The Chalhoub Group has been the backbone for luxury retail in the Middle East for many years although it has its origins more innocuous. It started in 1955 when brother and sister team Michel and Widad Chalhoub opened the first store in Damascus, Syria. This boutique sold the finest French silverware brand, Christofle. Economic instability and the very small market of Syria forced the family to look further afield for other opportunities. It expanded its operations to Beirut, Lebanon, in 1965, further stretching across the region into the Gulf.

With tensions in political affairs moving upwards with the start of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, Chalhoub relocated again to Kuwait as the subsidiary there was already doing well. Nevertheless, the final relocation was made in 1990 when headquarters were established in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The move was strategic, as the group now stood in one of the most vibrant and growing luxury markets of the world. Over the tenure of Michel and Widad’s sons-ANthony and Patrick Chalhoub, co-CEOs since 2001-the group has experienced the growth unprecedented in its history. The Chalhoub Group today stretches across the Middle East, establishing retail, distribution, and marketing services for some of the world’s top brands. Unfortunately, Anthony Chalhoub passed away in 2018, and so Patrick is the sole CEO of the group now.

Today, Chalhoub Group operates more than 750 stores in the region and also has a luxury portfolio that includes joint ventures with iconic brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, and Sephora. This rather unique co-management model gives the company the opportunity to closely partner with those brands and also launch new labels in the market. Retail franchises it covers include Saks Fifth Avenue, Loewe, Carolina Herrera, Swarovski, and Michael Kors, among others.

The strategy of Chalhoub Group focuses much on forming partnerships. In 2018, the firm entered into a joint venture with Farfetch, the UK luxury fashion e-commerce platform. Through this partnership, Chalhoub started to expand into the digital space as it allowed its curated luxury brands on the platform of Farfetch. This move showed how Chalhoub was keen to stay abreast of consumer behavior, especially since there was a rise in online shopping. Chalhoub entered into an agreement with Korloff, a French luxury jewelry and watch house, in 2022, and opened various locations in the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar. More recently, Chalhoub also invested in a majority stake in the London-based e-retailer of personal shopping, Threads Styling, at once further solidifying its position as one of the leaders in digital luxury .

The Chalhoub Group is more than a distributor; it’s an innovator in the luxury market. The company launched a string of own-concept stores and brands to attract regional tastes. These comprise Tanagra, a luxury lifestyle and gift store chain, Level Shoes, an expansive 96,000-square-foot footwear emporium in Dubai Mall, and Ghawali, an upscale oriental fragrance brand. In 2017, Chalhoub acquired Christofle, the very brand with which it began its journey, setting up a full-circle moment in the world of luxury.

Chalhoub Group pays attention to luxury goods, but also to developing its people. In 2007, the company established the Chalhoub Retail Academy in Dubai, then a second branch in Saudi Arabia in 2009. These academies are committed to training the front-line staff within customer service, brand knowledge, and salesmanship so that the Chalhoub Group never fails to uphold its standards in all retail outlets.

The company seems to hold onto a solid blend of old and new. Since its inception over six decades ago, the company was not only instrumental in changing the very face of the retail landscape in the Middle East but also began looking toward international markets. Going forward, its immediate plans are further digital expansion and furthering growth in the portfolio of luxury brands and possibly into Saudi Arabia and Europe.

Innovation and strategic partnership, together with a strong focus on luxury, make the Chalhoub Group a leading player in the global luxury goods market-a true testament to the vision of Michel and Widad Chalhoub, who started it all in 1955.

Casinetto initiated in Dubai, sourcing quality ingredients coming in from Italy and the rest of Europe. Fresh seafood, fine meats, and artisanal products were all curated for a high-end food list designed to bring the best culinary experience possible for their clients. Working with the finest suppliers: from Spanish fishermen to French artisans, Casinetto ensured that only the best would find its way into the kitchens of the UAE’s finest establishments.

The success of Casinetto year after year urged rapid expansion. This saw the opening of its e-commerce store in the year 2017, thus opening the doors to an even larger market for consumable services. This, in effect, allowed Casinetto to enter into the B2C market, thus making it possible to let home cooks and food enthusiasts enjoy what the high-end restaurants would have otherwise enjoyed. In 2023, Casinetto took bold steps forward by expansion of its operation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into a regional presence and advancing further in the promise of being one of the key players in the Middle East’s food service sector.

