Middle East Retail Forum | Conference

September 3, 2025

JW Marriott Hotel Marina, Dubai

This Year, We Focus on the

SIX LEGS

That Keep Retail Moving

Technology

AI, automation and data intelligence are no longer optional, they’re embedded in decision-making, operations and customer connection. Tech isn’t just supporting retail anymore. It’s steering it.

Consumers

Today’s customers are informed, expressive and constantly re-evaluating their loyalties. They want relevance, value, and shared values, in real time. Retail must keep pace or risk irrelevance.

Purpose

Purpose isn’t a marketing layer, it’s a strategic core. Brands anchored in authentic, actionable values are building deeper trust and longer-term relationships across MENA’s growing ecosystem of conscious consumerism.

Product

From design to distribution, products must reflect culture, context and innovation. Shelf appeal is no longer enough. Products must solve, surprise or speak to something bigger.

Experience

The emotional connection between brand and buyer is forged in moments, be it digital or physical. The most valuable retail now designs for memory, meaning and repeatability.

Talent

People build brands. And the retail workforce must be as adaptive and future-ready as the systems around them. Upskilling, culture, and leadership are now bottom-line drivers.

Technology

Consumers

Today’s customers are informed, expressive and constantly re-evaluating their loyalties. They want relevance, value, and shared values, in real time. Retail must keep pace or risk irrelevance.

Purpose

Product

From design to distribution, products must reflect culture, context and innovation. Shelf appeal is no longer enough. Products must solve, surprise or speak to something bigger.

Experience

The emotional connection between brand and buyer is forged in moments, be it digital or physical. The most valuable retail now designs for memory, meaning and repeatability.

Talent

People build brands. And the retail workforce must be as adaptive and future-ready as the systems around them. Upskilling, culture, and leadership are now bottom-line drivers.

September 3, 2025

JW Marriott Hotel Marina, Dubai

This Year,
We Focus on the

SIX LEGS

That Keep
Retail Moving

Technology

Consumers

Today’s customers are informed, expressive and constantly re-evaluating their loyalties. They want relevance, value, and shared values, in real time. Retail must keep pace or risk irrelevance.

Purpose

Product

From design to distribution, products must reflect culture, context and innovation. Shelf appeal is no longer enough. Products must solve, surprise or speak to something bigger.

Experience

The emotional connection between brand and buyer is forged in moments, be it digital or physical. The most valuable retail now designs for memory, meaning and repeatability.

Talent

People build brands. And the retail workforce must be as adaptive and future-ready as the systems around them. Upskilling, culture, and leadership are now bottom-line drivers.

PARTNERS 2025

Be a part of the conversation.
Be a part of what’s next.

Next Starts Here

The Middle East Retail Forum (MRF) is where the future of retail isn’t predicted — it’s experienced. As IMAGES RetailME’s flagship platform for retail conversations, the 14th Edition of MRF 2025 brings together the region’s sharpest minds and boldest brands to make sense of the change that’s already underway.

Join us, as MRF returns with its 13th edition and experience #ThePowerOfNext.

This year’s theme, NEXT IS NOW, reflects a powerful truth: transformation is no longer on the horizon, it’s here, reshaping every facet of retail in real time.
At MRF 2025, we focus on the SIX legs that keep retail, the living, breathing organism — moving, running, leaping. From tech to talent, purpose to product, consumer shifts to experience.

Join the conversations that matter. Meet the changemakers. And align with what’s next. Right now.

0 ⁺

Attendees

0 ⁺

Brands

0 ⁺

SPEAKERS

0 ⁺

SESSIONS

Attendees

100 +

Brands

0 +

Speakers

0 +

Sessions

0 +

INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES

INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES

MARKET INSIGHTS

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

The IMAGES RetailME Awards, also known as the #OscarsOfRetail, honour the retailers who are shaping the future of retail in the Middle East—through exceptional customer experiences, retail best practices and excellence across the entire retail value chain.

If your retail brand has delivered remarkable performance or led groundbreaking initiatives in the past year, it’s time to step into the spotlight. Nominate your brand now and join the league of pioneers. Being recognised at the IMAGES RetailME Awards means standing out among industry peers and earning the highest honour in regional retail excellence.

POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS

Promote your products and service offering to make your brand top of mind

Get quality face-time with 10+ hours of dedicated networking

Source intelligence to help your clients

Become a provider of choice in the Retail sector

Demonstrate your thought leadership to key decision-makers

RETAILME AWARDS

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE

The IMAGES RetailME Awards are more than just about winning in a competitive retail market like the Middle East. Serving as a motivational platform, the awards will recognise Retailers/ Technology partners that can demonstrate delivery of outstanding customer experiences to customers across all channels via best practices in tech through the retail value chain. The 2023 entries for Images RetailME Awards are now open. If your retail company or brand attained some creditworthy performance numbers and/or raised the bar with outstanding innovation and pioneering initiatives during the past year, nominate your brand now to be counted among the region’s retail stars.