(MENAFN- Live Mint) Kerala-born Yusuff Ali, the Chairman and Managing Director of LuLu Group - which operates 256 hypermarkets and malls across the Gulf and in India - has received a personally signed copy of a new book from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Taking to Instagram, the billionaire expressed his gratitude for the signed copy of“Lessons from Life: Part I”, and wrote:

“I am extremely thankful to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for sending me a personally signed copy of the latest book Lessons from Life: Part I. As a visionary leader blessed with great wisdom and knowledge, I am sure the present and future generations can learn a lot from the life of His Highness. I am also grateful to His Highness for considering me to receive this book."

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The post also showed a handwritten note inside the book. Sheikh Mohammed wrote:

“Dear Yusuff Ali MA, wisdom is the only inheritance that grows richer the more we share it. May you enjoy the read.”

Social media reacts

Ali's post, shared three days ago, has attracted praise from admirers who see the gesture as a mark of mutual respect between the two prominent leaders.

One person commented that they would“love to have a copy of it.” Another added,“This is so cool,” while someone else noted,“I loved his gesture.” A fourth user described it as“my dream book,” and several others called the exchange inspiring and“a beautiful honour.”

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According to Forbes, Ali presides over the $7.3 billion (revenue) LuLu Retail Group, which operates 240 hypermarkets and malls across the Gulf region and beyond.

Hailing from a small village in Kerala, southern India, Yusuff Ali moved to Abu Dhabi in 1973 to join his uncle's small distribution business - a modest beginning that laid the foundation for his vast retail empire.

In 2024, Yusuff Ali took a major step by listing LuLu Retail on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, raising $1.7 billion in the process.

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Apart from retail, Yusuff Ali holds a minority stake in Cochin International Airport and serves on its board. Notably, the airport is powered entirely by solar energy.

His other high-profile assets include the Waldorf Astoria in Scotland and the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London, once the headquarters of the UK's Metropolitan Police.

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