THE Middle East retail giant LuLu Group expanded further in KSA with the opening of a new shopping mall and hypermarket in Hufuf, Al Ahsa Governorate. The LuLu shopping mall and the hypermarket was officially inaugurated by Prince Badr Bin Muhammed Bin Abdullah Bin Jalawi Al Saudi, Governor of Al Ahsa, in the presence of Adil Mohammed Al Mulhim, Mayor of Al Ahsa; and and several high-ranking officials from various government departments and representatives from local business communities. Yusuff Ali M.A., chairman and managing director of LuLu Group; Saifee Rupawala, CEO, Ashraf Ali, Executive Director, other senior officials of LuLu were also present at the event. The hypermarket which is 9th in the Kingdom is spread over an area of more than 300,000 sq. feet and will service the resident of Salmaniyah District, Hufuf and its surrounding areas with easy access and ample parking. Apart from Lulu Hypermarket as anchor tenant, the new shopping mall also hosts H & M, Mother care, Starbucks, Swatch, Money Exchanges, Jewelries & food court. He said the "plan is to open around 20 hypermarket by 2020 in KSA with immediate ones planned for Jedah followed by in Tabuk. Currently Lulu has 8 hypermarkets and 7 commissaries in KSA. "We have to expand aggressively here as the Kingdom is investing heavily in various sectors which will surely spur all round growth," Ali said. The opening of the newest hypermarket saw the group, which is on a vast expansion mode, anchor itself firmly in the modern, customer-centric retail landscape of the Kingdom. More than 250 Saudi nationals work in the newly opened Lulu hypermarket out of a total of 400 employees. "As I mentioned earlier during World Economic Forum, the Saudi manpower is very productive, dedicated and hardworking," said Ali. "We attribute our success to the policies and visionary leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the government and the people of this great country who have always given tremendous support to the business community and economic development. "Ever since we set foot in the Kingdom, we have been welcomed warmly and have been supported by one and all," he noted.
