Sharaf Retail

What Sharaf Retail does

Sharaf Retail operates the retail and consumer-facing businesses of Sharaf Group, a privately held, family-owned UAE conglomerate founded in Dubai in 1968. The retail division manages a multi-brand portfolio spanning international franchises and proprietary concepts, including Sharaf DG (23 electronics and IT retail stores across the UAE with operations in Oman, Bahrain, and Egypt), Cotton On (12+ fashion and lifestyle stores across the UAE and Malaysia), Forever 21 (Mall of the Emirates and five Malaysia locations), Adventure HQ (5 outdoor and adventure retail stores including the new 2.0 format at City Centre Mirdif), Times Square Center (a community shopping mall on Sheikh Zayed Road with LEED-certified Picnic Square), Suha Hospitality (four hotel apartment properties: Suha JBR, Mina Rashid, Creek, and Park), Sharaf Exchange (currency exchange with digital e-receipts via email and WhatsApp), and Sharaf Travel (travel agency and airline GSA operations for Aegean Airlines, Drukair, and Philippine Airlines). The unit also operates Green Future (used lead-acid battery recycling at approximately 1 million units per year) and Sharaf DG Energy (solar PV energy performance contracts covering 22.5 MWp with Etihad ESCO), as well as DGBusiness.com, a first-of-its-kind B2B marketplace in the MENA region.

The business generates revenue primarily through brick-and-mortar retail sales (Sharaf DG reports approximately 87% of business from physical stores and 13% online), brand franchise and licensing operations, hotel and hospitality rentals through Suha Hospitality, travel agency fees and airline GSA commissions, money exchange transaction income, and B2B ICT distribution through Sharaf DG Business's channel partnerships with Hikvision (Best Solution Partner 2021-2024) and Huawei (Best Performance Partner H1 2025). Distribution spans more than 50 countries across the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and Asia through the Sharaf Group network of 400+ worldwide locations, supported by integrated shipping and logistics capabilities inherited from the 1968 founding business.

Underlying technology is concentrated in B2B and B2C retail platforms rather than advanced AI: the DGBusiness.com B2B marketplace with RFQ and flexi-payment capabilities, Sharaf Exchange's digital e-receipts, the Opera Property Management System at Suha Hospitality, LEED-certified sustainability infrastructure at Times Square Center (organic waste recycling to plant food and hydration, zero-waste-to-landfill), and ICT distribution technology for Hikvision video surveillance, access control, and smart home automation and for Huawei enterprise solutions. The company has a single named operating officer in the leadership data (Kartik Bhatt, Chief Operating Officer) with broader executive detail not disclosed.

Name

Sharaf Retail

Legal name

Sharaf Group

Website

https://sharafgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Sharaf Retail operates the retail and consumer businesses of UAE-based Sharaf Group, managing a multi-brand portfolio that includes Sharaf DG (23 electronics stores), Cotton On and Forever 21 (fashion), Adventure HQ (outdoor gear), Suha Hospitality (4 hotels), Times Square Center mall, plus B2B ICT distribution partnerships with Hikvision and Huawei across the MENA region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail - Fashion & Lifestyle: Sharaf Retail operates fashion brands including Cotton On (12+ stores across UAE malls), Forever 21 (Mall of the Emirates, Malaysia expansion), and Adventure HQ (5 stores including City Centre Mirdif). Revenue from apparel, accessories, footwear retail sales through owned physical stores.
2. Retail - Consumer Electronics & IT: Sharaf DG operates 23 tech retail stores in UAE (Ibn Battuta Mall, City Centre Mirdif, Mall of the Emirates, and others) plus Oman, Bahrain, Egypt with planned Saudi expansion. B2B ICT solutions distribution through channel partnerships with Hikvision and Huawei. Online retail accounts for ~13% of business.
3. Travel & Tourism Services: Sharaf Travel generates revenue through travel agency services, airline GSA representation (Aegean Airlines, Drukair), tour packages, and corporate travel management. Recognized as Philippine Airlines Top Travel Agency and MALT Congress Industry Icon Award recipient.
4. Hospitality & Real Estate: Suha Hospitality operates 4 hotel apartment properties in Dubai (Suha JBR Hotel Apartments, Suha Mina Rashid, Suha Creek, Suha Park) generating room rental and hospitality service revenue. Times Square Center mall operations contribute retail rental and footfall-driven revenue.
5. Shipping & Logistics: Sharaf Group's original business unit established in 1968. Shipping agency services, logistics, and supply chain operations across 69 countries.
6. Solar/Energy Solutions: Sharaf DG Energy signs Solar PV Energy Performance Contracts with Etihad ESCO, awarded 22.5 MWp solar capacity across 6 government and private facilities in Dubai.
7. Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) Recycling: Green Future business unit recycled approximately 1 million used lead-acid batteries in 2025, recovering resources and producing refined lead and lead alloys for circular economy revenue.
8. Financial Services - Money Exchange: Sharaf Exchange operates money exchange services across multiple branches, having introduced e-Receipt functionality for digital customer convenience.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sharaf Retail operates multi-brand brick-and-mortar retail stores across the UAE, GCC, and broader MENA region, offering international and unique brands including Sharaf DG (consumer electronics), Adventure HQ (outdoor adventure gear), and Hello Kitty Spa. The retail portfolio is complemented by fashion brands Cotton On and Forever 21, the Times Square Center community mall on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, Sharaf Exchange currency services, Sharaf Travel tourism services, and Suha Hospitality hotel apartments, all operating under the Sharaf Group conglomerate umbrella.

