Wall at Ibn Battuta Mall Nakheel Properties, United Arab Emirates While the world was still in the process of limiting all human interactions and re-looking at their business model. Ibn Battuta Mall saw the opportunity of these families who were stuck at home during the lockdown and summer vacation for kids who couldn’t travel anywhere due to the restrictions. Creating a family friendly activation in respect of all safety protocols was the perfect solution to drive footfall and increase sales.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists Fashion Focus

Al Futtaim Malls, Cairo Festival City Mall Egypt Designed to celebrate fashion in all its forms, the 1st edition of “Fashion Focus” turned CFC Mall into a shopper’s haven for 5 weeks full of prizes, offers and entertainment, with a grand raffle draw that gave 3 shoppers an all-expenses-paid shopping trip to Dubai for 2. This was complimented with shop & win games, decorations and weekly fashion shows & talks.

CITY OF LOVE Al Futtaim Malls, Cairo Festival City Mall Egypt Establishing the mall as the go-to destination, CFC Mall was transformed into the “City of Love” with bright and cheerful installations that delighted the eyes and warmed the heart. Gifting and shopping were incentivized with fun shop and win activations that gratified shoppers with prizes worth USD 31,944 (EGP 500K).

Red Sea Mall Food Festival Red Sea Mall Saudi Arabia

The Food Festival is part of Red Sea Mall strategy to activate business after the exceptional period that was witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Red Sea Mall also sought to provide an opportunity for its guests and visitors to benefit from amazing offers and meet their friends and families in the attractive mall environment.

Camping in the Mall Al Futtaim Malls United Arab Emirates Festival Plaza hosted a ‘unique camping overnight in the mall’ event that aimed to celebrate the mall’s first anniversary by giving a unique opportunity to mall guests to ‘camp’ inside the mall and also get behind the scenes, after dark into some of their favorite shops like a Treasure Hunt inside IKEA, a Scavenger Hunt inside ACE and a Trolley Dash inside Lulu Hypermarket - things that you can only see on TV.

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Shopping Centre Lego Festival

Dubai Festival City Mall - Al Futtaim Malls United Arab Emirates In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Festival City Mall and LEGO® Middle East have joined forces to bring to the UAE the Middle East’s largest LEGO Festival. Dubai Festival City Mall created 7 unique LEGO zones that reached to different kids age group called, ‘LEGO FESTIVAL’ – an 11-week long winter Festival that turned the mall’s indoor and outdoor area into a haven for kids and young adults.

Space Jam Live at City Centre Mirdif Majid Al Futtaim Properties United Arab Emirates Exclusive to City Centre Mirdif in the Middle East, we presented the first ever Space Jam experience and live show coinciding with the Warner Bros blockbuster Hollywood movie release, taking over the central galleria and making sure this experience was the ultimate Slam Dunk!

360 Car Dine-In

Tamdeen Mall Management Kuwait When mall re-opened and F&B were only permitted to operate for takeout and delivery as restaurant café seating was not allowed, the 360 Car Dine-In experience was created giving customers what they want through fun and innovative experience. The activation served over 3,668 cars and generated sales for 13 restaurants within two weeks.

Pick & Choose Mall of Qatar Qatar The festival theme is “Pick and Choose” which gives visitors the opportunity to choose the car and the week they wish to participate in the raffle draw with two grand prize draws on the Mall’s anniversary on December 10 and on Qatar National Day on December 18.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists NOI ENHANCEMENT Programmes and initiatives intended to generate revenue that directly enhances the Net Operating Income (NOI) of a shopping centre or company.

LEASING Short -Term Leasing beyond COVID-19 Merex Investment LLC United Arab Emirates

Welcome to City Walk and welcome to the new opportunities beyond COVID-19! Witness how a vacated retail space, not occupied for over two years, was turned around to an interesting opportunity. Not only was it activated but also generated footfall and sales during challenging times through integration via social media.

Negative Variance – The Covid Positive Impact Dalma Mall, United Arab Emirates We know there is no Universal Formula, Each lease would need its Own Derivation to create a Win-Win Solution. Striding those Negative Variances by equating it to Asset Value enhancement & keeping above your budgets is the key to Win The Race. Today one of the few malls in GCC with an occupancy of 96.7 % & a balance sheet which keeps all the stakeholders smiling.

