For any UAE resident, the Lulu chain of hypermarkets is a familiar sight – but it’s just one of the many brands held by the Emke Group. The group boasts an annual turnover of $3.5bn globally, and is one of the largest Indian-owned conglomerates in the Gulf, employing more than 22,000 people from over 29 countries. Heading it is its managing director ‘Padma Shri’ Yusuff Ali MA, named by The Wall Street Journal as one of the twenty most influential people in the UAE. Yusuff Ali has served as board member of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industy (ADCCI) and been conferred with the prestigious ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award’; the highest Indian government award given to non-resident Indians.