Ahmed Galal Ismail outlined how AI agents have rapidly become part of Majid Al Futtaim’s operations influencing recommendations purchase nudges and steering decisions across its portfolio that reaches 600 million customers each year. The percentage of transactions involving AI has risen from close to zero only months earlier according to the CEO’s remarks at the two-day gathering moderated by Rania Saadi of Pulse95 Radio. Ismail emphasised the growing role of consumer trust as technology increasingly shapes buying behaviour.
The executive said Majid Al Futtaim already deploys AI agents alongside human employees and anticipates the number of agents will equal its office-based staff in the near term. He called for a new management approach he termed integrative intelligence which combines analytics empathy and intuition with agentic AI systems. “That type of intellectual capital is something that needs to be treated with the same level of care and prudence just like we deal with financial and human capital” Ismail said.
Shifting consumer preferences are also evident in demand for greater value amid inflationary pressures exceptional experiences and AI-assisted purchases the CEO told the audience. Majid Al Futtaim has responded by expanding its online offerings which now account for 25 percent of its retail business. The company is seeing increased interest in home delivery of groceries entertainment and services while continuing to curate in-person experiences at its destinations.
Digital advertising has emerged as the fastest-growing revenue stream in the group’s latest first-half results Ismail stated. The firm’s Precision Media platform leverages AI through apps and loyalty programmes to deliver timely relevant advertisements that extend influence over both physical and digital shopping journeys. This development aligns with broader efforts to adapt to evolving consumer habits.
Majid Al Futtaim reported consolidated revenue of 35.9 billion dirhams for 2025 a 6 percent increase from the prior year with EBITDA rising 10 percent to 5.1 billion dirhams marking the first time it exceeded the 5 billion dirham threshold. Net profit climbed 41 percent to 3.6 billion dirhams. The group also generated 3.5 billion dirhams in free cash flow and reduced net debt by 15 percent according to its year-end results.
The Sharjah Investment Forum 2026 running October 14 and 15 at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre operates under the theme Building Adaptive Economies. Organised by the Sharjah FDI Office in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Investment the event has drawn more than 10,000 participants from over 60 countries along with more than 80 speakers. Sessions address regulatory competitiveness agentic AI applications capital flows and supply-chain resilience among other topics.
