February 2016 Newsletter

DAVID MACADAM

Chief Executive Officer

Welcome to our February 2016 MECSC Newsletter.

The Riyadh Next Generation Networking Event was an outstanding success!!! With 200+

delegates, a great speaker selection and a fabulous dinner made the evening

complete. A huge thank you for the tremendous support of Fouad Al Rashed, Abdul Aziz

Al Faleh, Sinan Dmairi, our Saudi members, Regional Representatives, Board Members

and MECSC staff to bring this successful event to life. Thank you all!!!

Already next year’s 2017 Riyadh Next Gen is in the works to be planned around the

same dates. The venue will be larger to accommodate even more attendees next year.

Mohamed Galal has launched yet another successful Next Generation Networking Event

on February 29 in Cairo. Thank you to Mohamed for all your hard work again on this

second event in Cairo this year!!!

See the links below to the photographs of these events.

NextGen Riyadh Photos | NextGen Cairo Photos

MECSC Membership

• Target of 1,250 members at the end of the year 2016

• Membership has grown 54% from 2012

• Full time MECSC employee handles membership on a day to day basis through

constant follow-up, monitoring and engagement with MECSC members and

prospective members

Queens University MBA

Recommendations

Malls and Members Increasing membership at the MECSC

Summary of Recommendations for Implementation

• Accessibility of video, training materials, data and researches in the MECSC

website, allowing members to learn and get updated of the current trends.

• Development of Sales Playbook which could provide a selling guide to those

within a sales function at the MECSC.

• Introduction of a ‘tenured’ concept for membership. Once a member has achieved

key milestones dates they will receive a special membership status and

membership card.

• Incorporation of Salesforce to improve customer relationship management and

membership monitoring

MECSC Financials MECSC Financials

•10.5% increase in the 2015 Revenue compered to 2014 Revenue

•Further decrease of 4.5% in the 2015 Expenses vs. 2014 Expenses

•Currently, audit for 2015 FS is on-going with target completion of 31st March 2016

•Link to the Audited Financial Statements 2014

John T. Riordan School for Retail Real Estate Professionals

April 17-21, 2016 at The Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, UAE

The ICSC/MECSC Schools for Professional Development (Levels 1 & 2) are 5-day

programs which offer participants the finest learning experience and an

unmatched exchange of industry experts and executives from around the

region.Disciplines include Management, Marketing and Leasing in Levels I & II.

Both levels are held con-currently and attendees can only attend one level for the

entire duration of the course.

• Target: 125 delegates in total for Level 1 & Level 2

• 59% of the targeted delegates have confirmed their participation

• 80% of the instructors have already signed up

• Link to the JTR brochure

REGISTER ONLINE

For information including schedule and fees, please contact Lea Venezuela at +971

4 359 7909/ lea@mecsc.org

ICSC Certifications ICSC Certifications : Arabic Translations

• Arabic Translation Expert Review: Successfully translated 2

certification programs

• In the process of translating the Dictionary of Shopping Centres

RECON MENA 2016

•Date : October 30, 31 and November 1

•Venue: Ritz Carlton Hotel, DIFC, Dubai

•RECon Committee

• Andrew Williamson (Co-Chair), Head of Retail, JLL

• Shane Eldstrom (Co-Chair), Board President, MECSC

• Luca Cappuccitti, Head of Global Business Development, Design International

• David Macadam, CEO, MECSC

• Stephanie Chartier, Marketing Director, Al Farwaniya Property Development

• Doris Hazzan, Leasing Manager, Chalhoub Group

• Nermeen Nosseir, Vice President- RE, Azadea Group

• Samar Akkou, Leasing Manager, City Mall

• Mazen Qandeel, Leasing Manager, Hamat Property

• Luc Lescault, Marketing Director, Arabian Centres

• Ahmed Ibrahim, Group Property Director, Magrabi Retail Group

•Recon Theme, Keynote Speaker and Programme /Agenda are now being finalized

•Link to 2015 Post RECon Event Report

MECSC DIRECTORY 2016

The MECSC Directory will include MENA region-wide Retailers, Fit Out experts,

HR firms, Service Providers, Leasing and Advisory Groups, Architects and of

course Shopping Centre information - It will be the go-to guide for professionals in

the retail industry in one bound document. We will be providing opportunities for

all businesses to advertise in our directory. A first time opportunity to showcase

your business.

