Saudi Retail Forum 2025 Wraps, Spotlighting the Homegrown Ecosystem’s Rise as Retail Edges Past 10% of the Kingdom’s GDP
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 17th Nov,2025
The third edition of the Saudi Retail Forum (SRF) 2025, the Kingdom’s leading retail leadership and innovation platform, successfully convened at the voco hotel in Riyadh. The forum brought together over 500 industry leaders, 300 leading brands, and 100+ thought leaders, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as a global retail innovation hub while charting the strategic pathways necessary to achieve the ambitious objectives of Vision 2030.
A New Era of Homegrown Innovation
The forum opened with an inspiring address from Mohammad Alawi, Chairman of the Saudi Retail Forum and Chairman of the Board of Azad Properties, who emphasized the community-driven spirit defining Saudi retail’s transformation. A defining characteristic of SRF 2025 was its authentically Saudi composition: 70% of the event’s thought leaders represented homegrown enterprises, collectively operating over 3,300 stores and e-commerce platforms serving more than 10 million digital shoppers. He illustrated the potential of homegrown brands, citing the journey of Barn’s from a single kiosk in 1992 to 850 outlets today, declaring the true soul of the forum to be “Proudly Homegrown.
Seven Waves Reshaping Saudi Retail
Under the theme of the key waves reshaping the Saudi retail landscape,including The Homegrown Wave, The Youth Wave, The Experience Wave, The Format Wave, The Tech Wave, The Values Wave, and The Talent Wave, the discussions revealed a sector confidently building its own future, powered by national ambition.
Insights from the Leadership Dialogues
The “Leadership Dialogues” panel delved into the operational realities of the Saudi market. The panel brought together visionaries, including Neeraj Teckchandani, Group CEO of Apparel Group; Shibu Tharakan, CEO of Styli-Landmark Group; Ali Shareif, CEO of Al Othaim Life Co; and May Kanounji, Chief Commercial Officer of Aani & Dani. Moderated by Imad Matar of PwC, the discussion revealed both challenges and relentless optimism driving the sector.
Panelists addressed critical challenges facing Saudi retailers. Most significantly, they explored strategies for adapting to profound shifts in consumer behavior as Saudi shoppers become increasingly cost-conscious, health-focused, and digitally native, expecting seamless, rapid experiences across all channels.
A pivotal “Hard Talk” fireside chat between Mohammad Alawi and Hussein Shobokshi, Chairman of Cenomi Retail, explored the evolution of retail formats and talent. Shobokshi’s insights challenged conventional wisdom about the dominance of e-commerce, emphasizing instead the resurgence of physical retail enhanced by technology, remarking “Bricks over clicks—it’s coming back”. He also revealed a critical economic indicator that 54% of non-oil revenue in Saudi Arabia now comes from the broader retail sector, underscoring its economic paramountcy to the kingdom’s economic diversification strategy.
Technology and Customer Experience as Core Drivers
The forum’s technology sessions, including “The Tech Wave” and “The Science of CX” demonstrated that Saudi retailers are leveraging AI, analytics, and automation to define new industry standards. Sessions highlighted practical applications, from Agentic AI for customer segmentation to voice-to-text solutions for mass personalization, all built for local market needs. The focus was on creating seamless, personalized omnichannel journeys that merge digital convenience with physical experience.
Purpose and Sustainability Take Center Stage
In a sobering yet inspiring keynote address, Rajesh Garg, Group CFO and Chief Sustainability Officer of Landmark Group, called for urgent industry action on sustainability. He revealed that fashion ranks among the top five most polluting industries globally, with staggering statistics that demand urgent action, including that “one truckload of textiles is landfilled every second” and that “the industry uses 342 million barrels of oil annually.” He outlined Landmark’s comprehensive sustainability framework spanning sustainable products, operations, and customer journeys.
The Youth Wave and Gen Z Leadership
A dedicated panel explored how Gen Z and Gen Alpha are fundamentally reshaping retail, not just as consumers but as creators, leaders, and cultural influencers. With 65% of Saudis under 35, understanding and engaging youth perspectives has become essential for retail success.
The session featured diverse voices, demonstrating the diverse ways youth perspectives are driving innovation.
The ‘Culture in Commerce’ session, led by Dareen Mukhaimer, CEO of e-Arabization, and Aamir Allibhoy, General Manager of SRMG Labs, explored how Arabic localization and cultural authenticity are redefining retail storytelling and consumer trust, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s leadership in language-driven brand relevance.
Looking Forward: Retail as Culture, Emotion, and Community
The forum’s closing panel, moderated by Dr. Martyn Davies, Retail Sector Leader and Head of City Excellence Division at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, explored how Saudi malls and brands are transforming into cultural ecosystems: spaces that celebrate connection, authenticity, and community. Leaders from BinDawood Holding, Alandalus Property, Gold Apple, and Landmark Group shared perspectives on creating distinctly Saudi experiences.
The evening culminated in the prestigious IMAGES RetailME Awards KSA 2025, celebrating retail practices and innovation across 20+ categories, recognizing the brands and leaders driving the industry forward.
A defining characteristic of SRF 2025 was its authentically Saudi composition. With 70% of the event’s founders and CEOs representing the pivotal sectors shaping Saudi Arabia’s retail ecosystem, SRF 2025 reaffirmed the Kingdom’s emergence as a retail knowledge exporter. The forum demonstrated conclusively that the Kingdom’s retail transformation is not merely keeping pace with global trends, it is setting them. Rooted in authentic Saudi culture yet globally ambitious, the event charted a clear pathway toward an innovative and sustainable retail future aligned with the transformative goals of Vision 2030.
