By Umaru Kashaka
United Arab Emirates (UAE) billionaire Majid Al Futtaim, who owns Carrefour Supermarket chain in Kampala, has died.
Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced his death on Twitter on Friday.
“May God have mercy on our brother Majid Al Futtaim, the creative businessman, and one of Dubai’s most important merchants and senior men,” Al Maktoum wrote.
He said Majid Al Futtaim’s last decision was to hire 3,000 citizens.
“May God have mercy on him and place him in his spacious gardens,” Al Maktoum prayed.
The cause of Majid Al Futtaim’s death was not yet made public by press time.
Majid Al Futtaim’s business empire also paid tribute to him on Twitter. It said he was a visionary entrepreneur who transformed the face of business in the entire region and his lifetime achievements had been an inspiration for many.
“Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Majid’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” it wrote on Twitter.
In September, Majid Al Futtaim reached a deal to take over six stores in Uganda from South African retailer Shoprite.
This was after Shoprite said in August that it would shut down operations in Uganda and Madagascar after currency devaluations, lower commodity prices and high inflation hit household incomes and weighed on earnings.
Majid Al Futtaim is a UAE-based mall developer who holds Carrefour franchise rights in dozens of countries.
Carrefour entered the Ugandan market in 2019 and was operating two stores before taking over Shoprite, which had been in the country since 2000.