• Front Cover for 2016 Directory – IMG World of Adventure

• To be launched in April during the JTR School Event

• Printed Copies : 1,500 copies

• Online version of the directory available to MECSC members

• Malls Listed : Over 500 mall listings

Take advantage of this opportunity to feature your new developments or

include/update your existing retail developments. We will list on a complimentary

basis to your shopping centre, service providers, fit out experts, HR firms,

architects and retailers. Advertising in smaller or larger format sizes will be

feasible for all businesses.

For more information, please click here.

RETAIL PEOPLE MAGAZINE

February 2016 Issue:

“Retail People” Magazine – Fashion and Beauty - Grab your copy now!

April 2016 Issue: Out in time for the JTR Global School for Retail Professionals

April 17 to 21, 2016 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, UAE

Retail People Magazine Theme – Leisure and Entertainment

Printed copies: 1,500 copies

Online version available on MECSC website (www.mecsc.org)

A great opportunity to raise your personal profile in the retail industry. Join in!!

Viewed by over 10,000 readers quarterly in 45 countries. Sponsors are also

welcome and many of our members have expanded their marketing programs

using our Retail People Magazine. We urge you to do the same!!

2016 NEXTGEN Networking Events

January 19 - NextGen Networking Event in Cairo, Egypt

January 21 - NextGen Networking Event in Beirut, Lebanon

February 16 - NextGen Networking Event in Burj Rafal Kempinski Hotel, Riyadh,

Saudi Arabia

March 17 - NextGen Networking Event in Ezdan Mall, Doha, Qatar

April 19 - NextGen Networking Event in Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, UAE

October 10 - NextGen Networking Event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

To register as a participant, kindly visit www.mecsc.org.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lea Venezuela +971 50 708 9235 or

email lea@mecsc.org.

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MECSC MEMBERSHIP - Benefits

Promotional Offer from St. James's Hotel London -

Promotional Offer from Emirates Airlines

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SHARE NEWS OR ARTICLES ON MECSC MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!

If you wish to include news or articles about your organization on our Monthly Newsletter,

please email register@mecsc.org

We aim to circulate the Newsletter on the last week of each month - please

submit before the 23rd of the month.

MECSC MEMBER BENEFITS

Airline

Emirates Exclusive Offer to UAE based members - Use the promotional

code: AEMECSC and show your original MECSC membership card at the EK

ticketing Counter when paying. For more information click here

Hotels

Members can avail corporate rates in the following hotels-

BurJuman Arjaan Rotana

Nuran Marina Serviced Residences

Vida Hotels and Resorts

The Address Hotels and Resorts

Armani Hotel

Shangri-La Hotel

Hotel Corporate rates outside UAE

Shangri-La, At The Shard, London

InterContinental, Doha

Jeddah Marriott Hotel, Saudi Arabia

InterContinental Regency, Bahrain

InterContinental Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

St.James Hotel & Club, United Kingdom

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SHOPPING CENTRE NEWS

Mall of Qatar to open in third quarter of 2016

The Mall of Qatar, described as 'one of the largest shopping malls in the world,' will be

opened in the third quarter of this year, a senior official of UrbaCon Trading & Contracting

announced on Thursday. "The construction of the Mall of Qatar will be complete in

August," stated Qatar-based UrbaCon's CEO Moataz al-Khayyat. The Mall of Qatar site

is surrounded by one of the upcoming stadiums for the FIFA 2022 World Cup, he

explained, referring to the importance of the location. Read more...

Dubai Festival City Mall gears up for new waterfront

The Dubai Festival City Mall will unveil its all-new waterfront extension by late April. The

revamped open-air space will eventually develop into a 300-metre long waterfront venue

with more than 20 restaurants, including Dubai’s first Serendipity 3 outlet. Ahead of the

opening, the mall management is lining up a fiesta featuring performances by celebrity

bands and DJs, in addition to activities such free mini golf stations and bouncy

castles. Read more...