Product overview

Sharaf Retail operates as a diversified retail conglomerate managing multiple retail brands across lifestyle, fashion, electronics, hospitality, travel, and specialty concepts. The portfolio includes Times Square Center (community mall), Adventure HQ (outdoor adventure retail), Sharaf DG (electronics retail), Sharaf Exchange (currency exchange), Sharaf Travel (travel agency), Suha Hospitality (hotel apartments), Forever 21 and Cotton On (fashion retail), Green Future (battery recycling), and DGBusiness.com (B2B marketplace). The company also operates Hola Zero Sugar Café and maintains digital platforms including e-Receipt functionality and B2B marketplace services. Retail operations span UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, and Malaysia with expansion plans to Saudi Arabia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Adventure HQ: Outdoor gear and adventure sports equipment retail brand
• Adventure Zone
• Chill Out
• Times Square Center
• Sharaf Travel
• Sharaf DG Business
• Sharaf Exchange
• Suha Hospitality
• Suha Mina Rashid
• Suha Creek
• Suha Park
• Hola Zero Sugar Café
• Hola Keto Desserts
• Picnic Square
• Green Future

Products and services

• Cotton On Lifestyle fashion retail brand with 12+ stores across UAE malls (including 11th store at Dubai Mall spanning 4,601 sq ft and 12th store at Ibn Battuta Mall) and 5 locations in Malaysia (Pavilion Bukit Jalil, LaLaport BBCC, The Curve, 1st Avenue Mall, Queensbay Mall), offering clothing, accessories, and footwear for men, women, and children.
• Forever 21 Fashion retail brand operated by Sharaf Retail across the Middle East and Malaysia, including flagship presence at Mall of the Emirates and 5 Malaysia locations, offering affordable apparel, accessories, and footwear for men, women, teens, and kids.
• Adventure HQ Outdoor adventure retail chain operating 5 stores across the UAE including the Adventure HQ 2.0 format at City Centre Mirdif, providing gear for hiking, camping, water sports, and cycling; recognized as Best Innovative Sports Brand at SPIA Awards 2023.
• Sharaf DG Consumer electronics retailer operating 23+ brick-and-mortar stores across the UAE in malls such as Ibn Battuta Mall, City Centre Mirdif, and Mall of the Emirates, with additional presence in Oman, Bahrain, and Egypt and planned Saudi Arabia expansion; approximately 87% of revenue from physical stores and 13% from online retail.
• Sharaf Exchange Currency exchange and money transfer services operating across multiple branches in the UAE, introducing e-Receipt functionality for delivering digital transaction receipts via email or WhatsApp to support customer convenience and paper usage reduction.
• Sharaf Travel Travel and tourism services brand offering flight bookings, tour packages, corporate travel management, and airline General Sales Agent (GSA) representation for Aegean Airlines (DXB-ATH routes, 6x weekly becoming daily Summer 2024) and Drukair (Dubai-Paro route); recognized with Industry Icon Award at MALT Congress Abu Dhabi and Philippine Airlines Top Travel Agency recognition.
• Suha Hospitality Hospitality brand operating four hotel apartment properties in Dubai: Suha JBR Hotel Apartments, Suha Mina Rashid, Suha Creek, and Suha Park; supported by Magic Mango MENA digital strategy partnership for direct bookings, content, and performance marketing.
• Times Square Center Community-focused shopping destination on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, featuring a curated mix of international, boutique, and exclusive brands with family-friendly atmosphere, Picnic Square dining and social hub, LIFE Pharmacy and GP Clinic, The Confidence Lab, and community event programming including chess tournaments, Ramadan activations, and sustainability events.
• Hola Zero Sugar Café (Hola Keto Desserts) Wellness-focused café at Times Square Center offering keto-friendly, gluten-free, and zero-sugar options under the Picnic Square dining concept, featuring the 'You Move, We Brew' wellness challenge for visitors.
• DGBusiness.com B2B Marketplace B2B marketplace platform enabling businesses in the MENA region to connect, engage, and transact for sourcing needs with features including RFQ creation, flexi payment methods, and automated delivery for frictionless B2B commerce.
