Who we are

Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI) is a subsidiary of Emirates Group. Headquartered in Dubai, we are an ambitious business on the way to becoming one of the world’s leading independent beverage distributors.

We are committed to sustainable growth through service excellence and innovative sales & marketing – achieving leadership across carefully chosen categories and regional markets.

At a glance:

Number one beverage distributor in the UAE and Oman
Significant travel retail experience, supplying regional duty free retailers and operating Duty Free Dubai Ports
Overseas joint ventures with partners in Zanzibar, the Maldives, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Thailand and India.
Total operations cover 42 countries across four key geographical regions – East Africa, the Gulf and Middle East, Indian Ocean and South East Asia

Emirates Group

Emirates Group is one of the biggest employers in the region with more than 62,000 workers representing more than 160 different nationalities. We are made up of 50 divisions, which combine as the most comprehensive travel and tourism operation in the region.

Emirates Airline and dnata are at the heart of the group – their staggering growth has led to the creation of numerous ancillary businesses. Expertise in aviation, from in-flight catering to cargo, engineering to training, has enabled the group to provide services to external players across a number of fields.

We are always looking to the future, evolving and considering new ways to strengthen our operation.

Emirates Airline

Emirates Airline launched in 1985 at a rudimentary airport with two leased aircraft. Today it is considered fundamental in establishing Dubai as the Middle East’s commercial centre and aviation hub:

Emirates connects more than 120 destinations in over 70 countries
It runs more than 1,200 flights cross six continents from Dubai International Airport every week
In 2011/12 the Airline carried 34 million passengers, 2.6 million more than the previous period
In 2011/12 employed over 15,000 cabin crew, of more than 135 nationalities and who speak over 55 different languages

The Airline is wholly owned by the government of Dubai

Running on a commercial basis, it receives no financial support or protection. Instead Emirates has thrived by competing against established aviation giants who operate under Dubai’s open-skies policy.

dnata

In 1959, dnata was a small ground-handling operation with just five staff members. Today, it’s the fourth largest combined air services provider in the world with over 23,000 employees across five continents and 38 countries. dnata’s expertise in ground handling, cargo, travel, IT solutions and flight catering has earned it numerous awards and the admiration of the industry.

Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR)

ELR started out as part of MMI. In 2007 its leisure operations were divested to create a new company. Today ELR is a fully fledged subsidiary of the Emirates Group.

A major player in hospitality with a strong travel retail focus

ELR owns and operates a wide-ranging portfolio of restaurants, cafés and bars between their Head Office in the UAE and Australia. It has a reputation for successfully partnering international brands with local concepts. And then encouraging rapid growth, while preserving the integrity of the brand.

Over 230 quality outlets

The company operates over 230 outlets, including more than 70 across ten domestic and international airports. Business models range from franchise to own-brand, all offering premium experience at great value. ELR runs more than 130 Costa Coffee outlets across the UAE.

Australian operations

ELR recently expanded into Australia, where it now runs 85 Hudson’s Coffee outlets and 11 bars and restaurants. This includes the Brisbane River Grill and the award-winning Coopers Alehouse at Sydney airport. ELR has also introduced Left Bank to Melbourne.

Key brands operated by ELR include:

Costa Coffee
85 Hudson’s Coffee
Prêt A Manger
The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck
Giraffe
Left Bank

Bespoke, world first and global award-winning concepts:

Coopers Alehouse
Jack’s Bar & Grill
Heineken Lounge
The Draft House

Sirocco

Founded in 2005, Sirocco was formed as a joint venture between Emirates Airline & Heineken International. Sirocco focusses on the sales, marketing and execution of an independent beer and cider portfolio. Spanning the Gulf Region and in collaboration with the No 1 distributors, Sirocco brings world class activations to customers and consumers every day.

Sirocco aims to excite its customers and consumers through deep routed expertise and world class brands such as Heineken, Amstel, Tiger, as well as cutting edge niche and trendy propositions like Brewdog, Estrella Damm, and H41.

Through the portfolio, Sirocco is proud to leverage global sponsorships like Formula 1 and the UEFA Champions League, as well as local partnerships such as the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby 7s.