• First facility in the region to incorporate state-of-the-art learning via Virtual Reality
  • The School will help champion the growth of home-grown UAE National and expatriate talent into high-performing management positions to lead its Carrefour operations
  • The campus has been built to high sustainability specifications, including paperless classrooms and living walls which contribute natural oxygen into the facility
  • The facility supports Majid Al Futtaim’s position as an increasingly prominent employer of choice globally for professionals in the retail industry and other sectors 

Dubai: Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia and which holds the exclusive franchise rights to operate Carrefour in 38 countries, has launched the region’s first Retail Business School, designed to build state-of-the-art learning into the company’s employee professional development and help foster a new generation of innovative retail industry leaders in the UAE.

The Majid Al Futtaim Retail Business School will focus exclusively on dynamic learning programmes for employees running its Carrefour operations as the company seeks to accelerate its ambitious growth plans. Around 2,500 employees are expected to benefit from professional development opportunities at the School this year.  

The campus, which is located at its Carrefour premises in Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, offers a modern and stylish purpose-built environment incorporating a cutting-edge Virtual Reality training room (the first of its kind known in the region), paperless classrooms, a multimedia studio, social spaces, catering facilities and a formal boardroom. Students can also take advantage of a Digital Library while attending classes on-site.

The School has been meticulously planned to have high sustainability credentials, in line with Majid Al Futtaim’s far-reaching goals to operate as a Net Positive company by 2040. As well as an emphasis on paperless learning, 2,140 living plants line the School’s wall, contributing 857,000 litres of oxygen into the facility per year (Increased oxygenation is proven to have a positive effect on human cognitive function and therefore the ability to learn).  A 104-year old olive tree, a traditional symbol of wisdom and knowledge, greets all incoming students, embodying the hope that many new positive professional relationships as well as personal growth will be stimulated at the School.

All training courses delivered at the School are to be developed and delivered by experienced employees. This ensures that all learning and development for managers is tailor-made and geared specifically around the needs of their own professional evolution and
its Carrefour business. Course curricula has been fully developed in-house based on more than 20 years of experience and learnings from operating the Carrefour brand in the region.

The Majid Al Futtaim Retail Business School reinforces the company’s increasing prominence as a global talent and innovation magnet for professionals working in the retail sector. It will play a substantial role in contributing to the company’s various values-led development programmes, which also include on-the-job and remote learning opportunities. It has been designed to complement the work of Majid Al Futtaim’s highly-regarded Leadership Institute that supports personnel across all the firm’s business units in their leadership skill development. 

Commenting on the opening of the School, Miguel Povedano, Chief Operating Officer of Carrefour UAE and Head of Operational Excellence at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said: “Majid Al Futtaim’s new Retail Business School is testament to our commitment to talentism and investing in our people at the highest levels. In fact, three out of four managers at Carrefour have reached their position via an internal promotion. They are our greatest asset and our company’s future success is dependent on their professional development and active embodiment of our corporate values. Ultimately, it’s our people who we rely on to deliver great moments to every customer walking into Carrefour and this substantial investment in them is a direct recognition of this.”

-Ends-

For more information about Carrefour please contact:

Sarah Bartlett/ Asaad Masri

carrefour@kekstcnc.com 

About Carrefour

Carrefour is one of the largest hypermarket and supermarket chains in the world. The brand was launched in the region in 1995 by Majid Al Futtaim, which is the exclusive franchisee to operate Carrefour in 38 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

In 1995, Carrefour opened its first hypermarket in City Centre Deira UAE and through the years, expanded to over 260 Carrefour stores in 15 countries across the region, more than 750,000 customers a day.

Carrefour operates different hypermarket and supermarket stores to meet the growing needs of its diversified customer base. In line with the brand’s commitment to provide the widest range of quality products and value for money, Carrefour today offers an unrivalled choice of more than 100,000 food and non-food products as well as thousands of household goods to create great moments for everyone every day.

Carrefour is dedicated to rewarding its loyal customers and offering access to a unique and pleasant shopping experience through special offers and promotions throughout the year. Carrefour is committed to continued business growth in convenient locations across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia to create great moments for everyone, every day. More than 36,000 colleagues work at Carrefour stores operated by Majid Al Futtaim Retail.

About Carrefour in UAE

Carrefour was launched in the UAE in 1995. Today, Carrefour operates 28 hypermarkets and 62 supermarkets, employing more than 11,000 colleagues. 

About Majid Al Futtaim                                         

Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.A remarkable business success story, Majid Al Futtaim started from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure to ‘create great moments for everyone, every day’. It has since grown into one of the United Arab Emirates’ most respected and successful businesses spanning 15 international markets, employing more than 40,000 people, and obtaining the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the region.

 Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 24 shopping malls, 13 hotels and three mixed-use communities, with further developments underway in the region. The shopping malls portfolio includes Mall of the Emirates, Mall of Egypt, City Centre malls, My City Centre neighbourhood centres, and four community malls which are in joint venture with the Government of Sharjah. The Company is the exclusive franchisee for Carrefour in 38 markets across Middle East, Africa and Asia, and operates a portfolio of more than 260 outlets in 15 countries.

Majid Al Futtaim operates 340 VOX Cinema screens and 37 Magic Planet family entertainment centres across the region, in addition to iconic leisure and entertainment facilities such as Ski Dubai, Orbi Dubai and Ski Egypt, among others. The Company is parent to the consumer finance company 'Najm', a fashion retail business representing international brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, AllSaints, lululemon athletica, Crate & Barrel and Maisons du Monde. In addition, Majid Al Futtaim operates Enova, a facility and energy management company, through a joint venture operation with Veolia, a global leader in optimised environment resource management. The Company also owns the rights to The LEGO Store and American Girl in the Middle East and operates in the food and beverage industry through a partnership with Gourmet Gulf.

www.majidalfuttaim.com 

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