THE 5 RINGS OF FASHION Chapter 1.19

The First Ring: Roots

CHRONICLES

Chapter 1.19

The evolution of department stores in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) reflects a balance between globalization and local identity.  

The department store sector in the MENA area represents a strategic crossroads where global influences meet local sensibilities. In an economically and culturally diverse context, the coexistence of international giants and dynamic local groups has generated a constantly evolving retail landscape, capable of expressing both modernity and strong territorial roots.  

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), department stores are synonymous with aspirational lifestyles. International names like Bloomingdale’s, Galeries Lafayette, and Harvey Nichols have introduced the Western shopping experience to Dubai, helping position the city as a major luxury retail hub. These high-end emporiums cater to a wealthy local and international clientele.  

A key player in the luxury sector in the Middle East is the Chalhoub Group, headquartered in Dubai, with a strong presence across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. Founded in 1955, the company has grown to operate over 750 retail stores and more than 65 e-commerce platforms across the region.  

The Chalhoub Group also manages several luxury department and concept stores:

Tryano: A department store offering a curated selection of global and local brands in fashion, beauty, jewelry, and children’s wear.  

Tanagra: Specializing in luxury home decor and giftware, with seven flagship stores in the region.  

Level Shoes: A concept store dedicated to luxury footwear, located in Dubai Mall, spanning 96,000 square feet and home to over 40 designer boutiques.  

Ghawali: A luxury oriental fragrance brand that provides an immersive shopping experience.  

These retail concepts reflect Chalhoub Group’s commitment to delivering personalized and innovative luxury experiences to GCC consumers.  

Another prominent player is Al Tayer Group, a major private holding company based in Dubai, founded in 1979. The group operates in multiple sectors, including automotive, luxury retail, real estate, and other investments. It has a presence in six Middle Eastern countries, with nearly 200 stores and over 9,000 employees.  

In the department store segment, Al Tayer Group operates through its retail division, Al Tayer Insignia, managing two key luxury brands:

Harvey Nichols – Dubai: Located in the Mall of the Emirates, it is the largest Harvey Nichols outside the UK, occupying 136,900 square feet across three levels. It offers a curated range of high-end fashion, beauty, and accessories.  

Bloomingdale’s: The brand’s first international store opened in 2010 at Dubai Mall, followed by a second location in Kuwait City in 2017. Both stores offer a wide array of fashion, beauty, and home goods, featuring a blend of international and regional designers.  

In addition to its physical stores, Al Tayer Group launched Ounass in 2016, a luxury fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platform serving customers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Ounass features a broad selection of international and local brands, with fast, personalized delivery services.  

With a well-established footprint across the GCC, Al Tayer Group continues to expand its luxury offering, blending in-store and online experiences to meet the expectations of a sophisticated, global clientele.  

At the same time, retailers such as LuLu Group, Centrepoint, and Marks & Spencer offer more accessible options tailored to the region’s broad, multicultural audience. The hybridization of global brands and regional formats is one of the market’s defining features.  

Paris Gallery, a prominent luxury department store group headquartered in Dubai, is another key player in the region. Known for its premium selection of perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry, watches, and accessories, the brand caters to a clientele seeking high-end products and experiences. Internationally, Paris Gallery operates mainly within the Middle East, with locations in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The chain targets the luxury segment, offering a refined shopping environment often situated in prestigious retail destinations.  

Landmark Group (UAE) is a major retail powerhouse in the region, operating a wide portfolio of brands and store formats, including department stores like Centrepoint and Max. With a strong footprint across the Gulf, the Middle East, Africa, and India, the group blends international labels with its own proprietary brands. Its strategy is rooted in a deep understanding of local consumer preferences, combined with a commitment to affordability.

Few players exemplify adaptability to complex markets—such as those in the Gulf, Africa, and South Asia—better than Landmark Group. Through its Centrepoint and Max outlets, the company articulates a clear philosophy: meet local needs, offer strong value, and foster lasting customer relationships. Its extensive network, built on a balance of global and in-house brands, has positioned Landmark as one of the most respected and influential forces in the MENA retail ecosystem.  

Majid Al Futtaim (UAE), renowned for its malls like "Mall of the Emirates" and "City Centre", also manages department stores, including "Harvey Nichols" (franchise). The group excels in customer experience, integrating services and entertainment into its retail spaces. Its regional expansion is substantial, with a strong presence across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and beyond.  

In this region, where ancient heritage meets modern luxury, these department stores transcend mere shopping venues. They are platforms for aspirations, settings where dreams and desires unfold.  

