Apple executives have confirmed that they’re planning to open a store in the Dubai Mall. No official opening date has been given, but retail SVP Angela Ahrendts tweeted the announcement this week:
We’re getting ready for our newest store in UAE by celebrating local artists and entrepreneurs. Excited for Apple Dubai Mall! pic.twitter.com/SIT4FeDr1x
— Angela Ahrendts (@AngelaAhrendts) April 4, 2017
Apple announces plans for Dubai Mall store
The company added a page for the Dubai Mall location to its retail site and said it hopes to have a firm opening date for the store sometime soon. The Apple Store will take up two entire floors within the mall and be open to shoppers every day. According to the company’s retail site, the store will be open from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. local time Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. until midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to iPhones, iPads and Macs, the store is also expected to offer standard services usually found at Apple stores. The company said shoppers in Dubai can expect the grand opening “soon.” The city is known for its strong arts and cultural scene, so it is not surprising that Apple is celebrating the grand opening with an artsy image on its website. The same image is also on the construction barrier inside the mall blocking off the location of the store until it’s ready to receive shoppers.
Third Apple store in the UAE since 2015
The location will be the third store the company has opened in the United Arab Emirates in less than two years. In 2015, the iPhone maker opened retail locations at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates and at a mall in Abu Dhabi, notes Redmond Pie. The Dubai Mall is a prime location for any retailer, as it is one of the most popular shopping sites in the city. Some estimates peg the number of shoppers at more than 90 million every year.
Apple also continues to build new stores and update old stores in the U.S. with the new design it started rolling out a couple of years ago. The company recently shut down two stores in California and one in Florida for renovations. All three are expected to open back up before the end of this year. The company is also still building its future flagship store in Chicago.
