The Chalhoub Group is establishing its new headquarters at the Dubai Design District (d3), becoming the first big regional retail group to commit to the development.
The retail group, which is the franchise partner of brands such as Louis Vuitton and Fendi, will occupy two buildings at the site located close to Business Bay.
“We are excited that the Chalhoub Group will become part of the d3 story from its very beginning,” said Patrick Chalhoub, the co- chief executive of Chalhoub Group.
The d3 development will mix office space, major brand outposts and small boutiques with galleries, workshops and studios.
A “creative community” will also live on the 21 million square feet campus in specially designed housing.
“We will be moving into the new premises at the end of March,” said Patrick Chalhoub. “The central location will mean most of our operations will be moved out of Jafza into the new freezone, d3.”
The goal is to create a lively space for “the kind of credible, cutting-edge creative events more often found in London, New York, Paris and Milan”, said Amina Al Rustamani, the chief executive of Tecom Investments and the project’s master developer, at its launch.
“We will be announcing the list of other retailer groups and designers moving into d3 in the next few weeks,” said Ms Al Rustamani. “There is a host of big and small creatives along with F&B outlets unlike most of Dubai. All the outlets have to be innovative, unique and stylish. We will not bring in the bland brands.”
The Chalhoub Group is the first major retailer to commit to the new space. With a workforce of more than 11,000 employees spread across 14 countries, it operates about 600 retail stores for its own retail brands that include Wojooh and Tanagra.
It acts as a franchise partner for global brands including Louis Vuitton, Sephora, Fendi, Michael Kors, Lacoste and CH.
Dubai, with its mix of high-end international retailers, has about 30 per cent of the entire regional luxury goods market.
ascott@thenational.ae
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