Laila Suhail is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) and the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE). She has over three decades of experience in Dubai's retail, tourism, and real estate sectors, now working as an investment and real estate advisor.

What is the focus of Laila Suhail's new advisory practice?

Her advisory practice concentrates on exclusive residences, landmark developments, and high-value investments, offering bespoke guidance to High Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and sophisticated investors in Dubai, the GCC, and other international markets.

What was Laila Suhail's role in Dubai's retail sector development?

Laila Suhail started with the Dubai Shopping Festival in 1995 and became CEO of DFRE in 2008, where she was instrumental in organising and strengthening major annual festivals, contributing to Dubai being recognised as the 'Festivals Capital of the World' in 2011 and 2012.

What is the retail sector's contribution to Dubai's economy?

According to government reports, the retail sector contributes between 22-25 percent to Dubai's economy. The emirate's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to exceed $264 billion in 2025.

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Lifestyle·5 September 2026

Laila Suhail Transitions to Investment Advisory, Using Three Decades of Dubai Development Experience

Laila Suhail, former CEO of Dubai Shopping Festival, has launched an investment advisory practice focusing on high-net-worth individuals, using her extensive experience across Dubai's retail, tourism, and real estate sec

Laila Suhail, a pivotal figure in shaping Dubai's economic landscape over the past three decades, has transitioned her expertise into an investment and real estate advisory role. Her new practice targets High Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs), investors, and developers seeking opportunities in Dubai, the wider GCC, and selected international markets.

Suhail's career reflects Dubai's evolution from a trading outpost to a global commercial and tourism hub. She began her journey in 1995 as a coordinator for the inaugural Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) and rose through the ranks to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) in 2008. This appointment marked a significant milestone, making her the first woman CEO of the Dubai Shopping Festival.

Shaping Dubai's Growth

During her tenure, Suhail played a critical role in strengthening Dubai's annual festivals, aligning public and private sector ambitions, and contributing to the emirate's recognition as the "Festivals Capital of the World" by the International Festivals and Events Association in 2011 and 2012.

Her experience spans retail, tourism, events, luxury, and strategic partnerships. She understands Dubai not just as a market but as an integrated economic and cultural ecosystem, combining insights into its neighbourhoods, heritage, development priorities, and regulatory environment with a focus on financial relevance and governance.

Advisory Focus

Suhail's advisory practice focuses on exclusive residences, landmark developments, and high-value investments. She offers bespoke guidance, going beyond transactional brokerage to provide opportunity assessment, market context, stakeholder navigation, and developer engagement. This approach helps clients align personal aspirations with robust investment logic, particularly for those whose choices are influenced by lifestyle, legacy, and privacy.

Dubai's retail sector, which Suhail helped develop, now contributes between 22-25 percent to the emirate's economy, with the GDP projected to exceed $264 billion in 2025.

Frequently asked

Questions, answered

Who is Laila Suhail?: Laila Suhail is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) and the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE). She has over three decades of experience in Dubai's retail, tourism, and real estate sectors, now working as an investment and real estate advisor.
What is the focus of Laila Suhail's new advisory practice?: Her advisory practice concentrates on exclusive residences, landmark developments, and high-value investments, offering bespoke guidance to High Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and sophisticated investors in Dubai, the GCC, and other international markets.
What was Laila Suhail's role in Dubai's retail sector development?: Laila Suhail started with the Dubai Shopping Festival in 1995 and became CEO of DFRE in 2008, where she was instrumental in organising and strengthening major annual festivals, contributing to Dubai being recognised as the 'Festivals Capital of the World' in 2011 and 2012.
What is the retail sector's contribution to Dubai's economy?: According to government reports, the retail sector contributes between 22-25 percent to Dubai's economy. The emirate's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to exceed $264 billion in 2025.

Reported by

Retail & Mall Developments · Google News — Dubai Tourism & Hotels

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This brief was summarised and rewritten by Gaia Living from public reporting. Figures and details reflect the original sources.

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