Bahraini Crown Prince Inaugurates Wadi Alsabeel Commercial Complex Executed

by KFH's Subsidiary "Kuwaiti Manager"

Kuwait - " Kuwait Finance House (KFH) is keen on assuming a significant role in

supporting the development plans in the countries it operates in through the execution of

several projects, be it directly or indirectly through one of its subsidiaries. KFH achieves

civilizational and constructional value when executing vital development projects, mainly

in the sector of real estate and urban development that is essential in energizing the

market, yet offering job opportunities and luring investments" said Chairman at KFH ,

Hamad Abdulmohsen Al-Marzouq. Read more...

Sharing experiences key to retail sector growth

The retail industry continues to flourish and has been flourishing for centuries. Trading,

bartering and paying for goods and services has always been part of a fabric of life since

man has been on the planet. For centuries in the past, the best and most successful

traders would pass along skills learned over their lifetime. Generally, this knowledge was

passed along within each family unit. In many cases, the knowledge was kept proprietary

within the families and not widely shared. Travel was limited. Vision was narrow. Things

did not change much over time.Read more...

Majid Al Futtaim to invest $3.7bn building two malls in Riyadh

Majid Al Futtaim will invest 14 billion riyals ($3.7 billion) building two malls in Saudi

Arabia's capital Riyadh, the Dubai-based company said on Monday. The 300,000-square

metre Mall of Saudi, which privately-held Majid Al Futtaim said would be the kingdom's

largest, will include shops, restaurants, entertainment, offices, hotels and residential

units, plus Saudi's first indoor ski slope.Read more...

RETAIL NEWS

Lifestyle reveals ambitious regional expansion plans post 200th milestone store

opening

Buoyant from its recent milestone achievement of 200 stores across the Middle East &

Africa Region, Lifestyle, a division of Landmark Group and the largest beauty and home

décor retailer in the region has revealed its 2016 expansion plans for key GCC markets -

UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. With a regional footprint that currently spans 15 countries and

over 1 million sq. ft. of retail space, Lifestyle has plans to open 32 new stores this year in

the GCC with 5 in the UAE, 2 in Kuwait and 3 in Qatar. Read more...

Lulu Exchange opens 2 new branches in Kuwait

KUWAIT: Lulu Exchange , one of the leading global remittance and foreign exchange

brands in Kuwait, inaugurated its 19th and 20th outlets at Sama Mall in Egaila and

Mehboula, respectively, on Wednesday. The outlet at Sama Mall in Egaila was launched

in the presence of Sunil Jain, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, Yusuffali M A, Managing

Director, LuLu Group International, Adeeb Ahamed, Director, Lulu Exchange , KNS Das,

General Manager Lulu Exchange and other dignitaries.Read more...

Al Futtaim opens first Carrefour in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Majid Al Futtaim Retail announced the opening of its first Carrefour hypermarket in

Almaty, Kazakhstan, in line with the company’s expansion strategy across the Middle

East, Central Asia, Africa, and Russia. The new outlet marks the beginning of a Dh52

million investment programme that will deliver two additional projects in Kazakhstan’s

cities of Almaty, and Astana. Read more...

UAE's Mumzworld wins new investments to support expansion plan

UAE-based mother, baby and child e-commerce website Mumzworld has successfully

closed its Series B funding with multi-million dollar investments led by Wamda Capital,

twofour54, and Endeavor Catalyst. The capital injection received from investors in Saudi

Arabia, Lebanon, the United States and the UAE will help support Mumzworld's

aggressive growth plans for the GCC, a statement said. Read more...

Dubai retailer Marka eyes first profit in 2016 after Q4 net loss

Dubai retail firm Marka has reaffirmed its target of turning its first net profit this year after

announcing a net loss of AED8.38 million ($2.28 million) for the fourth quarter of 2015.

The company, billed as the first public joint stock retail operator in the UAE, listed on the

Dubai Financial Market (DFM) in September 2014, raising AED500 million. Read more...

Our team at the MECSC looks forward to your ongoing feedback and support for our organization. We value

your communication and feedback on our plans, goals and objectives as a growing and vibrant retail

organization in 2016.

MEMBER UPDATES Welcome on Board! NEW MECSC MEMBERS!!!

See who have recently joined the organisation

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Copyright MECSC 2016

Middle East Council of Shopping Centres 803, Burjuman Business Tower, PO Box 43972, Dubai, UAE

Email: register@mecsc.org Website: www.mecsc.org