Mohammed Alshoaiby Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Red Sea Mall CEO Mohammed Alawi won the Asia Retail Congress' Leadership and Excellence Award in Mumbai last week. This comes in a string of awards given to Alawi and the Red Sea Mall over the past few years, including the Golden Award for best marketing campaign in 2012 and an honorary award from Prince Turki Al-Faisal in 2010. “This award represents a lot of hard work,” said Alawi. The Red Sea Mall also entered the Guinness World Book of Records last year for having the world's largest polystyrene ship model. The ship, which was built in four weeks, was designed by Saudis and executed by artists in Jeddah. The Red Sea Mall is also known for being up to speed with market trends, focusing on events and activities to enhance the overall shopping experience, holding 80 events in 2012. “We are hoping for at least 100 events in 2013,” he added. The events and activities aim to increase the average stay per visit, currently at two hours and eight minutes per visit, as well as a focus on experiential shopping. “Shopping for three hours is boring. We want to add activities and events to keep the visitors engaged,” Alawi further said. To add to the mall's experiential structure, free Wi-Fi access is available at coffee shops for people to spend time studying and working. Red Sea Mall is also a firm supporter of Saudization, with at least 50 percent Saudi staff members on payroll. Alawi emphasized the role malls play in a society in job creation and tourism, creating a flourishing economy. Alawi is also a firm believer in the role women play in the job market, with Red Sea Mall pushing close to 100 establishments employing Saudi women. Acknowledging the difficulties that are sometimes faced in a heavily regulated market, Alawi employs an optimistic strategy: “Let's focus on the positive and let's solve the negative.”
