Case Study: Emaar Properties achieves cloud-powered retail transformation and 6× faster app performance with Microsoft Azure

Microsoft powers change at the world’s largest retail space, Dubai Mall

Emaar Properties, the UAE developer behind Dubai Mall — the world’s most‑visited shopping destination with some 80 million annual visitors and 1,200 retailers — faced the challenge of operating and personalizing experiences across an enormous, complex retail environment. The group set out to digitally transform operations and customer engagement under its “Future Now” vision, needing real‑time insights, scalable infrastructure and an omni‑channel platform to deliver tailored services to millions of visitors.

Emaar implemented the Microsoft Cloud stack (Azure, Cortana Intelligence, Azure AD B2C, Power BI and Dynamics), migrated the mall to the cloud, deployed Wi‑Fi and 10,000 IoT telemetry points feeding Azure IoT Hub, and surfaced insights in Power BI and customer apps. The result: fully cloud‑based operations, faster and more resilient customer apps (coming online six times faster), real‑time analytics for managers and retailers, improved operational agility and personalized, omni‑channel experiences that serve as a prototype for other Emaar properties.

Emaar Properties

Veresh Sita

Group Chief Digital Officer