Ermenegildo Zegna changes partner in the UAE

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Oct 13, 2015

Ermenegildo Zegna has strengthened its Middle Eastern operations with a new partner in the UAEs. The luxury textiles and menswear group has created a joint company with the Al Tayer Group.

Al Tayer is a heavyweight player in regional luxury labels distribution. Its portfolio includes more than 35 brands such as Alexander McQueen, Boucheron, Bottega Veneta, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Emilio Pucci, Giorgio Armani and Jimmy Choo, and the group is also active in 4 joint ventures: with Bulgari, Gucci, Prada and Saint Laurent.

Having arrived in the Emirates in 1997, Ermenegildo Zegna initially partnered with UAE Trading Establishment, another distributor, and together they opened three retail outlets between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. After a transition period, the new joint venture with Al Tayer will be the main channel for the Italian label's distribution in the UAE.

"The Zegna group has been present in the UAE for several years, and we decided to pursue our expansion together with the Al Tayer Group, a company that shares our values and our entrepreneurial vision," the group's CEO Gildo Zegna explained in a press release, thanking their former partner.

Doubtlessly the choice is also explained by the fact that Al Tayer has a greater presence in the Middle East. Outside of the Emirates the group is in fact operational in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.

For the occasion, the two partners announced the opening of a new Zegna flagship store in Dubai, in the Dubai Mall of Emirates. The 354 m² premises were appointed by an internal team, following the store concept developed by architect Peter Marino for Zegna's 'global store' in Milan.