Welcome to our November 2015 MECSC Newsletter. The MECSC has recently hosted the RECon Conference in Dubai at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel DIFC. We broke all records in 2015 with over 795+ delegates attending the event over the two days!! The Gala Awards Dinner enjoyed a completely sold out 540 seats in the Ball Room on the last evening of the conference. The team at the MECSC want to thank all who made the event the true success it was!!! From the delegates from around the world, to speakers sharing their latest learning, to the sponsors and exhibitors who brought the event to life……….we thank you!!! More sponsors, more exhibitors and more activities including the Deal Making Session hosted by RLI made the event lively and inclusive. David Macadam Chief Executive Officer

The Deal Making Session was so successful we want to make this portion of the conference a part of the conference every year. Thank you to Jayne Rafter and her team for delivering an amazing series of meetings for our retailers and shopping centre professionals. Ron Kaufman was the keynote speaker. Ron is truly a legend in the service world. In his New York Times Best Selling book, Uplifting Service, Ron outlines the Proven Path to great service. His animated presentation had the audience thoroughly entertained and educated at the same time. Later in the conference, Ron hosted a gathering of CEO’s with a one on one session, again showing the participants how to engage at the highest level in the best practices of delivering world class service. Our Master of Ceremonies this year was the Studio 1 TV presenter Katie Fielder. Katie kept the conference moving and for the Awards evening was fantastic. Our session, Empowering Women Leaders in the Retail Sector was voted the true favorite portion of our conference by the delegates. H.E. Laila Mohammad Suhail, Rania Mustaha, Nisreen Shocair were on the stage with Katie Fielder. The role of women in industry globally is a personal juggling exercise. The retail world, which is all about change, is even more challenging to keep up to the minute with the latest trends. Our speakers had amazing insights and were forthcoming on how to manage your professional life. The feedback our team has received is positive and exhibitors were able to rack up sales as a result of the efforts in promoting their products and services on the conference floor. Other developers from around the MENA region were able to conclude leasing deals on the conference and exhibition area. The Magrabi Retail Group showcased the latest fit out design for their new retail shops. The delegates were impressed at the high level of thought which went into the display and the detailed shop fittings which are industry leading. Arabian Oud, part of the Al Jasser Group provided a uniquely created and special scent as a gift to all delegates in the Marina Home Gala Gift Bag. We thank our many sponsors for their dedication in delivering the support in time and also financially making this event the best ever. Again our delegates state “at the RECon Conference you can easily complete a years worth of business in the two days of the RECon Conference”. We look forward to another great RECon Conference on October 31 and November 1, 2016!! Please click below links to view the photos and videos-

·Welcome Reception and Conference Day 1 Photos ·Conference Day 2 Photos ·Gala Dinner & Awards Photos ·Day 1 Video 1 of 2 ·Day 1 Video 2 of 2 ·Day 2 Video 1 of 2 ·Day 2 Video 2 of 2 (Gala Dinner) To view the 2015 RECon MENA post event report, please click here

Congratulations to Sara Stringer!! MECSC survey's lucky winner of a mini ipad! Held on 23rd of November at @JumboWorld MOE branch. Special thanks once again to Avinash Shanbhogue of Jumbo for your continuous support to MECSC! Through the MBA students from Queen’s University in Canada, the MECSC is undertaking a review on our membership strategy, the relevance of the offering to our members and how to make our organization more effective and useful. Sara took the time to send in the ‘Survey Monkey’ questionnaire to the team in Canada. Her name was drawn from the people who completed the survey. The final report from the Queen’s MBA team, which is their graduate school thesis, will arrive for our review in January 2016. We look forward to sharing the contents of this report with our members.

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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 leading to an ICSC Certificate. It offers 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. Participants will be taught the fundamentals of operating a shopping centre more effectively as well as learn how the essential components fit, the basic principles of the art and science of merchandising, the economics and the leasing strategies to effectively impact the income and retail productivity of their centre. For information including schedule and fees, please contact Lea Venezuela at +971 4 359 7909/ [email protected]

REGISTER ONLINE 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. 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 November/December 2015: “Retail People” Magazine– Special RECon MENA Edition- Out Now! Grab your copy!

February 2016 Issue: “Retail People” Magazine – Fashion and Beauty 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!!

