MgAl₂O₄:Cr phosphors have been prepared by co-precipitation method. The phosphors were annealed from 1000 ^oC to 1300 ^oC for 4 h. The samples obtained were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Powder XRD indicated the presence of mono-MgAl₂O₄ phase. FESEM images showed that the powder particles are mostly angular with diameter of 5-15 mm. The phosphors show efficient near-infared emission about 720 nm, which is due to the ⁴A_2g to higher excited state ⁴T_1g and ⁴T_2g transition of Cr³⁺ ions located at the sites with D_3d local symmetry. The compound shows potential for applications as display and phosphors.