Luciano Benetton visits Dubai

Benetton was in town to visit the stores and meet the exclusive UAE distributor Easa Saleh Al Gurg.

"United Colors of Benetton in the UAE has been changing rapidly. New stores have opened at Al Ghurair and Lamcy Plaza, all the seven stores have been renovated, the Fall/Winter collection has just launched here, a new marketing and public relations strategy is in place for the brand - I had to come and see the progress for myself!" said Luciano Benetton at a press conference held today at the World Trade Club in Dubai.

Luciano Benetton started business from absolute ground zero. He lost his father when he was 10 years old, after which he had to sell newspapers to make a living. Luciano's sister was good at knitting, so they set up a small pull over company, she would design and Luciano would handle the marketing aspect. By 1963 Benetton had their own stores and today they have an empire that spreads across 120 countries around the world.

"The timing of Mr. Benetton's visit is perfect. It gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the changes we have brought to the brand in the UAE. Complemented with the launch of the Fall/Winter collection at the stores, the changes have reflected our mission of strengthening our core values of being a young, trendy and contemporary fashion brand," said Mrs. Raja Al Gurg, managing director of Easa Saleh Al Gurg group.

After a successful summer in the UAE, in the The Easa Saleh Al Gurg group, sole distributor for Benetton in the UAE, organised a visit for the management to the Benetton Group's headquarters in Treviso early last month where they had the opportunity to meet the new management there, present their activities and demonstrate progress.

"We are thrilled that we are successfully taking our relationship with Benetton a step further. Our recent trip to Italy coupled with Mr. Luciano Benetton's visit has been extremely encouraging. It gave us a greater understanding of the brand and how it operates from its headquarters, " said Ajai Dayal, general manager Easa Saleh Al Gurg, sole distributor of Benetton in the UAE.

Luciano Benetton's second visit to the Gulf was a demonstration of Benetton's commitment to the region. "I am delighted to see the development of Benetton in the UAE. The Easa Saleh Al Gurg group has its strategy in place with a clear vision for the brand. I really look forward to see Benetton grow further in the UAE," added Luciano Benetton.

The other countries Luciano Benetton visited as a part of his trip are Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Lebanon.