French retail giant Carrefour has shut down operations in Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain over the past ten months, following mounting backlash over its alleged business links with Israeli companies in Jewish localities across the West Bank, according to a report by RFI.
The closures mark a symbolic victory for pro-Palestinian activists and the BDS movement, which has urged a boycott of Carrefour since the war in Gaza began.
The campaign accuses Carrefour of partnering with Israel’s Electra Consumer Products and its subsidiary Yénot Bitan, which operate stores in settlements, as well as of providing aid packages to Israeli soldiers during the conflict.
Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard has denied the allegations, insisting on the company’s “strict neutrality” and stressing that no Carrefour stores or products are present in West Bank localities.
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The withdrawal has opened the door for regional competitor HyperMax, managed by the Emirati group Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), Carrefour’s longtime franchise partner in the Middle East, which is now seeking to distance itself from the French brand and tailor its operations to local markets.
Despite this shift, MAF has acknowledged a 10% drop in revenue in 2024, citing the geopolitical tensions and a slump in consumer confidence across the region.