Live Better. Shop Better. with IKEA Al Wahda Mall, United Arab Emirates

Live Better. Shop Better. - Al Wahda Mall, an Iconic landmark and favorite shopping destination located in the heart of bustling Abu Dhabi, has over 350 plus stores and over 100 Kiosks. Al Wahda Mall identified the introduction of IKEA with a vision to create a better everyday life for its customers and provide an ultimate go-to for anyone that needs purse-friendly, minimalist furniture thereby offering to mall-goers more than just a shopping experience.

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Shopping Centre MARKETING FabyLand - Khaleej Times Annual Subscription Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. United Arab Emirates

FabyLand gave 100,000 vouchers worth AED 50 each to be distributed to Khaleej Times Subscribers with an active subscription base of 90,000 subscribers. The vouchers can be reloaded on FabyLand customers card for repeat visitation.

A Musical Evening To Recall - ‘Takkat’ Live @ Dalma Mall Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates Dalma Mall presents TAKKAT Live...for the very 1st Time in the UAE. A Fully Packed Atrium, Spellbound Audiences, Smiles, Tears and Memories. The Till is Still Ringing! A First of its kind, an encapsulated audience of Arab Expats mesmerizing a show they have been fantasizing for a long period.

The Outlet Avenue - City Centre Maadi Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Egypt

City Centre Maadi partnered with CFF agency; the owner of the first Outlet event in Egypt; an event focused on making top brands in Egypt accessible to the public by providing a discount of up to 75% on off-season collections. The outdoor exhibition was hosted at City Centre Maadi, Majid Al Futtaim’s first opened property in Egypt, and was in partnership with DHL, Egypt Clothing Bank, Virgin, Glo, Agan and valU.

City Centre Al Zahia Creative & Unique Revenue Streams Majid Al Futtaim Properties United Arab Emirates The launch of City Centre Al Zahia became a huge success. A brandnew mall in the wake of Covid-19 was able to generate exponential revenues and exceptional results while creating great moments for families. We partnered with popular local entertainment partners and created unique experience zones.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists Mall Of Egypt Padel Courts

Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Egypt Since the pandemic the consumer behaviour shifted and started to focus more on their health and well-being. We continuously look to find new ways to provide our customers with diverse and innovative experiences. MOEg partnered with leading Padel operator in Egypt to launch the first padel courts within a mall. This partnership is intend to generate revenue that directly enhance the NOI for the mall.

MAJID AL FUTTAIM Egypt Malls - valU Partnership Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Egypt Since customer experience is at the centre of our decision-making process, we partnered with valU a FinTech mobile application that provides Egyptian consumers with unique experiences that enables them to bridge the gap between their demands and their spending power by giving access to Buy Now Pay Later payment solutions this will ease the payment process, allowing shoppers to handle their payments more efficiently and at their own convenience.

The World’s Largest Banksy Experience at Mall of the Emirates Majid Al Futtaim Properties United Arab Emirates

Opening in 2021, the exhibition was the largest Banksy experience in the world with over 120 recreated works. Inviting the right media to witness how the artist’s witty work was brought to life in a retail space was a challenge. We managed to successfully launch an incredible opening that was attended by top-tier media.

Outdoors Festival Majid Al Futtaim Properties Bahrain City Centre Bahrain introduced an innovative solution by launching ‘Outdoors’ Festival an outdoor food festival transforming the openspace car park Level 6; which was closed due low footfall by introducing kiosks, open cinema, seating and entertainment to attract visitors to the mall and create an opportunity for mall F&B tenants to operate and serve customers in an exciting festival style atmosphere.

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Shopping Centre OPERATIONS & OVERALL TEAM Alandalus Mall Alandalus Property Company Saudi Arabia The foundation for any future retail experience capability must rest on a trusted information layer. This layer provides high-quality data that can support the decision - making process. Retailers need a converged data platform capable of ingesting all kinds of data from multiple sources – IoT, sales data, customer footfall, mobile data, website traffic, social media – into a single fast, efficient and scalable platform.

