Industry executive underlines significance of keeping pace with Qatar’s rapid expansion

Qatar’s economic expansion, which is aligned with the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030, remains “on track” as various developments are being witnessed across different communities outside of Doha, a top official of LuLu Group International has said.

“The country is continuously growing,” Dr Mohamed Althaf, director, LuLu Group International, told Gulf Times, adding that the hypermarket chain is keeping up with the decentralisation of Doha.

He said: “We do not believe that the Qatar market is saturated because, in terms of GDP growth and the overall economic activity that is happening, there is still an expansion that is happening in the market.

“All the numbers are there; Qatar has a very healthy surplus in its budget, and aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030, there is a lot of industrial expansion that is happening in Qatar. I believe we really need to keep up with it.”

Aside from the diversification efforts aligned with the country’s 2030 national vision, Dr Althaf said industrial expansion and the development of satellite towns and smaller communities outside of Doha follow global trends.

“Globally, the trend is that people really want to stay local in everything that they do; that kind of localisation is happening everywhere. Qatar is also expanding in terms of its economic diversification, so it is no longer concentrated in big cities now,” Dr Althaf explained, citing the "20-minute philosophy" wherein people could reach essential facilities, such as healthcare, education, commercial, and public transport, among others, within 20 minutes.

Dr Althaf said part of LuLu’s strategy is to keep pace with this development and economic expansion, which is also seen to add value to the company’s footprint and international partners.

“Part of LuLu’s strategy is to expand our reach out to our customers. Anyone who wants to shop in LuLu should find us within a reasonable commutable distance. The other thing is that we also need to see the economic expansion of Qatar in many places now. Prior to the FIFA World Cup, the focus is on sports infrastructure. But now, the hydrocarbon industry and all energy-intensive businesses are being given more close attention.

“In many areas across Qatar, there is a lot of industrial expansion that is happening and the communities are growing. So, our idea is that we reach out to them and make sure that services are available to everyone,” Dr Althaf further explained.

He added: “LuLu has made a statement by opening new stores, such as those in The Pearl Island and in Al Khor, which are two different demographics and very different commercial outcomes in terms of what people will buy and sell. But it doesn’t matter.

“As long as we have customers, we will make sure that they all have access to good, quality, and affordable food of their choice. So, as the country expands, we will also continue to grow.”