LVMH partners with SKEMA to create a luxury track in Dubai

LVMH has allied with SKEMA to create a new luxury education track in the Dubai wing of the international business school, designed to prepare future industry leaders.

The two groups have signed an agreement to develop a Retail Excellence & Client Relationship Management qualification in Dubai. This is the latest move by a Gulf state to develop its reputation in higher education in a major international luxury hub.

The luxury market in the United Arab Emirates is projected to reach $5.39 billion by 2029. Dubai alone generates 30% of the luxury market’s revenue in the Middle East.

SKEMA already offers a Luxury Digital Marketing & Strategy program since 2021 in partnership with the New York University School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) for the first semester, followed by a second semester at SKEMA Business School in Paris.

“With SKEMA, LVMH reaffirms its commitment to luxury retail and shaping the talents of tomorrow by engaging in an excellence-driven training program aligned with the evolving luxury industry. This strategic partnership focusing on retail, which is the heart of our business, illustrates our dedication to supporting new generations in their professional development and passing on the unique expertise that defines our maison in the world of luxury retail,” said Pierre-Julien Bousquet, LVMH’s group global VP people engagement, in a release Monday.

Starting this fall, the Retail Excellence & Client Relationship Management course will be delivered entirely in English. LVMH, luxury’s largest conglomerate, will actively contribute to student training by leading lectures and masterclasses on several key topics: e-commerce and retail; sales performance; client experience & UX design; merchandising and exclusive events; and AI applied to the in-store experience.

Students will attend roundtables, talks and visits to LVMH’s flagship stores in Dubai. There will also be dedicated SKEMA academic courses and a four- to eight-month internship, allowing direct immersion in the luxury world.

“SKEMA and LVMH are creating an innovative program that will develop true experts in client relationship management and retail, an area of high demand. We are addressing both the strategic challenges of tomorrow and the immediate needs of luxury industry players by equipping students with the essential skills to excel in this exceptional domain,” said Alice Guilhon, dean and executive president of SKEMA, and Emmanuelle Rigaud, director of the MSc in Global Luxury and Management program.

Elsewhere in the region, the Saudi Fashion Commission linked with IFM, Paris’ top fashion and luxury management school, to develop a specialized luxury training program in 2022. In the past few years, hundreds of Saudis have joined the intensive courses given by IFM professors in Paris and Saudi Arabia.

With 11,000 students from over 130 nationalities, 190 professors, and 60,000 alumni across 145 countries, SKEMA Business School is a global educational and research institution that trains talents committed to transforming the world sustainably.