From a small village in Kerala, an 18 year old named Yusuffali Musaliam Veettil Abdul Kader left for Abu Dhabi to join his uncle in business in 1973. He was one of the countless Keralites who migrated to the Middle East back then. In 2020, he is well known by the world as Middle East Retail King.
Better known as MA Yusuff Ali, he was born on November 15, 1955 in Thrissur district of Kerala. His venture started with his paternal uncle, chairman and founder of Lulu Group of Companies. Yusuff Ali developed the sea food and meat import and wholesale distribution of the group which is now known as EMKE. By launching Lulu Hypermarket he ventured into supermarket business in 1990s.
He launched the Lulu Group International in the year 2000. Lulu International is one of the largest retail chains in Asia and the biggest in Middle East with 192 outlets in Gulf Cooperation Countries. The Lulu Group started with retail business. Now it has expanded to various sectors like imports, exports, trading, education, information technology and tourism. It mainly operates in 22 countries located across the Middle East, Asia, US, and Europe.
The story of this business tycoon inspires many. Yusuff Ali’s journey is unique as his business strategy evolved when the Middle East was facing the Gulf War. In the midst of economic chaos and confusion, he took the risk to launch the first Lulu Hypermarket in Abu Dhabi. He set up his own manufacturing and bulk purchasing which attracted more customers.
MA Yuffuf Ali’s net worth today is 3.7 billion US Dollars. He is one of the most powerful Indians in the Gulf countries. Yusuff Ali and the Lulu Group have received many awards and honors. He was honored with the Most Influential Asian Business Leader in the MENA Region award by the Forbes Middle East Magazine. He is the first non-resident Indian to receive the highest Indian Government award in recognition of his distinguished services in the field of industry and social work. He is also the first Indian to receive Saudi Arabia’s premium residency by availing the Saudi Green Card. Yusuff Ali also made headlines when he brought the Scotland Yard Building in London in 2015.
He is closely involved in charitable, humanitarian and social activities in his home country, India, and in the Arab states. The Lulu Group has strong Corporate Social Responsibilities and has always been in the frontline to give back to the society. He took initiative and contributed to open to open a multi-faith funeral centre for the Indian community in Sharjah. He is well known for the donations he made for Kerala flood victims relief and rehabilitation in 2018 and 2019. In the ‘10 million meals’ campaign, the UAE’s biggest food distribution drive, Yusuff Ali donated Dh1 Million to provide 125,000 meals to communities affected by the corona virus (COVID-19) outbreak in the UAE.
Known to be a down to earth person and a person, he is much loved by his employees. In Yusuff Ali’s words, “Business is not just about money, products or services. It is all about people.” Yusuff Ali is not just any business tycoon or leader, but a self-made businessman who have given so much to the world.
