Padma Shri Yusuff Ali M.A. is an Indian businessman and Padma Shri award [Highest Indian constitutional award for excellence] winner from Nattika Thrissur district of Kerala. He is the Managing Director of Abu Dhabi-headquartered LuLu Group International that owns the Lulu Hypermarket chain in Middle East. With an annual turnover of US $7.4 billion globally, LuLu Group International employs the largest number of Indians outside India. According to Forbes, Yusuff Ali is currently the 24th wealthiest Indian and the 270th (as on 9 August 2016) richest in the world, with a personal wealth of $5.2 billion.[1][2] In 2013, Ali acquired 4.99% equity in the 93-year-old Thrissur based Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB)[3][4] and increased his stake in the Aluva-based Federal Bank to 4.47 per cent.[5] In 2016, Ali purchased the Scotland YardBuilding in London.[6] According to 2013, Yusuff Ali hold 9.37 per cent share in Cochin International Airport

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UAE’S BUSINESS BARON: YUSUFF ALI M.A
VARUN KESAVAN, RESEARCH SCHOLAR, E – MAIL ID –
varunkesavan@yahoo.com
Padma Shri Yusuff Ali M.A. is an Indian businessman and Padma Shri
award [Highest Indian constitutional award for excellence] winner from
Nattika Thrissur district of Kerala. He is the Managing Director of Abu Dhabi-
headquartered LuLu Group International that owns the Lulu
Hypermarket chain in Middle East. With an annual turnover of US $7.4 billion
globally, LuLu Group International employs the largest number of Indians
outside India. According to Forbes, Yusuff Ali is currently the 24th wealthiest
Indian and the 270th (as on 9 August 2016) richest in the world, with a
personal wealth of $5.2 billion.[1][2] In 2013, Ali acquired 4.99% equity in the 93-
year-old Thrissur based Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB)[3][4] and increased his

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stake in the Aluva-based Federal Bank to 4.47 per cent.[5] In 2016, Ali
purchased the Scotland YardBuilding in London.[6] According to 2013, Yusuff
Ali hold 9.37 per cent share in Cochin International Airport.
EARLY LIFE
Yusuff Ali was born in Thrissur district on November 15, 1955. He completed
his schooling from Nattika and moved to Gujarat where he did his diploma in
Business Management & Administration. After the studies he left India in 1973
to Abu Dhabi where his paternal uncle, MK Abdullah, the Chairman and the
founder of the LuLu Group of companies was doing business. He developed
the import and wholesale distribution of the group and ventured in to the
supermarket business by launching Lulu Hypermarket. He started his first Lulu
Hypermarket in the 1990s, a time when the UAE's retail sector witnessed a
major change, with the traditional groceries and supermarkets yielding place
to large neighborhood stores and hypermarkets. While the entry of Continent
(now Carrefour) in 1995 changed the face of retail business in Dubai, Yusuff
Ali took charge of Abu Dhabi's retail sector by rolling out LuLu
Hypermarket in Abu Dhabi.[

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LULU GROUP INTERNATIONAL
LuLu Group International commenced its operations as a family business
venture. After joining the business, Yusuff Ali diversified the business to
include import and distribution of frozen products from Europe and the US.
The products were available not only in Abu Dhabi but also in the interiors of
the Emirates too. The business was soon expanded to include both food &
non-food categories. The group also started cold storages, meat and food
processing plants, large-scale import and distribution to hotel groups, catering
companies, and shipping services. By the 1980s, the group had a sizable
share of the wholesale and retail food market in the UAE.
The Group headquartered in Abu Dhabi has grown into an international group
with operations spread over three continents. Group’s flagship retail chain
of LuLu Hypermarkets and Supermarkets is currently rated as one of the
major players in the Middle East retail sector with more than 100 stores
in Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Apart from the hypermarkets, supermarkets
and department stores, the group also owns several shopping malls,
namely, Khalidiyah Mall, Al Raha Mall, Al Wahda Mall, Mushriff Mall,
MadinatZayed Mall, Mazyad Mall, Ramli Mall, RAK Mall, Al Foah Mall, Al Khor

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Mall, and Oman Avenues Mall spread across the GCC states. LuLuShopping
Mall in Kochi, Kerala was opened on 10 March 2013. It is the group’s first
retail venture in India and currently the largest shopping mall in India. A bigger
mall is currently under construction in Trivandrum, Kerala and once opened
will be India's largest shopping mall. Another ambitious project in progress is
the Riyadh Avenue Mall in Saudi Arabia. The Group has a vast organizational
structure of over 40,000 employees, representing 37 different nationalities, out
of which more than 25,000 are Indians. Retail business is the mainstay of the
Group with operations in major Middle East and African countries like
UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen, Saudi
Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and Kenya having Retail Sourcing and manufacturing
bases located in Far East, India, Africa and Guangzhou in China. Indian
operations mainly include Food Processing, Export of Food & Non food
products and convention center with bases
in Trivandrum, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin and Trichur.
Deloitte has ranked the Group as one the fastest growing retailers in the
world.

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PHILANTROPHY
Yusuff Ali is very closely involved in many social, charitable and humanitarian
activities both in India as well as in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. He has
done various philanthropic activities across the globe. As part of its Global
CSR policy, the LuLu Group joined hands with Dubai Cares and adopted
schools in Gaza and Nepal.[15][16] Yusuff Ali contributed and took initiative to
open a multi-faith funeral centre for the Indian community in Sharjah that
spread across 8.3 acres.[17] He also took initiative to sell and promote organic
products grown by the special needs community in UAE through LuLu
Hypermarkets[18][19] . Yusuff Ali donated generously towards the Gujarat
earthquake, Tsunami Relief Fund in Asia, and Typhoon and flood relief in
other parts of the world. He is also actively involved in ensuring the social,
economic and religious welfare of expatriate Indians in the Persian
Gulf region. He played a major role in finding land for the Christian community
in the region to build churches and secure cremation grounds for the Hindu
populace in the Persian Gulf. M. A. Yusuff Ali also extended help to Indians
during the amnesty period in the Persian Gulf when hundreds of Indians lost

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their livelihood. He helped rehabilitate people who lost their livelihood in
the Calicut market fire as well.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
 "Commander" title & St. Ephraim Medal by the Patriarch His
Holiness Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of Universal Syrian Orthodox Church in
2004.
 "Most Influential Asian Business Leader in the MENA region" award by
Forbes ME in 2012.[23]
 Was honoured with the archbishop Mar Gregorios award instituted by the
alumni association of Mar Ivanios College, Amicos, for his contribution to
the industrial sector.[24][25]
 "Arab Business Leader of the Year 2012" during the third edition of the
Global Arab Business Meeting held in Ras Al Khaimah.[26]
 Listed in the Indian Rich List 2011 by Arabian Business magazine.[27]
 Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Indian CEO Awards held in
February 2012.[28]
 Conferred with the title of Padma Shri by Smt. PratibhaPatil, the
Honourable President of India in 2008[29]

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 "Business Man of the Year 2009-10" award instituted by the Kerala State
Forum of Bankers’ Clubs.[30]
 Forbes MENA region most influential Asian Business Leader Award
2012.[31]
 Swiss Ambassador’s Award 2012 for outstanding efforts in promoting
Swiss-UAE relations.[32]
 PravasiBharatiyaSamman in 2005; the highest Indian government award
given to non-resident Indians.