• Picnic Square Sustainable dining and social hub within Times Square Center featuring healthy dining options, seating areas, children's play area, and capacity for 350 people; LEED Green Project certified for resource-efficient design with on-site organic waste recycling that converts tenant waste into plant food and hydration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Green Future recycled 1 million used lead-acid batteries in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amadeus GulfcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2025Sharaf Travel renewed its partnership with Amadeus Gulf, strengthening commitment to innovation and customer-centric travel solutions. Leveraging Amadeus technologies including NDC-X, Fare Optimizer, and B2B Wallet for smarter retailing, secure payments, and personalized experiences for corporate and leisure travelers.
• Magic Mango MENAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 August 2025Suha Hospitality partnered with Magic Mango MENA for digital strategy and performance marketing across four properties (Suha JBR Hotel Apartments, Suha Mina Rashid, Suha Creek, Suha Park). Magic Mango responsible for strengthening digital presence, brand positioning, and driving direct bookings through content strategy, performance media, social storytelling, and reputation management.
• DreamSetGominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2025Sharaf Travel announced exclusive partnership with DreamSetGo designed for UAE's leading travel agents, ushering in a new era of experiential travel that blends luxury, sports, and lifestyle to deliver unforgettable journeys.
• UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2025Times Square Center partnered with UNHCR for a month-long activation from March 1-31, 2025, highlighting the importance of supporting refugees and displaced families, offering vital aid, and spreading hope. The activation booth includes interactive activities for children including colouring, writing messages of solidarity, and coin banks for donations.
• Chess Lab AcademyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2025Times Square Center partnered with Chess Lab Academy for the Ramadan Empathy campaign's chess activities including community chess exhibitions, mini-competitions, and a major tournament with prizes. Chess activities ran March 7-30, 2025.
• HuaweicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Sharaf DG recognized as Huawei's Best Performance Partner H1 2025, delivering next-generation ICT solutions and helping enterprises accelerate digital transformation across the MENA region.
• Drukair (Royal Bhutan Airlines)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2024Sharaf Travel announced successful soft launch of Drukair's new Dubai route on September 10, 2024, connecting Dubai to Paro, Bhutan. Sharaf Travel responsible for developing sales and marketing for the route in the UAE market.
• Aegean AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2024Sharaf Travels acts as GSA (General Sales Agent) for Aegean Airlines (Star Alliance member, largest airline in Greece) in the UAE. Responsible for sales development, reservation & ticketing, and marketing activity. Airline operates 6x/week DXB-ATH routes (becoming daily from Summer 2024), serving 165 destinations.
• Hikvision MEAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Sharaf DG Business serves as B2B/Enterprise channel partner for Hikvision's innovative security products and solutions (video surveillance, access control, smart home automation) across the MENA region. Recognized as Best Solution Partner for 4 consecutive years (2021-2024).
• Emirates (Codeshare)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Aegean Airlines operates codeshare flights with Emirates from Dubai, enabling seamless connections for passengers traveling on the DXB-ATH route.
• Air Miles Loyalty ProgramminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2023Sharaf Group Brands (Adventure HQ, Adventure Zone, Forever 21, Chill Out, Sharaf DG, Suha Hospitality, Sharaf Travel) partnered with Air Miles, enabling customers to collect Air Miles at their favorite Sharaf Group stores across the UAE.
