UAE ENTERTAINMENT RECOVERY CONTINUES

The entertainment industry in the UAE is showing constant signs of recovery from the pandemic, says the head of one of the region’s largest operating companies. Alain Bejjani, CEO at Majid Al Futtaim Holding, the retail and entertainment giant, has reported that the current data for the second quarter of this year shows that the recovery is continuing. Consumer spending, he said, shows a growth in e-commerce sales by 17 per cent in the first half of 2021 and consumer spending in retail stores up three per cent. Bejjani said that the upcoming Expo 2020 in Dubai, a major tourism boost for the emirate, would bring about further recovery. His own company’s research showed that shoppers felt more content with their presence in public places, as 64 per cent admitted they feel reassured to visit shopping centres and the number of visitors to Majid Al Futtaim’s network of malls increased by 11 per cent in the second quarter.