What differentiates Casinetto from other distributors is the company’s stubborn commitment to quality and sustainability. The company prefers to work with suppliers who adopt sustainable agriculture and old farmer practice systems, which is actually in the same line of interest as that of small businesses sharing the same values. Thus, apart from quality and the best fresh products, Casinetto is already encouraging a culture of sustainability and responsible sourcing. Over 2,500 items comprise Casinetto’s product portfolio; it ranges from fresh seafood to organic fruits and vegetables, and gourmet food products. The removal of the middleman allows Casinetto to cut through the intermediaries for its customers and provide fresher, more authentic, and real sources of ingredients.

It is a testament to Casinetto’s standing for excellence that its clientele boasts the names of the most distinguished hospitality players: Marriott Hotels, Atlantis the Palm Dubai, Jumeirah, to name a few, and even Nusr-Et. But it does not stop there; besides being a staple in the kitchens of high-end hotels and restaurants, it has even reached the mass retailers across the GCC, which comprise Carrefour, Spinneys, Waitrose, and also the online channels – Amazon and Noon.

Casinetto makes premium products available to the market for both individual consumers and large-scale commercial kitchens through smooth integration of B2B and B2C services.

Being different from most companies that rely on bootstrapping their business operations, Casinetto has been bootstrapped throughout its history. It reinvested profits and tapped into operational success to fund the expansion, thus allowing the business to keep control over its growth and operations. This approach has served Casinetto well in terms of professional and purposeful growth and avoiding pitfalls such as rapid, uncoordinated growth. Such commitment to perfection has not gone unnoticed. The company has attracted much attention from prominent publications, among them ITP Media, Entrepreneur, The Pro Chef, and Arabian Business have all featured its success story. These features and others underline growing power and esteemed position within the region’s food and hospitality circles.

Conclusion: With over a decade of experience and a solid base in the UAE, Casinetto is well positioned to thrive further. Focusing on genuine European ingredients, sustainability, as well as highest quality standards, the company has managed to place itself in a superlative position among the region’s food service industry companies. The move, as the company looks to expand further across the Middle East, and indeed much farther, shows that Casinetto is certainly here to play in the bigger scheme of things within the HORECA and food distribution industries.

Reem Abou Samra is a story of tenacity, passion, and vision. Born in Syria, Reem moved to Dubai and began building her beauty empire. She dreamed of building an empire that would be recognized in a strong competitive market. Her love for fashion, beauty, and wellness inspired her to come up with a very successful string of ventures, most notably the Laloge Beauty Lounge chain. Today, the abbreviation Laloge stands for luxury in all its senses, and for their clients, it accounts for a one-of-its-kind experience. After all, today, there are branches at every nook and corner of Dubai. It’s not a place to go for a haircut or a manicure but an experience of luxury and taste.

Ever since Reem opened business, it’s been all about making a woman not only beautiful but also confident and empowered. She once said, “When a woman leaves our salon, she walks out with confidence, feeling special. That’s what beauty is about.” This commitment to customer experience is the heart of her success, making her different from anyone else in the wide range of beauty providers within the UAE’s fast-paced industry.

Reem Abou Samra is another notable personality seen in the fashion world. She has modeled and represented a lot of international luxury brands, including Chanel, Gucci, Revolve, Dior, among others, in the course of years. The glamour that revels and nurtures, her sense of style chic, elegant, along with always keeping up with the latest, has kept her name in Vogue, GQ, and other such prestige magazines as that of a style icon. The thing that differentiates her is the way she can make effortless switches between being an entrepreneur and a fashion ambassador. It matters not whether it is fashion parades on high-profile stages or at the helm of some of the world’s top brands; Reem continues to inspire many with her excellence in everything she does.

Reem Abou Samra didn’t stop at beauty salons. Of course, this led to additional businesses in the form of Laloge Events and Little Angels Luxury Boutique, which catered to high-end clients and created unique experiences. To Reem, the beauty industry wasn’t just about aesthetics but creating a space whereby women feel empowered and cherished. In the near future, she plans to take Laloge international and finally expand into the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia and then London. We’re ready to franchise anywhere in the world, and we’ll be picking the best opportunities,” she revealed in an interview recently. Reem puts much emphasis on family and personal well-being.

She often speaks of the necessity for balance in her life—be it spending quality time with her daughters or practicing mindfulness and meditation to manage the stresses of running a business. She is very proud to balance a blooming career with the demands of her family-a feat she feels not only makes her an entrepreneur but also a role model for women seeking to succeed in both personal and professional pursuits. Being an entrepreneur, Reem continues innovating and inspires others.

Success is not only about profits for Reem; it’s evolving and learning, which impacts positively on the people surrounding her. She wants to bring further revolution into the beauty industry in the UAE and reach out to develop ideas such as establishing an academy for the training of hairstylists and other professionals in their respective fields with a view of maintaining high practice standards across the region.