Carrefour exits Oman 2 months after Jordan, rebrands as Hypermax

Carrefour officially ceased operations in Oman as of yesterday, marking the end of decades of trade in the Sultanate. The French retail giant has been rebranded as Hypermax. The announcement follows a similar one in Jordan, where Carrefour closed its doors on 5 November last year, also rebranding as Hypermax.

“Effective January 7, 2025, Carrefour operations will be discontinued in the Sultanate of Oman. On behalf of the Management and Staff, we express our sincerest gratitude for your unwavering support over the decades,” a company statement read.

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The rebranded Hypermax stores are owned and operated by UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), the exclusive franchisee for Carrefour in the Middle East and North Africa since 1995. MAF introduced Carrefour’s first hypermarket in Dubai’s City Centre Deira and expanded to over 465 Carrefour stores in 14 countries.

READ: Palestine emergency collective demand of boycott of Carrefour stores because of its support for Israel

The closures coincide with mounting pressure from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has targeted Carrefour over its links to the occupation state which have intensified amid the Gaza genocide. While MAF has not explicitly tied the rebranding to BDS campaigns, the timing suggests a potential influence on the company’s decisions.

According to the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC): “Evidence also shows that there is at least one Carrefour-branded branch in an illegal settlement in the OPT [Occupied Palestinian Territories].”

The Palestinian BDS National Committee salutes its allies in Oman and the Omani people who contributed to this achievement. Let this success be a driving force to hold more companies accountable for their complicity in Israeli crimes, including genocide, against Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/ZyWxNrJtKt

— BDS movement (@BDSmovement) January 7, 2025

Welcoming to the news, BDS stated on X: “The Palestinian BDS National Committee salutes its allies in Oman and the Omani people who contributed to this achievement. Let this success be a driving force to hold more companies accountable for their complicity in Israeli crimes, including genocide, against Palestinians.”

“We continue to call for a boycott of all stores that carry the Carrefour brand or sell its products. The French group must respond to the campaign’s demands to avoid a growing global popular boycott. Let’s escalate the pressure until Carrefour ends its complicity in the Israeli genocidal regime.”

READ: Oman’s mufti hails ongoing boycott of pro-Israel brands