Interviews

Ashraf Abu Issa is the Chairman of Abu Issa Holding, a Qatar-based conglomerate with diverse interests.

He begins his interview by describing his childhood. He narrates how his father started a distribution business with Samsonite luggage and eventually expanded it to perfume and film, where he secured a distribution agreement with Japan’s Fujifilm. However, Issa lost his father in 1987. As the eldest child, he took the responsibility of the business at the young age of 19.

Issa explains how he set up operations and secured his initial collaborations. Anticipating that Qatar’s investment in gas exploration would raise the population’s income, Issa made a strong push towards luxury retail. He explains how the brand name “Mosafer,” meaning traveler, was envisioned and launched as a one-stop destination for travelers. Mosafer adopted a strategy of complementing instead of competing with other firms, which enabled its stores to sell its brands alongside other brands. Continuing along this line, Issa also shared insights on how consumer demand for travel articles varies across the region. Discussing how the development of e-commerce impacted retail, he narrates how the company’s investment in e-commerce paid off during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Issa discusses how the four-year blockade of Qatar from 2017 to 2021 by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and other Arab countries impacted business- the movement of people and merchandise was restricted, and bank transactions between Qatar and its neighboring countries were blocked. Mosafer’s international expansion in the region was badly impacted. While license non-renewal caused stores in some countries to shut down, small independent units kept operations running in some countries. The pandemic raised interest rates further, adding to the financial challenges caused by the blockade. With outstanding loans to pay, Issa was forced to sell his distribution business of Samsonite and Fujifilm to sustain. Despite all the challenges, the business continued, and Issa expresses his appreciation for the Qatari government’s support.

He then explains how the business changed its strategy during COVID-19. As their online business, especially Nespresso coffee, flourished, the company reassigned employees from closed stores to make same-day deliveries and keep up with the demand. Stressing the importance of good managers, Issa talks about his firm’s talent management department, which nurtures managers in-house with tailored programs. The firm has sought to attract female employees and now has a 50/50 gender ratio in its workforce.

Talking about his own interest in art, its importance in society, and his auction house, Issa says that art, music, and dance are the language of the soul and add essence to the community. Involved in several philanthropic initiatives, including the Palestine Children's Relief Fund and INJAZ (a non-profit cultivating entrepreneurship and workforce readiness among youth in the Middle East), Issa concludes the interview by discussing the responsibility of business to society—individuals and businesses share the same responsibility as the government for societal well-being.

 Close