The strategic investment company MAIR Group has been established in Abu Dhabi, marking the launch of a transformative company focusing on driving purposeful business growth across key sectors of the economy.
MAIR Group handles a portfolio of well-established businesses, including the Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society (ADCOOP). The leading retail chain was founded in 1981 and expanded further following the merger with Al Ain, Delma and Al Dhafra cooperative societies in 2023, based on a resolution issued by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), to enhance its role in socio-economic development.
MAIR Group will also include Makani Real Estate, which operates a range of community malls and hubs, and SPAR, a premium European supermarket chain that has been in Abu Dhabi for over a decade and has ambitious expansion plans for the Middle East region.
Operating with a vertical integration model, MAIR Group will support growth in the local economy, ensuring the continuity of its commitment to the local community, while remaining focused on the food security objectives of the United Arab Emirates.
Mohammed Jumaa Al Shamsi, Chairman of MAIR Group, said: “Our ambition is to continue to elevate the economic and social well-being of the UAE. We are going to be drawing on and further injecting global expertise, harnessing new innovations, and deploying smart solutions to build strategic capacity in the food business landscape, supported by our food retail, commercial real estate, and other associated sectors. The Mair Group will also strategically partner with aligned businesses, where we will provide hands-on guidance to unlock hidden value and foster growth.”
Nehayan Al Ameri, CEO of MAIR Group, said: “The launch of MAIR is a major milestone for the industry, with key operators leveraging their successful brand histories and joining forces to make a significant impact, driving value across the food business landscape while also leveraging new opportunities across a range of associated business verticals. Our ambition is simple: to enrich the UAE’s communities by building robust economic ecosystems in our core business, which is the food industry, while expanding our portfolio further and contributing to the nation’s food security goals. Our expertise, combined with our strategic approach to investment, will allow us to identify and capitalise on emerging opportunities in one of the world’s most dynamic markets.”
MAIR Group is one of the top largest companies in the UAE with AED 2.34bn in revenues in 2023, and encompasses a network of more than 120 food retail stores and more than 12 commercial community hubs across the country, serving in excess of 65,000 customers daily and maintaining a 90 per cent occupancy rate across 320,000sqm of commercial real estate.
The company plans to increase its market share through expansion of its physical stores’ footprint, and by leveraging digital ecommerce opportunities, while also exploring new activities adjacent to its core offering.
It will also look to secure strategic locations for new grocery stores to complement its existing network, leveraging them as anchors to increase traffic as well as acquiring businesses that offer synergies with its existing food retail operations. MAIR Group will prioritise sustainable, progressive investments to drive the growth of its businesses, both in the United Arab Emirates and across the region.
In addition to its active contribution to the UAE’s food security agenda and support of local communities through initiatives and partnerships, MAIR Group will also focus on Emiratisation. The group employed 92 Emirati staff in 2023, and has set a goal of onboarding 400 Emirati employees over the next three years.
The company will also look to leverage Abu Dhabi’s diversified, stable, and thriving economy to capitalise on significant growth potential and opportunities across the key sectors in which it operates, with plans to strengthen its core retail offering, grow its footprint regionally, and expand into key new sectors in the future.