• Etihad ESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023Sharaf DG Energy signed 6 Solar PV Energy Performance Contracts with Etihad ESCO. Overall solar capacity awarded is 22.5 MWp across various facilities from 4 governmental and 2 private entities, contributing to Dubai's target of 30% energy reduction by 2030.
• The Gaia CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Gaia Centre launched The Confidence Lab creative arts training institute at Times Square Center in March 2023, offering courses for children, teens, and adults in acting, communication skills, creative writing, theatre, public speaking, debate and drama. The venture brings 10 years of The Gaia Centre experience to strengthen Dubai's creative revolution.
• Dubai Chess & Culture ClubcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Times Square Center has partnered with Dubai Chess & Culture Club since 2016 to host International Chess Day events. The fourth open chess tournament was hosted on July 19, 2025, featuring junior blitz and open blitz formats.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Landmark Group: UAE-headquartered diversified retail conglomerate operating fashion (Splash, Max, Centrepoint), footwear, home, and sports retail (Sun & Sand Sports). Closely comparable to Sharaf Retail in multi-brand, multi-format, MENA-centric retail model and customer demographics.
• Majid Al Futtaim: UAE-based conglomerate operating shopping malls (Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif – both house Sharaf DG stores), Carrefour hypermarkets, and VOX Cinemas. Comparable as both a retail competitor and mall landlord that sets the footprint economics for Sharaf's stores.
• Al Tayer Group: Dubai-based diversified group operating Bloomingdale's, Harvey Nichols, and luxury/premium fashion brands across MENA. Directly comparable as a UAE multi-format, multi-brand retailer serving similar affluent consumer segments.
• Apparel Group: Dubai-based multi-brand fashion and lifestyle retailer operating Tommy Hilfiger, Skechers, Aldo, and ~85 brands across MENA. Comparable through its licensed-brand portfolio model that mirrors Sharaf's Cotton On and Forever 21 franchise approach.
• Emax: MENA-focused consumer electronics and home appliances retail chain with stores across UAE, KSA, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and India. Most direct head-to-head competitor to Sharaf DG in electronics retail format and geography.
• Jumbo Electronics: UAE-headquartered multi-brand electronics retailer (Sony, Apple, Samsung, LG, HP authorized reseller) operating across the GCC. Comparable as a UAE legacy electronics chain with similar authorized-distributor economics to Sharaf DG.
• Sun & Sand Sports: UAE-based multi-brand sports, outdoor, and active lifestyle retailer (owned by Landmark Group). Most directly comparable peer to Adventure HQ across product mix (Nike, Adidas, Columbia, hiking/camping gear) and GCC store footprint.
• Lulu Group International: GCC-headquartered hypermarket, supermarket, and fashion retail conglomerate with ~250+ stores across MENA, India, and Asia. Comparable in scale and breadth as a diversified, family-owned retail conglomerate operating in similar GCC geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Noon: Middle East-focused digital e-commerce platform backed by PIF and Mohamed Alabbar, selling electronics, fashion, and home goods directly competing with Sharaf DG's ~13% online channel. Relevant as the dominant pure-play e-commerce incumbent pressuring Sharaf's brick-and-mortar model.

Regional players

• Axiom Telecom: UAE-headquartered mobile and electronics retailer with strong mall presence. Comparable to Sharaf DG as a UAE-focused electronics chain targeting similar consumer electronics categories, but does not directly compete outside the UAE.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sharaf-dg-energy
• Instagraminstagram.com/timessquaredxb
• Xx.com/sharaf_retail

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sharaf Retail