In a bid to further expand its retail portfolio in the Kingdom, UAE-based LuLu Group has finalized two new projects in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. This was announced by Yusuff Ali M.A., chairman of LuLu Group, at a signing ceremony, which took place in Makkah.
The agreement was signed by Khalid Al-Amoudi, chief executive of Jabal Omar Development Company; Waleed Ahmed Al-Ahmadi, CEO of Al-Manakha Urban Project Development Company, known as Dallah Group; and Shehim Mohammed, director of LuLu Group Saudi Arabia. Also present on the occasion were Rafeek Mohamed Ali, regional director of LuLu Jeddah, and other senior officials.
The first LuLu project at Jabal Omar 3 in Makkah envisages the establishment of a LuLu store in Souq Al-Khalil, which will be developed by Jabal Omar Development Company. The new store will be within walking distance of the Grand Mosque and will be a part of the Jabal Omar project covering a total of 253,000 square meters with a total build-up area of 2.5 million square meters.
This project is scheduled to be completed in seven phases and will feature hotels and branded apartments to serve the millions of pilgrims from around the world who come to Makkah, making it one of the busiest pilgrimage centers.
The second Lulu project is located in Madinah, which is being developed by Al-Manakha Urban Project Development Company. The project will cover an area of 2,161 square meters.
Officials from Jabal Omar and Al-Manakha Urban Project expressed their confidence that LuLu, being the leading retail entity in the region, will contribute to the success of these shopping mall projects.
LuLu chairman Ali expressed his immense happiness in finalizing the projects in the holy cities and thanked King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the Saudi government for their wholehearted support.
“To contribute to the development of amenities in Makkah and Madinah is a long-cherished dream of mine and I assure the Saudi authorities that the LuLu Group is committed to bringing world-class shopping experiences closer to the people while generating more employment opportunities for Saudi citizens,” he said.
“The vision and new approach, which puts Saudi development at the center of progress, is boosting investor confidence and driving economic development,” added Ali.
Moreover, LuLu Group will manage the Makkah Commercial Center project, which also includes a hypermarket. The project is in the final phase of completion and is expected to start operations soon, said LuLu Saudi director Mohammed.
Currently, LuLu Group employs 3,300 Saudi nationals, including 1,100 women, in their various hypermarkets across the Kingdom. The group plans to create approximately 1,000 new employment opportunities upon completion of these two projects.
