M.A. Yusuff Ali is one of the most recognized Indian business names in the Middle East. As the Chairman and Managing Director of LuLu Group International, he built a small family trading venture into one of the largest retail and hypermarket chains in the Gulf region.
If you have searched for M.A. Yusuff Ali net worth, age, family details, or his journey from Kerala to Abu Dhabi, this guide brings together verified facts, updated 2026 figures, and everything you need to know about the man often called the “Retail King of the Middle East.”
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Yusuff Ali Musaliam Veettil Abdul Kader |
| Popular Name | M.A. Yusuff Ali |
| Date of Birth | 15 November 1955 |
| M.A. Yusuff Ali Age (2026) | 70 years (turns 71 on 15 November 2026) |
| Birthplace | Nattika, Thrissur, Kerala, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Residence | Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Profession | Chairman and Managing Director, LuLu Group International |
| Net Worth (2026) | Approximately $5.8 billion |
| Net Worth in Rupees | Roughly ₹48,000 crore |
| Spouse | Shabira Yusuff Ali |
| Children | 3 (including two daughters married to Shamsheer Vayalil and Adeeb Ahamed) |
Who Is M.A. Yusuff Ali?
M.A. Yusuff Ali is an Indian billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist based in Abu Dhabi. He heads LuLu Group International, a multinational conglomerate with interests in hypermarkets, shopping malls, real estate, hospitality, food processing, and logistics.
What makes his story stand out is not just the scale of his wealth but how he built it. He arrived in Abu Dhabi as a teenager with no capital, no connections beyond family, and no guarantee of success. Decades later, LuLu operates hundreds of stores across the Gulf, India, and beyond, employing tens of thousands of people from dozens of countries.
Early Life and Education
M.A. Yusuff Ali was born on 15 November 1955 in Nattika, a coastal town in Thrissur district, Kerala. He came from a modest business family and completed his early schooling at St. Xavier’s High School in Karanchira.
As a young man, he initially had ambitions of becoming a lawyer. However, family circumstances and a natural pull toward commerce led him toward business instead. He later completed a diploma in Business Management and Administration, which gave him the practical grounding he would need for what came next.In 1973, at around 17 or 18 years old, he left India for Abu Dhabi to join his paternal uncle, M.K. Abdullah, who ran a small trading and distribution business. That decision changed the direction of his life entirely.
Joining the Family Business
When Yusuff Ali arrived in Abu Dhabi, the business he joined was modest in scale, dealing primarily in food trading and hardware distribution. Rather than treat it as a temporary stop, he immersed himself in learning every part of the operation, from imports to customer relationships.
Expansion into Retail
Through the 1980s and early 1990s, he expanded the group’s import and wholesale distribution of frozen and food products from Europe and the United States. He noticed a shift happening in Gulf retail: traditional groceries were giving way to larger, organized supermarkets and hypermarkets.
He acted on that insight. In the 1990s, he launched the first LuLu Hypermarket, entering the market around the same period international players like Carrefour were also expanding into the region. Instead of being pushed out, Yusuff Ali carved out a strong position by focusing on value pricing, wide product variety, and localized customer service.
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Building LuLu Group International
What started as a single hypermarket concept grew into LuLu Group International, now headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Today, the group’s operations include:
- LuLu Hypermarkets across the GCC, India, and other international markets
- LuLu International Shopping Malls in cities including Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Lucknow, and others
- Hospitality ventures, including hotel properties in the UK and elsewhere
- Food processing, logistics, and real estate holdings
- A minority stake in Cochin International Airport, where he also sits on the board
A major milestone came in late 2024, when LuLu Retail Holdings completed a $1.72 billion IPO on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, one of the largest listings in the UAE that year. This step turned LuLu Retail into a publicly traded company, which also means its market value, and by extension Yusuff Ali’s net worth, now moves with stock market performance rather than private valuation alone.
The group today employs a workforce drawn from more than 45 nationalities, operating across the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, India, and several countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
M.A. Yusuff Ali Net Worth 2026
According to Forbes Middle East’s 2026 rankings, M.A. Yusuff Ali’s net worth stands at approximately $5.8 billion, placing him among the wealthiest business figures based in the UAE.
It is worth noting that his net worth has shown notable movement over the past two years because LuLu Retail is now a publicly listed company. Real-time billionaire trackers have shown figures ranging between roughly $5.4 billion and $7.6 billion at different points since the IPO, depending on the stock’s daily performance.
MA Yusuff Ali Net Worth in Billion
- 2026 (Forbes Middle East): approximately $5.8 billion
- Range seen across 2025 real-time trackers: $5.4 billion to $7.6 billion
Ma Yusuff Ali Net Worth in Crores
At an approximate exchange rate of ₹83 to the US dollar, a net worth of $5.8 billion converts to roughly ₹48,000 crore. This figure will shift slightly depending on the daily rupee-dollar exchange rate and LuLu Retail’s share price.
MA Yusuff Ali Net Worth in Rupees
In full rupee terms, $5.8 billion is approximately ₹4,81,00,00,00,000 (₹4.81 lakh crore equivalent when rounded, though the commonly cited figure of ₹48,000 crore is the more practical reference point used by most Indian financial publications).