With a visionary approach, Majid Al Futtaim created "THAT'S Concept Store", a space where fashion, art, and design converge into an immersive experience. "THAT'S" offers more than retail; it's a journey through styles and trends, a place where creativity is paramount. Majid Al Futtaim is synonymous with vision. Their expansive malls are urban hubs, housing Harvey Nichols, cinemas, ski slopes, restaurants, and family entertainment. Their forward-thinking investment in experience and immersion has positioned them at the forefront of retail. The THAT'S Concept Store exemplifies this innovation: it's a creativity lab, where fashion, art, and design interact in engaging ways—a celebration of contemporary culture with a progressive outlook.  

With its youthful and growing population, Saudi Arabia is a highly attractive market for department stores. The country’s ongoing modernization policies have accelerated the expansion of the retail sector, attracting international brands such as Harvey Nichols and Marks & Spencer. However, the closures of Printemps and Saks Fifth Avenue serve as a reminder that global prestige alone is not enough: success requires a deep understanding of local preferences and a commitment to authentic localization.  

In Saudi Arabia, several local department store brands have made their mark on the shopping landscape. One notable example is Serb Fashion, founded in 1977 with the aim of bringing high-end men’s fashion to the region. Specializing in sophisticated menswear, the brand operates stores in cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar. Proudly Saudi, Serb Fashion offers quality and style, and is also available online. These local department stores reflect the growing diversification of the Saudi market, offering products that range from traditional to contemporary fashion.  

In Qatar, alongside international department stores, Salam International Investment Ltd. stands out as a historically rooted brand, closely associated with Salam Stores. Founded in Doha in 1952, Salam is one of the most established and refined local retail names. Its stores offer a sophisticated blend of fashion, fragrances, design, and luxury accessories, carefully selecting prestigious brands and tailoring the assortment to local tastes. Salam’s ability to continuously reinvent itself while preserving a strong identity has secured its place in an increasingly competitive and globalized market. Its expansion into other Gulf countries, including the UAE, is a testament to the strength and resilience of its business model.  

Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait—while these countries have smaller markets, they host key international chains as well as notable local retailers. In Kuwait, the Alshaya Group, renowned for its extensive franchising of global brands and its management of names like Debenhams under Boohoo, plays a central role in shaping the broader retail landscape.

Alongside this, Al Ostoura, specializing in luxury fashion, exemplifies a boutique department store model, blending selectivity with meticulous attention to detail, highlighting the diversity within Kuwait's retail sector.

Bahrain's retail sector is characterized by a mix of international brands and local retailers, with a growing emphasis on shopping malls like City Centre Bahrain by Majid Al Futtaim and experiential retail.  

In Oman, the retail sector is evolving at a slower pace. Currently, City Centre Muscat—part of Majid Al Futtaim’s portfolio—features several international department store brands.  

In Lebanon, two names dominate the scene: Aïshti and ABC. Aïshti is synonymous with contemporary luxury, offering spaces that blend fashion, art, and design, while ABC is a pillar of the national retail scene, with stores covering fashion, home goods, and more. Their resilience, despite economic and political crises, is a prime example of cultural grounding and adaptive strategy.

In Jordan, Aïshti has successfully exported its model, while local retail grows in synergy with hospitality and tourism, especially in Amman.  

The Israeli market is characterized by a strong presence of national chains that are not just retail brands but expressions of collective identity. Here, department stores are designed around local needs, often with family or semi-public management, ensuring reliability and brand recognition.  

Turkey is perhaps the only MENA country with a native department store scene capable of openly competing with international brands. Beymen and Boyner are successful examples of locally grown retailers that have established a global presence. However, even in Turkey, the sector has faced ups and downs, with players like Harvey Nichols and Galeries Lafayette exiting the market—a sign of its internal complexity.  

Alongside the major players, there are smaller but strategically important actors that skillfully interpret local dynamics.

In Brunei, Hua Ho is a locally founded chain that supported the retail trade for decades before the rise of international shopping centers.

In Egypt, venues like Mall of Saudi and projects developed by Majid Al Futtaim are introducing experiential retail concepts even in more complex markets. In these markets as well, department stores are evolving into cultural and social destinations—not just commercial ones.  

Success increasingly hinges on the integration of e-commerce, physical stores, social commerce, and mobile apps. Moreover, understanding local cultural codes is essential for winning and retaining customers, while growing attention to sustainability is pushing regional players to rethink products, sourcing, and packaging.  

The department store landscape in the Middle East and North Africa is no longer solely defined by global giants. Today, prominent regional groups are redefining the industry, demonstrating that success is built through deep local understanding, attentive customer engagement, and the ability to innovate while staying true to a cultural vision. In a continuously evolving region, true competitive strength lies in achieving a balance of local relevance, global perspective, and contemporary appeal..