Operational Efficiencies & Cost Saving Efforts - Silicon Central Line Investments & Property United Arab Emirates The cost saving efforts add value to the NOI of the mall. Design elements that contribute to sustainability include natural sky light, water saving, solar panels for energy savings and façade mesh for heat resisting. Silicon Central Mall project implemented a construction waste management plan to reuse and reduce 75% of the generated construction waste.

Mall of Muscat - Against All Odds Tamani Global Development and Investment LLC Oman As with every new Mall, there were many challenges in enhancing NOI as no effort is spared to ensure launch momentum is not compromised by cost optimization, however, there were some critical issues that had a direct impact on operating expenses. We chose to tackle the issues head-on and try to resolve the issues by making the best use of the industry experience, clear strategy, and creative thinking to effectively bring solutions to the complex problems.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT This category is intended to recognise world-class retail properties for their design and development creativity. NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Centreslessthan47,000sqmof total retail space TOWN SQUARE - JEDDAH Unified Real Estate Development Company Saudi Arabia Town Square is the newest mega outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment center developed by Unified Real Estate Development at a vital location in the south of Jeddah City, Abdulla Sulaiman St. Located among commercially attractive neighborhoods “Al Thaghr and Al Jameah Dt.” The location of the project Town Square has a strategic advantage due to its proximity to King Abdul Aziz University.

DAMAC Hills 2, Community Centre DAMAC Properties United Arab Emirates Located in the Northern neighborhood of Dubai in the serene DAMAC Hills 2 Urban Community Centre is a two level Community Centre, with unique retail, sports, health and recreational facilities, catering to the residents of all age groups and lifestyles through its rich and thoughtful offering.

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Shopping Centre NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Centresof 47,001–92,900sqmof total retail space Tabuk Park Mall New Development Hamat Holding Saudi Arabia Tabuk Park Mall is a gravitation point in a city, a place where is populated with the dynamic of society. An architect needs to collaborate very well and ensure to meet the design and function complement each other providing a safe and comfortable space that can handle being packed with people 24/7. You need an inclusive design that is accessible for everyone. A mall needs to attract families and keep them occupied for hours at a time.

Design & Development of Gymnation Khalidiyah Mall Line Investments & Property United Arab Emirates The Gymnation at Khalidiyah Mall is designed to maximize the space and offers for shoppers and members in getting access to the latest fitness programmes, gym facilities and the opportunity to reach their health and fitness goals with affordable membership fee and flexible gym membership.

Architectural Design – Silicon Central Line Investments & Property United Arab Emirates The Silicon Central design is adapted to integrate physical spaces with a digital application, moving boundaries to deliver a fully integrated customer experience both inside and outside the mall premises. The project has implemented green building technologies and techniques in order to secure Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority Certification.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists

RENOVATIONS AND EXPANSIONS Al Hamra- Manar Mall Promenade Al Hamra Group LLC United Arab Emirates Spanning over 10,000 square meters, the promenade is accessible from four entrances of Manar Mall, the largest and most-visited shopping mall in the Northern Emirates. With the opening of this stunning waterfront promenade, Al Hamra’s flagship mall has further integrated the world-class shopping experience with leisure to deliver unique lifestyle choices to its visitors.

360 Kuwait Tamdeen Group Kuwait 360 MALL an 83,738 sqm, 164 stores mall opened for trading amidst the recession in July 2009. A property rich in design, materials, experiences and merchandising mix. It was positioned as a Luxury Mall, featuring stores such as Bloomingdales, Gucci, Cartier, Burberry, Bottega Venetta and Prada.

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Shopping Centre

RETAIL STORE DESIGN Seoudi Citystars Egypt Wanzl Middle East FZE Cairo, Egypt Citystars Heliopolis is a unique real estate project in downtown Cairo. A luxury shopping mall, entertainment facilities, offices, three hotels as well as flats have been built on 750,000 m2. The centerpiece is the Stars Centre. On eight levels, 750 shops have been built. In addition to local and regional offers, international brands present themselves here too.

