Kerala-born Yusuff Ali, chairman and chief executive of the LuLu Group – which operates 256 hypermarkets and malls across the Gulf and India – received a personally signed copy of the new book from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
The billionaire took to Instagram to express his gratitude for the signed copy of “Life Lessons: Part I,” writing:
“I am extremely grateful to H.S. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, for sending me a personally signed copy of the latest book Lessons from Life: Part I. As a visionary leader endowed with great wisdom and knowledge, I am sure that present and future generations can learn a lot from His Highness’s life.”
The post also included a handwritten note inside the book. Sheikh Mohammed wrote:
“Dear Yusuff Ali MA, Wisdom is the only inheritance that grows richer the more we share it. Enjoy reading.”
Social networks are responding
Ali’s post, shared three days ago, drew praise from admirers who see the gesture as a sign of mutual respect between the two prominent leaders.
One person commented that they would “love to have a copy of it”. Another added: “That’s so cool,” while someone else commented: “Loved his gesture.” A fourth user described it as “the book of my dreams” and several others called the exchange inspiring and a “beautiful tribute”.
The man behind a $7.3 billion retail empire
According to Forbes, Ali chairs the $7.3 billion (revenue) LuLu Retail Group, which operates 240 hypermarkets and malls across the Gulf region and beyond.
Hailing from a small village in Kerala, southern India, Yusuff Ali moved to Abu Dhabi in 1973 to join his uncle’s small distribution business – a humble beginning that laid the foundation for his vast retail empire.
In 2024, Yusuff Ali made a major move by listing LuLu Retail on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, raising $1.7 billion.
Apart from retail, Yusuff Ali holds a minority stake in the Cochin International Airport and serves on its board of directors. Remarkably, the airport is powered entirely by solar energy.
Its other notable assets include the Waldorf Astoria in Scotland and the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London, once home to the UK’s Metropolitan Police.
