A supermarket chain owned by Indian dropped shutters for its many branches after the owner allegedly fled the country, leaving hundreds of employees in misery and millions of dirhams in dues to suppliers.
Al Manama Group, the 40-year-old company, headquartered at Ajman runs more than 20 supermarkets and hypermarkets in all emirates except Abu Dhabi shut down most of the branches by this month after the head office was closed down in the last week of November. The company which has a good track record sank in the past few months.
The local sponsor, suppliers, and employees alleged that the managing director of the group had left the UAE two months ago without paying salaries and pending payments. Abdul Khadar Sabeer, hailing from the South Indian state of Kerala, has gone bankrupt and Sabeer, the managing director, has fled the country.
Emirati sponsor Hamad Al Matroushi has settled the payments of around 600 employees, though he was not obliged to do so. “I was never a signatory to the bank cheques. I have never been part of the operations. He has left the UAE illegally after he got into financial issues. He owes millions to the banks also. I also have a Dh3.5m cheque from him,” he said.
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