Al-Futtaim Group is looking at further expansion opportunities in the GCC, Levant and North Africa regions after the signing of a Dhs6bn ($1.63bn) retail and leisure contract in Qatar last month, Reuters has reported. The company is looking to take advantage of falling construction costs and “more reasonable” salaries, Marwan Shehadeh, group director of corporate development told the news service. “On the real estate side we are focusing on retail,” he said. “If it’s a similar size deal we will probably do one more over the next two years, if it’s a smaller size we will do more than one.”