The Azadea Group exists to provide customers and people with an entertaining and exciting way of life. In this interview, RLI speaks with the company CEO Said Daher to discuss how he and the team steered the business through the Covid-19 pandemic and what the ambitions are moving forward. A premier lifestyle retail company that owns and operates international franchise concepts in fashion and accessories, food and beverage, home furnishings, sporting goods, multimedia and beauty and cosmetics, the Azadea Group has a presence across the Middle East and Africa and is situated across 13 countries where they operate over 600 physical stores and more than 40 digital e-commerce/omni-channel experiences with a specific concentration on the GCC region. “While 2020 was a difficult year for everyone, we are extremely excited about the stronger-than-expected recovery in our region so it is business as usual for us, with a slightly more increased focus on digital which was already a strategic pillar for our business,” says Azadea Group CEO Said Daher. When discussing how the company steered itself through a time of such adversity, Daher was quick to point out that great credit must go to their people and partners who supported them during the difficult times, saying that everyone generously pitched in to ensure that they overcame one of the most difficult macroeconomic situations in history. Meanwhile closer to the present, already this year the business has seen the opening of 60 new stores across Africa and the Middle East, and they are particularly excited about new properties such as Al Zahia City Centre in Sharjah, UAE and Garden City in Algiers, Algeria in addition to new stores in some of the existing prominent properties in the region such as The Dubai Mall and City Stars in Egypt. “It is going to be a busy 12 to 18 months as most openings that were planned in 2020 were pushed to 2021 and 2022. We are looking to add 200 new stores and 20 new digital experiences to our portfolio by the end of 2022,” says Daher. “While we continue to assess new markets, the GCC remains our core geography and in the coming 18 months we aim to strengthen our position in these core markets.” Having developed a vast presence across their core markets, they continue to develop new stores and customer initiatives by working with amazing partners who continue to deliver exceptional customer experiences by extensively engaging the frontlines. “We exist to provide our customers with an entertaining and exciting journey. We aim to deliver on that through a differentiated omni-channel offering that adds value to the experience of our customers,” Daher explains. Social media is of vital importance to Azadea Group, not only because it is at the heart of being able to engage with their customers closely through marketing campaigns, but also because social media in the GCC has a much higher penetration than in European markets according to Daher. “If you combine this with the importance of this channel within the discovery part of the journey for fashion consumers, it is no surprise we often refer to social media as the virtual shop window for our brands, he comments.” Rather than follow the market, Azadea Group prefers to follow their customers and as they have moved and shown interests in channels like TikTok and Snapchat they have seen their media channels diversify within the social space. Their partners are also key innovators in this medium and in the use of influencers; as such they see influencers as a core part of their marketing but the execution of this varies by brand and by objective. Recent global events have seen the company accelerate the execution of their online strategy and they will continue to work closely with their partners to ensure a seamless omni-channel experience where their customers can enjoy a fully integrated shopping experience. “All of our brands are online with a mix of desktop, mobile and app experiences that integrate with their stores, enabling a seamless experience for click-and-collect or receipts for store orders delivered into online accounts which is great for sustainability but also great for customers who lose their receipts, this is just one example of the phygital experiences that we are working on,” explains Daher. In recent years the Group’s customer communication has also evolved, enabling them to offer a far more seamless and immersive communication experience with their customers. They no longer target online and physical customers as disparate groups, they have now consolidated their data into a single view of the customer, which means they can talk to their customers via digital platforms including WhatsApp and APP Push’s with bespoke and personalised messaging based on their profile. As we near the end of our time with Daher, we asked him why he felt customers remain loyal to the Azadea Group and what sets the company apart from its peers in the industry? “Customer loyalty is earned by being true to the customer and we reward loyalty by offering the most innovative fashion products week after week. As for our key differentiator, this is our people as they are able to evolve the customer’s journey throughout our touchpoints,” he explains. “We strive to provide our people and customers with an exciting and entertaining way of life and moving forward we will continue to have a relentless focus on customer experience.”