Monoprix iCONIC 2022 Wanzl Middle East FZE Doha, Qatar The best feature of any Monoprix is the array of gourmet dining options they have. The Water Bar displays water sourced from countries world over, the Green Salad Bar, the organic section are other fascinating sections. The selfservice counters give customers a choice. Each area has been designed to be different, appealing, by relying on different finishes, materials, color schemes, tiling, lighting & décor.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists XtremeLand Madinaty Open Air Mall-Cairo Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. Cairo, Egypt XtremeLand is latest state of the art sports based entertainment concept from Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. with focus on playful learning. Inspired by a creative and boundless imagination, this entertainment destination is designed to provide new level of experience to guests with offerings for kids of smaller age group, tweens and teens.

FabyLand Nakheel Mall Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. United Arab Emirates FabyLand at Nakheel Mall is the flagship store of the brand. The state of the art family entertainment center, located at level 2 of the Nakheel Mall, covers an expansive 40,000 sq.ft. of space. The facility provides heightened level of gaming and entertainment experience with light effects and immersive architectural elements.

SHARJAH CO-OP RAHMANIA MALL HYPERMARKET Wanzl Middle East FZE United Arab Emirates The newly opened Rahmania Mall in Sharjah (UAE) spans 60,000 sqm and is the primary destination for a premium shopping experience in Sharjah - the most significant outlet being the SHJ CO-OP hypermarket. This 7,200 sqm shopper’s paradise is the first SHJ CO-OP in Rahmania & was designed to specifically cater to the local community in the Rahmania district in Sharjah.

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Shopping Centre RETAIL EXCELLENCE This category aims to recognize Retailers in the region for their outstanding performance, innovation, and commercial success within the period 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2021.

Experience Zeal While Playing, Partying & Socializing

Zeal Entertainment, Dalma Mall, United Arab Emirates The Zeal Entertainment Centre is a perfect destination for all inspired folks regardless of age. It marries Sports, Virtual Reality, Music and Dining into an immersive and innovative social experience for family, friends and children alike and is Abu Dhabi’s latest and unique entertainment venue. The ever-new entertainment zone implores the child in you to joyously revel in an unmatched list of activities ranging from highly interactive simulators and recreational attractions.

Oman Aquarium It Only Gets Better With Time Tamani Global Development and Investment LLC Oman This project is all about how Oman Aquarium tactfully managed to stay afloat through the waning popularity and footfalls even before the Pandemic Struck and how it utilized the time during the Pandemic Closure to develop Strategies to bring about Retail Excellence when it reopens.

The Evolution of Danube Home’s Retail Concept During Pandemic Danube Home United Arab Emirates

Established as a home furnishing and home improvement retail brand back in 2008-09, Danube Home quickly transformed into a destination of discovery and a leading name in Home Interior Solutions known for its exemplary customer service, constant innovation, superior quality, strikingly creative designs and leadership across a bewildering range of product lines.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists XtremeLand Mall of Qatar Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. Qatar XtremeLand at Mall of Qatar provides massive entertainment sprawling over 48,000 sq. ft. area and will have major attractions which include roller coaster, 7D Theater, Drop & Twist Tower, Giant Slide and Clip N Climb activities. Threestorey soft play area will provide more than 100 activities which are not only limited to fun but also develop the cognitive, social and physical skills for kids.

Threesixty Foodhall Tamdeen Mall Management Kuwait The Threesixty Foodhall was designed by a Kuwaiti architecture firm, leased by a team of young entrepreneurs under Tamdeen Mall Management and managed by that same team. It allowed us to create a platform for young and rising businesses who wouldn’t have had an opportunity to lease out space in our centre due to fitout and rent costs. Great brand concepts, beautiful interiors with a balcony that overlooks the Rafa Nadal Academy and communal spaces is what makes the Threesixty Foodhall.

Snow City - City Stars Mall - Cairo Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. Cairo Snow City Citystar Cairo is owned and operated by Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co., a company dedicated to providing the MENA with a world-class entertainment venue. A strong focus is placed on transparency and delivering outstanding customer service. At Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co., there is a strong commitment to ensuring that all visitors have a fun-filled experience and carry fantastic memories to cherished for years to come.

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Shopping Centre BEST MENA RETAIL BRAND This award honours a MENA retailer that has truly demonstrated an overall successful year in terms of performance, product, marketing, and customer service within the period 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2021.

FabyLand Abdullah Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. United Arab Emirates Fabyland is a “futuristic” family entertainment destination for children of all ages. The indoor entertainment facility is a vivacious and fun-filled destination that offers everyone a heightened experience in leisure and entertainment, clubbed with delicious F&B outlets.