2015 NEXTGEN Networking Events December 9 (Wednesday) from 6:30-8:30pm at the Turtle Beach, Al Bandar Hotel, Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat, Oman. To register as a participant, kindly visit www.mecsc.org

January 2016 - NextGen Networking Event in Beirut, Lebanon February 2016 - NextGen Networking Event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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MECSC Office Update – Congratulations To Lea Venezuela!!! Lea was promoted to Director of the MECSC recently. Her hard work and leadership of the MECSC team is exemplary. Leading the team to deliver the most successful RECon Conference in our 21 years of existence merits this promotion and recognition. Congratulations to Lea and THANK YOU!!! We are also looking to grow our MECSC team. If you have a numbers accounting background please contact us as we need sharp detail focused individuals to join our team. Please contact me at [email protected]

MECSC MEMBERSHIP UPDATE Below are the current MECSC membership stats in terms of the business category, level and country-

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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 [email protected] 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 hotelsBurJuman 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 Kuwait's Mabanee gets nod for $1.9bn Riyadh shopping complex A subsidiary of Kuwaiti developer Mabanee has received approval to build a 7 billion riyal ($1.9 billion) retail, residential and commercial complex in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, the parent firm said on Tuesday. Read more...

$1bn Reem Mall developer says to hire contractor in Q1 2016 National Real Estate Company, the developer of Reem Mall, a $1 billion retail project in Abu Dhabi, has said it has issued a tender for the main contract works, with construction work set to begin early next year. Read more...

Majid Al Futtaim targets Saudi and other Gulf markets Majid Al Futtaim, the owner and operator of seven malls in the UAE, says it is planning to open a shopping centre in the Saudi capital. The company is also looking to expand in other Gulf markets as well, according to a senior official at the company, which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its first shopping centre — Deira City Centre — this month. Read more...

Muscat City Centre completes 35mn expansion Muscat - Majid Al Futtaim's City Centre Muscat yesterday inaugurated the final phase of its RO35 million expansion, under the patronage of HE Ahmed in Nasser bin Hamed al Mahrizi, Minister of Tourism. City Centre Muscat 's redevelopment - known as #CCMTatweer - has added 10,000 sqm to the mall. A team of 1,000 people contributed 1.7 million man hours of work on City Centre Muscat 's expansion, all while the mall remained fully operational for existing retailers and visitors. Through its expansion, City Centre Muscat has created up to 1,350 new jobs for the community. Read more...

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RETAIL NEWS Retailer Geant plans new hypermarkets in UAE, Bahrain Géant, the fifth largest hypermarket chain in the world and a dominant brand in the food retail sector in the Middle East, has announced plans for new openings in Fujairah and Bahrain in the coming months. Read more...

Lulu finalizes plan to launch in Malaysia Initial investment of RM1.3 billion (US$ 300 million); First hypermarket to open in February 2016 Kuala Lumpur: The Middle Eastern retail major LULU Group is in the final stages of starting its operations in Malaysia with the 1st hypermarket slated to open in February 2016 in Kuala Lumpur city (Jalan Munshi Abdullah). Read more...

Premier Marketing Management's service offering Premier Marketing Management is an independent regional market research consultancy company, based in Dubai and established in 2010 with a vision to provide premium research and fieldwork services. Get a Mystery Shopping report (just click www.pmmc.ae for free evaluation) and transform your customers in your own ambassadors…Read more...

Bahrain to have Gulf's largest outdoor ice rink for shopping festival Bahrain will reportedly feature the largest outdoor ice-skating rink in the Gulf next month as part of a nationwide shopping festival.The ice-skating rink, called Viva Shop and Skate, measures 20 metres x 30 metres and is being set up by the telecom operator next to Al A’ali Shopping Complex, Gulf Daily News reported. Read more...

Virgin Mobile signs deals to stock product in 475 Panda stores across Saudi Arabia Virgin Mobile has signed an agreement with Panda Retail Company to stock Virgin Mobile recharge cards in all Panda, HyperPanda and Pandati stores nationwide. Panda has over 475 stores in a chain that covers all major centres in Saudi Arabia. These include 63 hypermarkets, 143 supermarkets and 273 Pandati shops across the Kingdom. Read more...

Vodafone Qatar unveils $179m modernisation plan Vodafone Qatar is set to invest QR650 million ($179 million) as part of the operator’s ongoing drive to modernise its network. Since January Vodafone has been upgrading its network sites, installing 200 new outdoor and indoor sites, offering 300 percent more data capacity, 300 percent more 4G coverage, and 30 percent more 3G coverage. Read more...

Dubai eyewear retailer looks to future-proof business Dubai: Ameen Al Maghraby sure is keeping an eye on the ‘future’. The owner of the upscale eyewear retailer MAGRABi is focussing on a complete brand makeover and which will also focus on

creating a completely new look and feel to its store network. The first of its ‘future stores’ will open in the UAE next year and followed by an additional 100 by 2018. Read more...

Giordano to expand globally next year Dubai:The retailer Giordano plans to open 10 new stores in the Middle East, Africa and South Asian regions in 2016, according to a statement on Sunday. The seller of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories has already opened 15 stores in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Zambia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan this year. These are located in Lulu Mall and Jubail Mall in Saudi Arabia and the Shindagha City Centre in Dubai. It has also opened a refurbished store at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates. Read more...

Member Updates

Welcome on Board! New MECSC Members!! See who have recently joined the organisation

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 2015.

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