AI is redefining the UAE’s AED 300 billion retail market with agentic systems and data-led decision logic, enhancing growth, margins, and customer experience.
DUBAI: Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming the strategic operating system behind the UAE’s AED 300 billion retail market, as revealed during the IBPC Dubai Annual Retail Conclave 2025. Held at Dubai Chambers, the forum gathered leading retail executives, tech innovators, and policymakers to explore how AI is reshaping retail productivity and consumer engagement.
The conclave focused on how the UAE retail sector is rapidly deploying AI-driven decision logic to keep up with shifting consumer behaviour and rising expectations. IBPC Dubai Secretary General Dr. Sahitya Chaturvedi opened the session by noting that customers now demand greater speed, personalisation, and authenticity. “Retailers who fail to adapt decision-making to real-time data and context risk falling behind,” he warned.
MSBC Group CEO Kumar Varsani’s keynote highlighted massive local investment in sovereign GPU clusters and AI infrastructure, which are accelerating AI adoption across enterprises. Varsani described how companies are progressing from basic AI tools to sophisticated, agent-driven systems that interpret context and automate intelligent decision-making. He emphasised that traditional systems like CRM and ERP are now evolving into tokenised data ecosystems that unlock revenue, reduce costs, and boost competitive edge.
A core theme echoed by several speakers was the importance of context as the bridge between human intent and machine intelligence. Experts noted that AI’s real power lies in how businesses apply it to decision-making to improve performance across the board. As AI systems become embedded into retail workflows, agent-to-agent models—where every employee operates with AI support—are expected to become mainstream.
In a fireside chat, moderated by IBPC retail focus group convenor Ali Asgar Saeed, panellists Rajesh Garg, Dilip Sinha, and Kumar Varsani discussed how retailers are aligning AI tools with business goals. Their insights highlighted the importance of authentic customer communication, hyperlocal delivery models, and a diverse workforce empowered by AI. Speakers repeatedly stressed that AI strategies must deliver concrete results—not just experimental pilots.
Author and IBPC member Shilpa Bhasin Mehra also presented her latest book Unfiltered and Unapologetic, positioning AI as “the gift of time,” helping leaders redirect energy to creativity and strategic thinking. This segment was introduced by JSK Global Real Estate founder Sachin Joshi.
The conclave’s sessions were steered by seasoned IBPC businesswomen Gomathi Seetharaman and Reema Mahajan. Their moderation underscored the UAE’s ongoing shift to an AI-powered retail economy, with intelligent systems redefining how value, efficiency, and engagement are achieved.
IBPC Dubai continues to offer its members a trusted ecosystem for peer learning, strategic dialogue, and industry insights—ensuring they remain competitive in a market being swiftly reshaped by technology.