The strategic partnership brings 13 of the region’s favorite names in beauty, dining, fashion and home accessories to the largest mall in Egypt CAIRO - 22 September 2021: TMG the leading real estate developer in Egypt has announced a strategic partnership with premier lifestyle retailer AZADEA Group to bring 13 new brands to the Open Air Mall at Madinaty. AZADEA Group stores will occupy an area close to 10,000 square meters and are planned to open in the spring of 2022. The agreement will enhance the mall’s retail offering and will provide its shoppers with AZADEA Group’s most exciting globally recognized brands. Shoppers will enjoy power brands covering a wide range of categories including fashion and accessories, dining, and home accessories. Open Air Mall shoppers will get to enjoy power brands including Zara, Zara Home, Oysho, Pull & Bear, KIKO Milano, Sunglass Hut, Stradivarius, Lefties, Virgin Megastore, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, PAUL and The Butcher Shop and Grill The partnership was signed in an official ceremony held at the beautifully landscaped Open Air Mall. Mr. Omar Hisham Talaat, Chief Business Development Officer at TMG Holding and Mr. Saif Salem, Country Manager at AZADEA Group signed the contract on site. Open Air Mall is one of the largest upcoming shopping and lifestyle destinations in Egypt and the Middle East. The mall is made up of 92,000 Sqm of GLA spread across 8 different themed buildings. The mall has been operational in a “soft launch” mode since 2019 with the opening of two of its eight buildings, one of which anchored by Carrefour Hypermarket and the other boasts a 15-screen cinema complex that offers the latest in projection technology. Open Air Mall is planning to soon open the third and fourth buildings before the end of the year. The third building will house a Food Hall which will cater to every taste and it will feature the best international food outlets consisting of local and regional chains. The fourth building is a uniquely designed Family Entertainment Center that will offer families with “first to market,” experiences which will surely leave them thrilled. The Mall will offer its visitors and shoppers with never been seen experiences in Egypt. Inspired by the San Francisco Tram, the Mall will feature 4 trams built on a historic undercarriage from a 1950s trolley streetcar that will travel along the mall’s promenade connecting the different buildings in fun filled rides. The mall is easily accessible to shoppers and is located in East Cairo on the Cairo-Suez Highway. Open Air Mall is only a 10 to 20-minute drive from New Cairo, the New Capital and Al Rehab City, it is also strategically located in close proximity to the 1st, 3rd and 5th settlements. It has a direct catchment area of approximately 4.5 million people. Although not yet fully operational, the mall already draws healthy footfall averaging 30,000 customers per day. Watch out for more great announcements in the very near future. When fully complete, Open Air Mall will be a destination that offers an experience that far exceeds pure retailing.

United Arab Emirates: – AZADEA strengthens partnership with Decathlon with new strategic store openings and expansion into key locations. This strategy is in line with Decathlon’s commitment to providing sports for all people. Decathlon currently has eight stores across the Middle East with four being located in the United Arab Emirates, including the latest opening of a 4,000 SQM flagship store at the Dubai Mall in June 2021. Through AZADEA’s new expansion plan, more stores are expected to open in the UAE as well as in key locations across Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. Salim Fakhouri, President of Fashion & Sports Division of AZADEA, stated, “Our unique collaboration with Decathlon adds value to the MENA market as we are determined to increase accessibility to sporting goods and leisure while promoting a healthy lifestyle across the region on a grand scale.” AZADEA’s investment in expanding Decathlon reflects Decathlon’s core mission to make the joy and benefits of sports accessible to many. The strengthening of AZADEA’s portfolio is in line with new Decathlon locations opening across the Middle East to increase the availability and accessibility of fitness and health gear in different areas. The new stores will include locations such as Doha Festival City and Place Vendome in Qatar, Dubai Hills & Reem Mall in UAE, and more. Michael Morisset, Decathlon Business Developer ME, stated, “We have a huge and positive prospective for the future as our partner, AZADEA, shares common mission, vision, and values. Their continuous support over the past 10 years proves that this partnership will have a positive impact on the sports retail industry across the region. Decathlon’s expansion across the Middle East is in line with our vision of sports for everyone, everywhere and we hope to continue to enable a fit lifestyle across the region with future launches.” In addition to physical stores, Decathlon products can also be found online on www.decathlon.ae and AZADEA’s online platform, www.azadea.com as part of the company’s continuous endeavor to offer its customers an omnichannel shopping experience.

