M.A. Yusuff Ali Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday

M.A. Yusuff Ali is a pioneering Indian-UAE retail magnate best known for founding and spearheading the global expansion of the LuLu Group International.

Introduction

M.A. Yusuff Ali (born November 15, 1955) is the chairman and managing director of LuLu Group International, a multinational retail and lifestyle conglomerate with operations spanning the Gulf, India and beyond. His business empire has made him one of India’s most influential entrepreneurs. His estimated net worth has ranged in recent years from around US$6.9 billion to about US$7 billion.  Yusuff Ali is married to Shabira Yusuff Ali, and the couple have three daughters together.

Quick Facts

From Village Roots to Global Retail Vision

Born on November 15, 1955, in the village of Nattika in Thrissur district, Kerala, Yusuff Ali was raised in a modest family environment.  He completed schooling at St. Xavier’s High School in Karanchira and obtained a diploma in Business Management and Administration.  At age 18, he moved to Abu Dhabi in 1973 to join his uncle’s trading business, marking the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Yusuff Ali transformed the wholesale business into what is now the LuLu hypermarket chain, capitalizing on the rising expatriate consumer market in the UAE. The shift to organised retail across food and non-food categories became a cornerstone of his empire. 

Defining moments in M.A. Yusuff Ali’s journey include:

• Joining his uncle’s distribution business in Abu Dhabi in the early 1970s

• Launching the first LuLu Hypermarket in the 1990s, when the Gulf retail sector began modernising

• Expanding into India in 2013 with the LuLu International Shopping Mall in Kochi, Kerala

• Diversifying into banking stakes, real estate and hospitality, including a landmark acquisition of the former Scotland Yard building in London

The Core Pillars of His Wealth

The core pillars of M.A. Yusuff Ali’s wealth include:

• LuLu Group International – The flagship retail-and-mall business that carries his name and underpins his fortune. 

• Real estate and shopping malls – Including major developments in India and the Gulf region. 

• Bank and infrastructure investments – His personal and group-level holdings include stakes in Indian banks and airport infrastructure. 

Relationships & Family Life

M.A. Yusuff Ali’s personal life is discreet yet clearly defined. He is married to Shabira Yusuff Ali and they are parents to three daughters: Shabeena, Shafeena and Shifa.  Each of the daughters is married into entrepreneurial and business families: Shabeena is married to Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Shafeena to Adeeb Ahamed, and Shifa to Sharoon Shamsudheen. 

Key insights into M.A. Yusuff Ali’s relationships and personal life:

• Yusuff Ali maintains a strong emphasis on family succession, involving his daughters and their spouses in business ventures.

• He keeps his personal profile and his wife’s involvement relatively low-key, focusing public attention more on the corporate empire than private celebrity.

• Though based in Abu Dhabi, his family retains deep roots in Kerala, and his personal connections span both India and the Gulf.

Lifestyle, Assets & Interests

Beyond career success, M.A. Yusuff Ali leads a lifestyle that reflects both passion and purpose, including:

• Ownership of luxury vehicles, jets, and real estate homes—he reportedly has a private jet and a waterfront home presence. 

• An avid collection of luxury watches and tailored suits, as noted in media profiles. 

• A strong philanthropic commitment: donations to disaster relief in Kerala, support for Indian expatriates in the Gulf, and multi-faith community initiatives. 

Net Worth Breakdown & Analysis

Estimating M.A. Yusuff Ali’s net worth draws on multiple published sources and must account for his diverse holdings.

Underlying the numbers is the recognition that Yusuff Ali’s wealth is heavily tied to the performance of LuLu Group International, the strength of Gulf retail markets, and the value of real-estate and infrastructure assets. Variations in global retail sentiment, currency fluctuations and regional policy dynamics all influence how his net worth is assessed.

Public Image, Legacy & Influence

M.A. Yusuff Ali is widely regarded as a bridge builder between India and the Gulf region—both culturally and economically. His public image blends entrepreneurial ambition with a philanthropic ethos. Media profiles describe him as a man who shuns ostentation in public but exercises soft influence behind the scenes. 

His legacy includes:

• Transforming organised retail in the UAE and the Gulf through LuLu hypermarkets and malls

• Opening doors for Indian expatriates in business and philanthropy in the Gulf

• Building infrastructure and retail capacity in his home state of Kerala, thus contributing to regional development

In his industry, Yusuff Ali draws respect for his long-term vision, willingness to scale globally and attention to community impact.

Conclusion

M.A. Yusuff Ali’s journey—from a village in Kerala to commanding a multi-billion-dollar retail empire—illustrates the confluence of ambition, timing and cross-border vision. With a birthdate of November 15, 1955 and a birthday celebrated each year on November 15, his personal life remains relatively private yet firmly anchored in family. His estimated net worth of around US$6.9 billion (and climbing) reflects the scale of his achievements. In relationships, he stands firmly as husband to Shabira Yusuff Ali and father to three daughters, each of whom integrates into the broader business ecosystem. While future chapters may shift the exact figures of net worth or business structure, the fundamental story—of a man who built a global retail empire while staying true to his roots—remains inspiring.