UAE Apple Stores are among the company’s busiest in the world, according to the iPhone manufacturer.
The brand has fostered “really strong” relationships with the local community, Apple’s senior vice president for retail, Deirdre O’Brien, told The National.
The retail outlets, which have been in operation for eight years, have been a key venue for the company’s consumer-oriented strategy, she said.
While refraining from revealing any concrete expansion plans for the region, Ms O’Brien said that the company is “always looking for opportunities all around the world” and the four Apple Stores in the UAE have “strong connections with our customers”.
“We never comment on our plans for the future, but what I will tell you is that we are very thrilled with the four stores we have here.”
Apple Stores in the UAE typically see plenty of customers during iPhone launches – many of them coming from abroad.
For example, the iPhone 15 launch on September 22 was one of the grandest in the country.
“The images that I saw of the lines here in the UAE and the excitement about the products was just phenomenal,” said Ms O’Brien.
The UAE Apple Stores’ allure lies in its multicultural nature, with more than 50 nationalities represented and nearly 70 languages spoken by its retail teams across its four outlets, she speculates.
“Without a doubt, this is absolutely one of the truly broad representations of so many different languages and cultures.”
Today, Apple operates four stores in the UAE. The first outlets in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall and Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates were launched at the same time in 2015.
This was followed by another at The Dubai Mall in 2017.
The fourth store, in the Galleria Mall on Abu Dhabi’s Al Maryan Island, was opened in 2022.
Apple’s physical presence remains crucial regardless of the popularity of online shopping channels, added Ms O’Brien.
“More customers are shopping online, and we certainly do see that. We’ve really focused on creating our Apple retail experience that is both digital and physical.”