Net Worth Growth Over Time
Tracking Yusuff Ali’s wealth over the years shows a fairly consistent upward trajectory, with some fluctuation tied to global markets and, more recently, LuLu Retail’s stock performance.
| Year | Approximate Net Worth |
| 2013 | $1.5 billion |
| 2016 | $4.0 billion |
| 2019 | $4.7 to $4.8 billion |
| 2022 | $5.4 billion |
| 2023 | $7.1 billion |
| 2024 | $7.4 to $7.6 billion |
| 2025 (real time) | $5.4 to $7.6 billion (range) |
| 2026 (Forbes Middle East) | $5.8 billion |
The dip after 2024 largely reflects normal stock market movement following the LuLu Retail IPO rather than any downturn in the underlying business, which continues to report annual group turnover of around $8 billion.
M.A. Yusuff Ali Family
Yusuff Ali is married to Shabira Yusuff Ali, and the couple has three children. Two of his daughters are married into prominent Gulf business families:
- Son-in-law Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings, a major healthcare group in the UAE
- Son-in-law Adeeb Ahamed, a businessman known for ventures in the financial services and travel sectors
M.A. Yusuff Ali Wife
Shabira Yusuff Ali maintains a relatively private profile compared to her husband, and much of the family’s public presence centers on business and philanthropic activities rather than personal media appearances.
Is Ashraf Ali Related to M.A. Yusuff Ali?
This is a common point of confusion in online searches. Ashraf Ali M.A. serves as Executive Director for Global Operations at LuLu Retail, working closely within the same leadership structure as Yusuff Ali. He is a senior executive within the group rather than a separately ranked billionaire, so figures for an “Ashraf Ali net worth” are not tracked by Forbes or other billionaire indexes in the way Yusuff Ali’s wealth is.
Personal Stats
| Category | Details |
| Height | Not publicly disclosed |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Religion | Islam |
| Languages | Malayalam, English, Arabic, Hindi |
| Hobbies | Business networking, philanthropy, art collecting |
| Notable Investment Interest | Art, including works by acclaimed Indian artists |
Awards and Recognition
Over the decades, Yusuff Ali has received several honors recognizing his business impact and contribution to India-UAE relations:
- Padma Shri (2008), one of India’s highest civilian honors, awarded for trade and industry.
- Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (2005), given by the Government of India to overseas Indians who have made a mark internationally.
- Abu Dhabi Award (2021), recognizing his contributions to the emirate’s community and economy.
- Multiple appearances on Forbes’ lists of India’s richest people and the Gulf’s most powerful business leaders.
Did You Know?
- Yusuff Ali arrived in Abu Dhabi in 1973 as a teenager with very limited resources before building one of the Gulf’s largest retail networks.
- LuLu Group is widely regarded as the largest employer of Indian expatriates in the UAE.
- He holds a minority stake in Cochin International Airport, one of the few airports in the world that runs substantially on solar power.
- His hospitality portfolio includes the historic Great Scotland Yard building in London, the former headquarters of the UK Metropolitan Police, which he transformed into a luxury hotel.
- LuLu Retail’s 2024 listing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange raised $1.72 billion, making it one of the largest IPOs in UAE history.
- He has been ranked as the most powerful Indian in the Gulf multiple times by Arabian Business.
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FAQs
What is M.A. Yusuff Ali’s net worth in 2026?
As of 2026, Forbes Middle East places his net worth at approximately $5.8 billion, though real-time figures can vary based on LuLu Retail’s stock price.
How old is M.A. Yusuff Ali?
He was born on 15 November 1955, making him 70 years old for most of 2026 and turning 71 in November.
What is M.A. Yusuff Ali’s net worth in Indian rupees?
His net worth converts to roughly ₹48,000 crore based on 2026 exchange rates, though this figure fluctuates daily.
Who is M.A. Yusuff Ali’s wife?
His wife is Shabira Yusuff Ali, and together they have three children.
Is Ashraf Ali related to M.A. Yusuff Ali?
Ashraf Ali M.A. is a senior executive at LuLu Retail, serving as Executive Director for Global Operations, but he is not tracked separately as a billionaire.
What company does M.A. Yusuff Ali own?
He is the founder, Chairman, and Managing Director of LuLu Group International, which operates the LuLu Hypermarket chain and related retail, hospitality, and real estate businesses.
Where was M.A. Yusuff Ali born?
He was born in Nattika, a town in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India.
Conclusion
M.A. Yusuff Ali’s story is a reminder that significant business success can come from patience, adaptability, and a willingness to spot opportunity where others see routine. From a small trading business in Abu Dhabi to leading a retail conglomerate spanning dozens of countries, his journey continues to inspire entrepreneurs, particularly within the Indian diaspora community in the Gulf.
With LuLu Retail now publicly listed and the group still expanding into new markets, M.A. Yusuff Ali’s net worth and business footprint are likely to keep evolving in the years ahead. For the most current figures, it is always worth checking real-time sources like Forbes, since publicly traded wealth can shift day to da
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