RCM26Day 1 · 5 October 2026 · Fireside
NEXT | Leading Through the New Realities
Three takeaways
- 01Alain Bejjani sees four realities converging on every leader: volatility, AI, sustainability and "talentism", in which talent and human judgement now count for more than capital.
- 02He argues dwell time, not footfall, is now the key mall metric, and predicts owners will swap percentage rent for higher base rent, polarising real estate between experiential winners and assets used for fulfilment.
- 03Give people reasons to stay longer: Bejjani's advice is to keep investing in entertainment, service, customer experience and technology, since in the region the mall works as a city centre where social life happens, not a transactional stop.
About the session
The conditions that shaped the Gulf's retail and real estate sector over the past twenty years are changing, and the leaders who succeed will be those who read the new realities early and act on them. Alain Bejjani, author of NEXT | Leading Through the New Realities and former Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, discusses with Richard Dean what has changed for the region's operators, what leadership now demands, and how organisations stay decisive when the ground keeps moving.
“Now, what really matters in the mall is why people are coming and how much time they spend in the mall.”
From the room
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More from Day 1
KeynoteDubai's Retail and Tourism Agenda: The View from the CityMohammed Feras ArayqatHeadline firesideThe Human Future: AI, Happiness and How We Will Live, Work and GatherMo GawdatPanelCapital and Confidence: Navigating the Region's Next ChapterGogi George, Shane Eldstrom, Duaij Al Rumaihi, Tarik Abdullah Alaklan
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