DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A special judicial committee in Dubai has reportedly ordered the parent company of one of the region's retail giants to restructure its board, trying to end years of turmoil after the death of its billionaire founder and secure the future of the owner of the Mall of the Emirates.
The changes at Majid Al Futtaim come as Dubai tries to guide the family-run businesses that powered the city-state's growth in the United Arab Emirates through generational change. Authorities also likely want to avoid any further infighting that could slow down the growth of a firm that long has made hiring Emiratis a key goal.
The Financial Times first reported on the changes to Majid Al Futtaim's board, saying it came at the orders of a government-established special judicial committee.
In 2022, Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, established a special judicial committee to look after the estate of Majid Al Futtaim's founder — also named Majid Al Futtaim — following his death in 2021.
Responding to questions Monday from The Associated Press, the company appeared to acknowledge the changes at Majid Al Futtaim Capital, which oversees its group of companies.
The changes “reflect a shareholder-led effort to evolve governance in line with the long-term interests of the Group,” the company said in a statement. “These changes do not affect the operations or governance of Majid Al Futtaim Holding. Majid Al Futtaim continues to operate under an independent board and strong oversight.”
Dubai's government did not respond to a request for comment.
The Financial Times described Majid Al Futtaim's parent company as now being overseen by five government and four family representatives.
Succession battles aren’t unusual in the United Arab Emirates, where family-run businesses dominate private enterprise. Rulers have given merchant families broad control over different sectors in exchange for the promise of big investments and fast-paced development.
But over the years, that economic strategy has caused headaches for authorities, who have intervened when patriarchs die and tensions between disgruntled relatives boil over.
Majid Al Futtaim is a mainstay of the local consumer economy. It’s also a giant in the broader Gulf Arab region, owning and operating prominent hotels, entertainment venues and shopping malls. Its portfolio includes the Mall of the Emirates, a major tourist draw in Dubai that houses the Middle East’s first-ever indoor ski slope. It also runs regional franchises for global brands, including Lego.
Majid Al Futtaim’s revenues last year topped $9 billion.
As crown prince in the 1990s, Sheikh Mohammed mediated a succession dispute between Al Futtaim, the founder, and a cousin. Al Futtaim used the funds from that settlement to start his namesake company.
FILE - A man walks past a storefront inside Mall of the Emirates in in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair, File)
AL HENAKIYAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Ricky Brabec deliberately gave up his motorbike lead over Luciano Benavides in the Dakar Rally while Nasser Al-Attiyah was happy to cruise through another day closer to his sixth car title on Thursday.
Al-Attiyah started 346-kilometer stage 11 between Bisha north to Al Henakiyah with a 12-minute overall lead and let it drop to less than nine minutes over new second-placed driver Nani Roma in a Ford.
Al-Attiyah was content to let Dacia teammate Sébastien Loeb catch up and pass him to have a teammate nearby for any help and to minimize errors on the mazy, dirt track. Al-Attiyah was 17th, nearly 13 minutes behind stage winner Mattias Ekström, and said he needed to execute the same plan on Friday's last effective racing stage before the end on Saturday.
“If we lose two, three, four minutes no problem,” Al-Attiyah said. “We just need to finish this Dakar in first place.”
Honda cooked up a strategy in the Saudi desert for Adrien van Beveren to open the way and let Brabec catch up after the 190-kilometer pit stop and pick up time bonuses.
Brabec boosted his overall lead from 56 seconds to nearly four minutes just 25 kilometers from the finish. He was also within a minute of the stage lead but he slowed down so KTM rival Benavides was the new overall leader, but only by 23 seconds.
Brabec got his his wish to start Friday's stage 12 six minutes behind Benavides, so he can eye him. They head west to the rally starting point of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast on 311 kilometers of gravel, some river beds with a finish in the dunes.
“A little bit of strategy today and hopefully it pays off tomorrow,” Brabec said. "I feel like its going to be a good day. We’re going back into the rocks so it will be a little bit better for us.”
Brabec is counting on his experience of winning the Dakar in 2020 and 2024 to trump Benavides, who has a best placing of fourth last year.
“I've been in this situation before,” Brabec said. “For the whole two weeks I've been just trying to stay relax, stay comfortable and just be confident, so two days more. I'm gonna do the same thing tomorrow that I've been doing every day; ride dirt bikes and have fun.”
Van Beveren helped Brabec with navigation while fighting with another teammate, Skyler Howes, the entire day for the stage win.
Howes prevailed by 21 seconds for his first career major stage in his eighth Dakar. He was third in 2023 and sixth last year. He's running fifth, 34 minutes off the pace.
Benavides was fourth in the stage and believed the race will be decided on the final 105-kilometer sprint on Saturday.
“I played no strategy like Ricky. I don't care,” Benavides said. “I'm doing what I can to control what I can control.”
Ekström won his third car stage of this Dakar, a special so fast that 12 other drivers were within 10 minutes.
Ford achieved another 1-2-3 stage. Romain Dumas, a three-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, was a career-best second just over a minute back and Carlos Sainz was third.
Only Toyota's Henk Lategan beat Ekström to a checkpoint but Lategan's podium hopes were wrecked after 140 kilometers when a bearing broke on his rear left wheel. Lategan was second last year and second overall overnight but he plunged out of the top 15, at least.
Loeb moved up to third overall, 10 minutes behind Roma and three minutes ahead of Ekström.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Rider Daniel Sanders competes during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Driver Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Fabian Lurquin compete during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Rider Skyler Howes competes during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Driver Henk Lategan, left, and co-driver Brett Cummings repair their car during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Driver Nani Roma and co-driver Alex Haro compete during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
