Lals plans to open 10 Homes R Us stores in Saudi Arabia

Lals Group, the Dubai-based retailer that owns Lamcy Plaza, plans to open 10 Homes R Us Stores in Saudi Arabia as part of a major push into the kingdom.

The group has been in discussions with Saudi and Qatari partners to bring its home furniture brand to the country as UAE retailers face increasing competition domestically.

“Saudi with its 27 million plus population and the bulk of it in the middle market is ripe for us,” said the Lals chief executive, Jayant Ganwani. “We have seen a huge spurt in demand in Saudi Arabia in the last three months. It is one market that seems to be breaking away from the rest of the train in the GCC.”

Initial openings are likely to be Riyadh and Dammam, said Mr Ganwani in an interview at the company’s Jebel Ali head office.

A boom in mall construction has added millions of square feet in retail space across the UAE. But faltering consumer confidence, currency weakness in Russia and the euro zone as well as regional political tension has hit spending.

Lals operates about 2.5 million sq ft of retail space across the region with 30 outlets covering brands such as Daiso, Carter’s and Style Studio.

The regional retail industry is expected to be worth US$284.5 billion by 2018 with supermarket and hypermarket sales to top $59.3bn over the same period, according to Alpen Capital.

The rapid growth of the aviation sector has also been a big driver for retail industry expansion with airport-based duty free sales expected to increase to $6.6bn in 2018 from $3.9bn in 2013.

scronin@thenational.ae

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The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

More on World Cup 2018

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Tips to stay safe during hot weather

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.

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While you're here

The National editorial: Turkey's soft power weighs heavy on Europe's Muslims

Con Coughlin: How extremists use Zoom and other tools to exploit pandemic

Nicky Harley: Peace TV preacher Zakir Naik prompts UK hate laws review

Tank warfare

Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.

“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.

“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”

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