Lulu to open 55th hypermarket in Abu Dhabi

Lulu hypermarket chain will launch a new major shopping mall in Abu Dhabi next week within an ongoing expansion drive in the UAE and other Arab countries, its director was reported on Thursday as saying.

The  Dh1.05-billion market, to open in Mushrif area on Wednesday, will raise to 55 the total number of shopping malls owned by Lulu in the UAE and 98 in the Middle East, Yousuf Ali told the semi official daily Alittihad.

He said the 1.3 million square feet mall in Musrif comprises 210 shops and has the largest restaurant area in the chain’s malls in the UAE.

Three other mall branches will be inaugurated in the UAE in the second half of this year, including one in Zayed City in Abu Dhabi and one each in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, Ali said.

“The mall in Mushrif includes the largest eating area in our malls in the UAE and we expect strong activity in this mall given its location,” he said.

Ali said the 2008 global fiscal crisis had not affected Lulu business in the UAE and other regional countries, adding that its total sales reached nearly Dh4.1 billion in 2010. “We aim for 17 per cent growth in business this year after opening 20 new branches in the UAE and other countries during 2009-2010.”

Ali revealed that Lulu accounts for nearly 32 per cent of the total hypermarket business in the Middle East and 35 per cent in the UAE.

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