Icons of Influence Sima Ved Founder and Chairwoman, Apparel Group Born in Africa and raised in Dubai, Sima Ganwani Ved’s entrepreneurial journey began in the early 1990s when she managed a department in her father’s shopping mall. This early experience set the foundation for her future success. She holds a bachelor’s degree from King’s College London and an MBA in business management, credentials that have equipped her for the dynamic world of retail. in 1996, Apparel Group started as a single store in Dubai and has grown into one of the largest retailers in the Middle East. The multibillion-dollar company houses over 85 international brands, including Tommy Hilfiger, Aldo, Charles & Keith, Skechers, Dune London, Tim Hortons, Crocs and Rituals. With over 2,200 stores in 14 countries and a workforce of more than 22,000, Apparel Group is a global retail powerhouse. The company has a strong presence across the GCC, India, South Africa, Singapore, Jordan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, with plans to expand into Iraq, Egypt, and the broader African continent. Related Stories UAE startup Tabby secures $7m funding, partners with Apparel Group Revealed: Influential Indians in the GCC: Business legends Apparel Group signs GCC franchise deal for Sumo Sushi & Bento You might also like Sunil John Dr. Thumbay Moideen Vidya Chhabria Mohan Valrani K. Rajaram Dr. Adnan Chilwan Sanjiv Kakkar Ram Kumar Thota Raghu Malhotra Sunil Kaushal Atif Rahman Amit Jain Rishi Kapoor Vasu Shroff Anil Pillai Bal Krishen Rohit and Sharad Bachani Raju Ramesh and Sunil Paul Ayesha Depala John Paul Joy Alukkas Geet Bhalla and Digvijay Pratap Snehal and Sunita Hadani Nisha Jagtiani Kunal Kapoor Dino Varkey Ashish Panjabi Joy Alukkas Yogesh Mehta Yusuff Ali M.A. Ravi Pillai Micky Jagtiani Sunny Varkey Sunil Vaswani Shamsheer Vayalil Firoz Merchant Rajen Kilachand Azad Moopen Tony Jashanmal Paras Shahdadpuri Dr. Zulekha Daud Adeeb Ahamed Dhananjay Datar Rizwan Sajan PNC Menon Sima Ved Shaji Ul Mulk Ramesh Prabhakar L.T. Pagarani Ram Buxani Surender Kandhari Sohan Roy Shyam Bhatia