Kashmir is an integral part of India, like every other state. In fact, more, for obvious reasons. The state is not just a state but an emotion every Indian feels. But for the same reasons, not everyone can imagine having a business in Kashmir. The risk holds many businessmen back. However, MA Yusuff Ali, one of the proudest Indians, is breaking the norms. His conglomerate, LuLu Group, has announced setting up a food processing plant in Srinagar.
MA Yusuff Ali is once again one of the proudest Indians, not only in India but in the Gulf as well. The chairman of the Lulu Group, the largest retail store based out of UAE, he has brought this announcement out in the wake of his commitment to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the UAE last year.
Yusuff was recently recognized with Premium Residency Permit for Foreigners in Saudi Arabia. It was on Twitter that the Saudi Arabia government released a video of Ali obtaining the recognition through the Premium Residency Centre. Premium Residency by the government is a part so the country’s reformation plan which they call Vision 2030, as announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as an effort to pump the economy. The government announced names of 73 foreigners in November 2019 as a way to invite investments in real-estate and trade. He thus is entitled to rights of any Saudi native – to live, work, trade, own business, buy or sell property native without a Saudi sponsor. Ali too is confident that this effort of the government will help get them new investments and business and retain the older ones. It has been especially announced with development in the fields of sports, arts, culture, business, real-estate, etc.
To add to his name, Ali has also received Gold Card in Abu Dhabi from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship in June 2019, thus becoming the first expat to receive it. He also was named the richest expat in the UAE by Forbes in 2019.
The Kerala-born entrepreneur had in December 2019 taken hold of the iconic Scottish hotel, The Caledonian, in Edinburgh for Rs 750 crore as a measure to expand his luxury hospitality in India, Gulf and Europe.
Known as retail mogul, he owns The Lulu Group, is a conglomerate behind a chain of hypermarkets and retail companies across the world. The group has many malls, hypermarkets and retails companies, and is on its way to starting malls in Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.
