Australian PM visits LuLu Hypermarket in Abu Dhabi, invites LuLu to set up shop in Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited LuLu Hypermarket in Abu Dhabi on Monday as part of his official tour of the UAE, ahead of the implementation of the landmark Australia-UAE free trade agreement.

The visit is part of a wider diplomatic and trade mission by Albanese, which includes stops in the US and the UK, aimed at deepening Australia’s global economic partnerships and promoting sustainable trade. While in the UAE, the Prime Minister also visited the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the world’s largest and most iconic places of worship.

At LuLu Hypermarket, Albanese was accompanied by Yusuffali M.A., Chairman of LuLu Group. During the visit, the Prime Minister viewed a wide range of premium Australian products, including fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and FMCG products.

LuLu Hypermarkets in Australia

The Prime Minister extended an invitation to Yusuffali M.A to establish LuLu Hypermarkets in Australia. "I have encouraged him to come to Australia as well, we need more competition in the Australian supermarket sector, and we have had a little discussion about that,” said Albanese. “LuLu is big enough to have direct relations with Australian producers, whether they be mango producers, the orange producers, the meat producers that are still providing Halal-certified meat into this market."

The prime minister said the free trade agreement would remove tariffs on nearly all Australian exports to the UAE, as well as increase investment from the country’s sovereign wealth funds into Australia.

“Lulu Group is proud to bring high-quality Australian products to the region,” said Yusuffali M.A. “This reflects the strong demand and wide acceptance of premium Australian goods across the Middle East. Our partnership continues to deliver the best of Australia to homes across the region.”

He also recalled his first visit to Australia on September 8 in 1983, when he began sourcing premium lamb and meat for LuLu Hypermarkets in the UAE, a trade relationship that has continued and grown stronger over the decades.

Lulu Group, one of the Middle East’s largest retail chains, has established sourcing offices in Australia and plays a key role in supplying Australian food and consumer products including fruit and veg, meat, lamb, FMCG to retailers across Asia, the GCC, and beyond.

Also present on the occasion were Ridwaan Jadwat, Australian Ambassador to the UAE; Fahad Obaid Mohamed Altaffag Almarashda, Ambassador of the UAE to Australia; Mohammed Althaf, Group Director and Chief Sustainability Officer of LuLu; Shabu Abdul Majeed, Global Operations Director; and V. Nandakumar, Director of Marketing and Communications of LuLu, and other officials.

– In association with LuLu Group