Gulf Marketing Group (GMG) has acquired Royal Sporting House (RSH) from Al-Futtaim Group to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia’s sports retail market.

By acquiring one of the largest multi-brand sports retailers in the region, the UAE-based group will expand its reach to new markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, with more than 700 million customers globally. 

“This expansion is a strategic step in taking our business and vision global,” said Mohammad A Baker, deputy chairman and CEO of GMG. 

“Despite the significant disruptions to the global retail industry, the strength and resilience of GMG’s business strategy enabled us to overcome these challenges and double down on our expansion plans. At our core, we are a growth business with long-term global ambitions.” 

The acquisition increases GMG’s number of sport retail stores to more than 550 across 12 countries. The GMG Sports portfolio includes homegrown brands such as Sun and Sand Sports and it is a distributor of global brands including Nike, Columbia, Timberland and Vans.