The group will recruit hundreds of employees for this new franchise.

Dubai’s Al-Futtaim Group will open 100 stores of health and beauty retailer Watson and will recruit hundreds of employees for this new franchise.

The new outlets will be opened in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, with most of them coming up in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the family-owned group said in a statement, adding that it “will be hiring new employees in the hundreds”.

The first Watsons flagship store will open in The Dubai Mall on October 1, with all 100 stores opening across the region by the end of 2025. The expansion plan of Watsons in the region will see the opening of two outlets in Dubai Festival City and Mall of the Emirates in the fourth quarter of 2020, followed by the entry into Saudi Arabia in 2021.

It declined to disclose investment figures.
“As a local business operating across the globe, it is our duty to support and contribute to the economic growth of the region we belong to, while bringing quality and customer-oriented brands to our retail network,” vice-chairman Omar Al Futtaim said.

Dominic Lai, managing director of AS Watson Group, said the Middle East is one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for beauty products. “We are excited to partner with Al-Futtaim to bring new offline and online beauty experience as well as numerous trendy brands to customers in the region.”

Source: Khaleej Times