AZADEA Group is happy to announce that it has acquired the operations and franchise rights of adidas and Reebok in Lebanon; a transformational partnership bringing back the renowned international sports brands to the Lebanese market and consumers. AZADEA Group will gradually reopen adidas and Reebok stores across Lebanon, starting April 2021, in addition to e-commerce expansion plans. “We are looking forward to diving into another successful partnership and growing further, riding the wave of change and developing e-commerce plans, while still offering customers the most exquisite in-store experience” said Salim Fakhoury, President of Fashion and Sports Division at AZADEA Group. “We are thrilled to partner with adidas and Reebok, now more than ever as we never lost faith in Lebanon; we strongly believe in its future and in its possibilities to thrive again”

Dubai Holding, the investment firm owned by the emirate’s ruler, has agreed to acquire a minority stake in the operator of Zara clothing and Virgin Megastore chains in the Middle East, according to people with the matter. The stake purchase in Beirut-based Azadea Group values the business at more than $1 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private. The two parties reached an initial agreement on the transaction last week, the people said. A spokeswoman for Dubai Holding didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, while a spokeswoman for Azadea declined to comment. The acquisition marks a significant shift in strategy for Dubai Holding, which has been mostly focused on selling assets and restructuring debt since Dubai’s property-led crisis. The firm which owns Dubai Properties Group and hotel operator Jumeirah Group, is one of three main state holding companies in the emirate. Azadea, which was founded in 1978, ran a sale process to sell a 25 percent stake in the business in 2014, according to people familiar with the matter at the time. The company operates more than 500 stores for 50 international franchises for clothing, accessories, food, multimedia, home furnishings and sporting goods brands.

Shoe retailer enters into partnership with retail giant AZADEA Group on further development in the MENA region; first DEICHMANN franchise business opens in Dubai in 2019 Essen, 11 October 2018 - DEICHMANN SE is continuing its international growth on a new scale. The company plans to enter the market in the MENA region (Middle East & North Africa) in the next few years. In this spirit, the shoe retailer has entered into a long-term partnership with AZADEA Group. A premier lifestyle retail company that has been operating across the MENA for the past 40 years and currently operates over 50 leading international franchise concepts in fashion & accessories, food & beverage, home furnishings, sporting goods, multimedia, and beauty & cosmetics. The opening of the first store on the Arabian Peninsula under the DEICHMANN brand is scheduled for 2019 in Dubai. "We are aiming for further growth and keen to open up new markets. Having opened stores in France and Belgium last year, we are now represented in almost every country in Europe. So it is time for us to develop further growth markets," says Heinrich Deichmann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEICHMANN SE. "We believe that there is huge potential for our concept of 'high-quality fashion shoes at an affordable price' in this region." DEICHMANN SE is the largest shoe retailer in Europe and now present in 26 countries worldwide. In the 2017 financial year, the Group sold more than 176 million pairs of shoes internationally in around 4,000 stores and 36 online shops. DEICHMANN is striking a new path with the expansion now planned: for the first time in its more than 100-year history, the company will be working with a franchise partner. "In the AZADEA Group, we are pleased to have found a partner with many years of experience in using the franchise model and at the same time with proven expertise in the fashion sector as well as in the Arabian and North African regions. We see it as a major advantage to be entering a new region closely aligned with a local partner," says Heinrich Deichmann. "Together with our partner AZADEA Group, we first want to gain initial experience in the region, on which the timing of further developments will depend," he adds. “We are proud to announce our partnership with DEICHMANN and are excited about introducing an international shoe concept to the Middle East”. Stated Said G. Daher, Chief Executive Officer at AZADEA Group. He adds: “The addition of DEICHMANN SE to our portfolio comes to anchor once again our longstanding promise of continuously offering our customers nothing less than a great shopping experience for the whole family.”