Icons of Influence Yusuff Ali M A Chairman and Managing Director, Lulu Group International Yusuff Ali M.A. stands as a towering figure in the GCC business landscape. As the head of LuLu Group International, he oversees one of the largest supermarket chains across the GCC. Yusuff Ali’s journey from a small village in Kerala to the pinnacle of business success began in 1973 when he moved to Abu Dhabi to join his uncle’s small distribution business. Through his leadership, he transformed LuLu Group into a retail behemoth, now operating over 250 hypermarkets and malls across the Gulf and beyond. His ability to foresee market trends and adapt to changing consumer needs has been instrumental in the group’s expansion and success. Beyond retail, Yusuff Ali’s influence is widely recognised. In April 2020, a member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family acquired a 20 per cent stake in LuLu for $1bn, underscoring the group’s significant market value. This investment highlights the trust and confidence the business community places in his leadership. Looking ahead, he is planning to list the retail business in the second half of 2024. The listing is expected to be on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and take place in the second half of the year. The company is also considering a dual listing to include the Saudi Arabian stock exchange Tadawul. 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