Souq.com Plots MENA Black Friday Sales Weekend

MENA Online retailer looks to follow the success of behemoth Alibaba, which generated $9 billion worth of e-commerce sales during China’s recent Singles Day.

Construction Begins On Abu Dhabi’s New Mega Mall, Al Maryah Central

The 2.3 million sqft mall, located in Al Maryah Island, is scheduled for opening in March 2018.

Al Ghurair Centre To Spend An Additional Dhs60m On Mall Revamp

The latest renovation will add an 80,000 square feet Carrefour hypermarket, around 50 new retail brands and a number of street-based restaurants to the mall.

Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall To Open To Public On November 19

The opening is timed to coincide with the 2014 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Abraaj Buys Into Southeast Asia’s Wine Scene

The deal is Abraaj’s fourth investment into Southeast Asia’s food and beverage industry.

Marka To Open UAE’s First Harper’s Bazaar Café

The first café will open in the UAE before November 2015, the company said in a statement.

UAE’s Abraaj Offers $118m For 100% Of Egypt’s Bisco Misr

The offer is for the whole company but Abraaj will accept no less than a 51 per cent controlling stake, it said.

Alshaya’s Investment In Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall To Create 2,000 Jobs

The retail group will open 42 brands in Yas Mall, including the UAE’s first Pottery Barn Teen and Icing store.

Dubai’s Nakheel To Lease 5,000 Shops At Deira Islands Night Souk

The 1.9 km Night Souq, coming up on the south island, will be within walking distance of hotels, residences and the Deira Islands Mall.

Emaar Malls Group Q3 Net Profit Rises 55%

The retail and malls unit of Dubai’s largest developer made a quarterly profit of Dhs321.18 million.

Nakheel Leases Beachfront Space For 17 F&B Outlets On Palm Jumeirah

The spaces are available in Azure Residences and Club Vista Mare, two beachside residential and recreational projects.

Damac Extends Size Of Mega Shopping Strip In AKOYA

The Drive at AKOYA will be extended to 2.5 kilometres from its initial length of 1.3 kilometres due to demand, the luxury property developer said.

Macy’s To Open Its First International Store In Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Macy’s will span about 205,000 square foot while the new Bloomingdale’s, the UAE’s second, will be spread across 230,000 square foot.

Pictures: Sneak Peek Into Abu Dhabi’s Upcoming Yas Mall

Yas Mall, developed by Aldar, is set to open in November and will feature over 370 retail and F&B brands.

Abraaj Aims To Soon Complete Purchase Of Saudi Fast-Food Chain Kudu

The private equity firm has been in exclusive talks for months to buy a controlling holding in the restaurant group.

IKEA To Open Middle East’s Largest Distribution Centre In Dubai

The distribution centre is also IKEA Group’s first direct investment in the region and is scheduled for completion in September 2015.

Majid Al Futtaim Launches New Carrefour City Stores In Dubai

Carrefour City stores will cater to smaller neighbourhoods across Dubai and will offer convenient shopping options, Majid Al Futtaim said.

Saudi’s Fawaz Alhokair Co Quarterly Net Rises 7.7%, Misses View

The company made a net profit of SAR303.74 million ($81.0 million) in the third quarter, up from SAR282.08 million in the year-earlier period.

Dubai’s Marka Partners With Chef Heinz Beck To Launch New Restaurant

The restaurant is among the first of five food and beverage outlets that Marka is planning to open by next year.

Saudi Retailer Jarir To Invest $293m In Doubling Stores Over Five Years

The Kingdom’s largest listed retailer aims to open six new stores on average each year.

Dubai Duty Free Named World’s Largest Airport Retailer

Dubai’s airport retailer accounted for 5.19 per cent of global airport duty free business and almost three per cent of the wider duty free and global travel retail business.

Dubai’s Marka To Launch Four New Retail Brands At Meraas’ City Walk

The group will bring European brands such as Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, Berenice and Essential Antwerp to Dubai.

UAE Retailers Go Omni-Channel Amidst Tough Competition

As the UAE’s shifts to omni-channel retail, industry players will have to innovate to keep pace.

Nakheel Awards Dhs35m Contract For Badrah Pavilion Community Centre

Badrah Pavilion is Nakheel’s sixth neighbourhood retail centre and will serve 800 homes at the developer’s Badrah and Veneto communities.

Meraas Adds Mega Retail Unit, Canal To Its Theme Park Project In Dubai

The developer said that it will add an expansive retail offering at Riverpark, the project’s entrance plaza that interconnects the three theme parks.

Nakheel Says Ibn Battuta Mall Welcomed 313,000 Visitors During Eid

Visitor figures at the mall in Dubai averaged 78,300 per day during the four-day break.

UAE’s Emke Group Buys Stake In East India Company

The group will acquire almost 10 per cent stake in British trading firm East India Company along with a 40 per cent share in its fine foods subsidiary.

UAE Residents Prefer Luxury Experiences Over Goods-Study

The study noted that 33 per cent of the UAE residents expect to step up their luxury spending over the next few months.

Mondelez Plans $90m Biscuit Plant In Bahrain

The new plant will create about 300 jobs, the company said.

UAE Urged To Have More Home-Grown F&B Operators

Up to 80 per cent of the UAE’s food sector is currently franchise-operated, according to Salem bin Dasmal, founder of Silver Spoon Investments.