RETAIL PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR This category recognizes innovative CEO’s, COOs, MDs, Directors and Senior Managers from the MENA region who have made an outstanding contribution to their business over the period, 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2021.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists Mohammed Al Mazrouei Dalma Mall United Arab Emirates A Board Member & Executive Officer with 15+ years of experience spanning across diversified verticals ranging from holding companies to those engaged in Shopping Mall, Retail Management, Real Estate, Security and Cash Management, NBFCs and other diversified conglomerates.

Majid Algothmi Azad Properties Saudi Arabia Majid has a robust and well-rounded professional experience across all facets of the retail industry. He is a savvy when it comes to key concepts like market research and feasibility studies, site acquisition and development, sales/leasing, and property management. He’s also a reference in market identification, budgeting, leasing planning and execution, new development planning, deal structuring and networking, all while having an inspiring approach in motivating and engaging teams.

Shahrokh Keshavarz Golden Business Magazine Iran With over 10 years of experience in the retail industry, Shahrokh is a current MECS+R Regional Representative in Iran and has initiated and implemented various campaigns to assist the retail industry in Iran and be able to overcome the hurdles brought by the pandemic.

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Shopping Centre SERVICE EXCELLENCE This award for Service Providers recognize the year ’s best solution, which is defined as including delivery to a client of both technology product(s) and professional services to solve a particular problem or take advantage of a specific opportunity within the period 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2021.

Analytics for the Physical World V-Count Turkey V-Count is recognized as a visionary leader by ‘Markets and Markets’ thanks to their strong product portfolio and excellent business strategy within the people counting technology environment.

Technology and Innovation Yardi Systems United Arab Emirates Yardi prides itself on the continued innovation within its platforms. Products are cloud-based, browser- independent and mobile-ready. We continue to expand our portfolio of mobile apps to help clients streamline and modernise their business processes and help them add value to every aspect of the real estate lifecycle.

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& Retailer Awards Finalists Kiosk Concepts SSG Events Management United Arab Emirates The Souk aims to support the most prominent home-grown SME concepts within the retail and F&B industry. This platform offers prime retail locations with subsidizing high operational cost with the assistance of professional retail industry experts.

Property Management Software Yardi Systems United Arab Emirates Yardi is a real estate investment, asset and property management solutions provider offering fully integrated and configurable solutions for the management of all types of commercial, retail, and residential real estate.

Frictionless Visitor Experience & Analytics IPERA United Arab Emirates Since 2015, the IPERA platform has benefited world-class venues globally including providing tools for retail brand managers to promote their brand. The platform helps shopping malls and retail venues to get the best out of their free wi-fi service.

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Shopping Centre

& Retailer Awards Finalists Drive retail leasing performance & improve the customer experience.

Yardi Retail Manager is designed to help asset managers optimise mall & shopping centre revenue by automating key retail metrics & leasing activities. Key features • Drive new deals & shorten leasing cycles • Streamline agreements for specialty leasing • Real-time access to leasing & performance information • Illustrate real-time & future occupancy • Minimise risk & increase value

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RETAIL PEOPLE MAGAZINE SPECIAL RETAIL CONGRESS EDITION – THE YEAR OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Articles inside

Iranian Retail Market – From Corona Crisis to Rental Campaign Advantages

Is It The End of Face Painting and Spend and Win?

NFT – A Token of Ownership, Forever

Dubai Expo 2021: A Celebration of Innovation and Recovery with BRANDS

BackLite Intelligence: Data-Driven Mall Advertising

Retail: Back to Basics

Innovation & The Road to Recovery

Experiential Retail: Repositioning Saudi Arabia’s Retail Sector

Virtual Reality Entertainment in Shopping Malls. Will it Work?

Wingstop Targets Middle East Markets

How Big Data Will Help Retail Real Estate Achieve Success

Enhancing Experiences, Improving Lives

The Birthplace of Saudi Arabia – The Future of Retail

Architecture That Brings People Together

Retail Is On Its Way To Glory

Mall of Muscat – On a Clear Path to Recovery

Times Square Centre – A Rare Example of Retail Growth Even During Challenging Times

WELCOME REMARKS