Carrefour has shut its doors in 4 countries. As of September 16, 2025, the French supermarket chain, operated in the Middle East by UAE-based conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim, confirmed it would cease operations in the Gulf country. Carrefour has exited four countries across the region — Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, and now Kuwait. At first glance, it might seem like the brand is simply vanishing from the Middle East. But what’s really happening is a transformation?
Where Carrefour disappears, a new name is appearing almost immediately in its place: HyperMax. This isn’t a rival chain stepping in. HyperMax is actually a new grocery brand launched by Majid Al Futtaim itself, the very company that operated Carrefour stores across the region.
So, is Carrefour really exiting the region entirely, or is it more of a brand makeover?
The reality is somewhere in between. HyperMax began replacing Carrefour in Jordan in late 2024, followed by Oman in January 2025, Bahrain in mid-September, and then Kuwait just two days later. Majid Al Futtaim has now launched over 60 HyperMax stores across these four countries. The company describes HyperMax as a locally focused, independently operated grocery brand that offers a modern, customer-first shopping experience. It also emphasizes partnerships with local producers, farmers, and SMEs, a shift in positioning compared to Carrefour’s international image.
A spokesperson for Majid Al Futtaim told KT, “Majid Al Futtaim continuously reviews its businesses to stay agile and responsive to evolving market dynamics. In response to a growing demand for locally sourced products and services in a number of our markets, Majid Al Futtaim has launched HyperMax – an independently owned and operated grocery retailing brand. HyperMax’s mission is clear: bringing fresh and affordable locally sourced products to our customers in Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait, while delivering a modern, customer-first shopping experience.”
Despite the coordinated closures, the company hasn’t given specific reasons for ending Carrefour operations in these countries. Official announcements, mostly made on social media, have been brief and polite, expressing gratitude but offering no financial or strategic explanations.
When Carrefour closed in Jordan in November 2024, the message simply read, “We thank our customers and apologise for any inconvenience this decision may cause.” A similar message accompanied the closure of stores in Bahrain, stating that Carrefour “thanked all its customers for their trust and support throughout the decades.” In Kuwait, the statement confirmed that Carrefour would “cease operations… effective September 16, 2025.”
In the absence of detailed explanations from the company, analysts and retail observers have pointed to several likely reasons behind the shift. While no financial data has been released, it is reported that Carrefour’s performance in some of the smaller Gulf markets was underwhelming. Competition is also reported to be fierce. Retail giants like LuLu, Nesto, and various homegrown chains have been expanding rapidly, creating a more challenging environment for legacy foreign brands.
The rise of social media has further amplified this shift in consumer sentiment.
Interestingly, Majid Al Futtaim insists that the change isn’t being driven purely by financial motivations. In a statement on the closures, Günther Helm, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Retail, told Dubai Eye’s Business Breakfast, “In the UAE, there is, at the moment, no plan to do so,” when asked about Carrefour’s future in the Emirates. He emphasized that the decision to close operations in four countries was based on meeting evolving customer needs, not financial pressure.
And that brings the big question: What does all this mean for Carrefour in the UAE?
Carrefour remains deeply rooted in the Emirates, with a strong and loyal customer base. Majid Al Futtaim has reassured the public that there are “no immediate plans” to either shut down Carrefour stores or to launch HyperMax in the UAE or other remaining markets like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan. In fact, many industry insiders view the UAE as Carrefour’s flagship market in the region, a space where the brand is too well-established to risk a sudden rebranding.
In other words, HyperMax might not be replacing Carrefour — it might just be what Carrefour has become.
