Over the course of three decades, Majid Al Futtaim has welcomed 600 million visitors annually across 29 shopping destinations, making them the preeminent mall operator in the Middle East.
All that foot traffic gave the company something equally as valuable as the rent checks — unparalleled insight into consumer behavior, shopping patterns, and emerging trends in the region. A decade ago, the company made a pivot. Rather than simply providing space for international retailers, Majid Al Futtaim positioned itself as the preferred partner for international brands seeking Middle Eastern entry.
The result? The company’s lifestyle division has evolved into a powerhouse with 26 percent revenue growth in 2024, and digital sales surging 31 percent, a testament to an omnichannel strategy born from watching how customers actually shop.
Majid Al Futtaim opened the first stand-alone Shiseido beauty store outside of Asia.
Majid Al Futtaim’s lifestyle division’s business reads like a carefully curated answer to the question, “What do Middle Eastern consumers truly want?” The group started by tapping into the wellness-fashion movement, bringing Lululemon to the Middle East in 2015 with the first store opening in Mall of the Emirates. Ten years later, they operate over 20 Lululemon stores, with some Dubai locations ranking among the brand’s top global performers.
The portfolio strategically expanded into home furnishings with Crate & Barrel and CB2, beauty with Shiseido’s only stand-alone store outside of Asia, and specialty retail with Lego Certified Stores.
The company’s most recent luxury expansion, the debut of Italian brands Eleventy and Corneliani this year, signals their ambitions beyond athleisure and mass premium.
Eleventy
Another straw in Majid Al Futtaim’s hat is THAT Concept Store, launched at Mall of the Emirates in 2021. The homegrown multibrand destination not only gives the mall an offering different from the franchise models, but it functions as a retail laboratory, testing new brands in a shop-in-shop format before scaling them to stand-alone locations. Eleventy’s journey — from THAT to pop-up to five stand-alone stores — exemplifies this test-and-scale methodology.
“In a region where customers have an abundance of choice, our ambition is to curate a portfolio of luxury brands that offer something truly distinctive,” said Fahed Ghanim, chief executive officer of Majid Al Futtaim’s Lifestyle division. “By introducing brands like Eleventy, Corneliani, and Poltrona Frau, we are bringing new dimensions to the luxury market — combining timeless craftsmanship with modern sensibilities that resonate with the refined tastes of our customers.”
Italian luxury furniture maker Poltrona Frau in Dubai.
Majid Al Futtaim opened 26 stores in the first quarter of this year, pushing their total store count well over 100. These includes flagship locations for Lululemon, Psycho Bunny, Shiseido, Poltrona Frau, Crate & Barrel, and THAT. The brand’s are supported by 35 e-commerce platforms that reflect Majid Al Futtaim’s belief in an omnichannel approach.
Looking ahead, 2026 is positioned as another milestone year, with plans to open more than 25 stores across the region. Twelve of those will launch in Saudi Arabia, underscoring the Kingdom’s status as a priority market for the group’s expansion strategy.
From understanding foot traffic patterns to curating global brands, Majid Al Futtaim’s journey from landlord to retail operator demonstrates how operational expertise in one domain fuels transformation into another.
