Majid Al Futtaim opens first premium Carrefour Market in the UAE

UAE – Majid Al Futtaim has launched its first premium Carrefour Market store in the United Arab Emirates, introducing a new supermarket format that focuses on higher-end grocery shopping, with a wider selection of fresh products, ready-to-eat meals, and in-store dining, as the retailer continues to expand its footprint across the Middle East and Africa.

The new outlet occupies 2,000 square metres at Jumeirah Park Centre in Dubai and marks the first Carrefour Market of its kind in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, offering a concept that differs from the retailer’s conventional supermarkets by placing a stronger emphasis on fresh food and premium shopping experiences.

Fresh food now accounts for 38% of the store’s retail space, compared with 25% in traditional Carrefour Market locations, while customers will also find expanded fish and meat counters, along with a wider assortment of artisanal bakery products.

The opening builds on Majid Al Futtaim’s earlier rollout of the Carrefour Gourmet concept outside the UAE after the company launched its first gourmet store in Egypt in May 2022 at Downtown Katameya in New Cairo, where the outlet opened with approximately 7,000 stock-keeping units.

Meanwhile, Carrefour’s franchise partner in Morocco, Label’Vie, introduced the first Carrefour Gourmet store in Casablanca in 2017, then expanded the format to additional locations in Rabat and Marrakesh.

Continued expansion across Africa

The UAE opening comes only a few months after Carrefour confirmed plans to enter the Nigerian market through a franchise agreement with Port Harcourt-based retailer HyperCity, marking another step in its strategy to increase its presence across African markets.

Under the agreement, Nigeria is expected to become Carrefour’s 15th African market, following recent partnership announcements in Ghana, Ethiopia and Guinea as the retailer continues to rely on franchise arrangements to support regional expansion.

The move will see Carrefour enter a retail market where several international supermarket chains, including Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Game and Woolworths, have previously scaled back operations or exited altogether due to high operating expenses and foreign-exchange constraints.

Unlike those retailers, SPAR has maintained operations in Nigeria through its partnership with Artee Group, using a franchise model managed by a local operator rather than direct ownership.

HyperCity, which opened its first supermarket in 2022, currently operates four large-format stores in Port Harcourt and is led by chief executive Sunny Chawla, who previously held senior roles at Artee Group and has extensive experience in Nigeria’s supermarket industry.

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