Apple to open new store on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi

The venture will be the tech company’s fourth outlet in the UAE

A new Apple Store will soon open its doors on Abu Dhabi's Al Maryah Island. Photo: Apple

A new Apple store will soon open its doors on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, making it the tech company’s fourth outlet in the UAE.

The Apple Al Maryah Island store will offer views of the waterfront promenade and “be a home for customers to explore their creativity, discover new products and receive the best support from the new retail team”, the Cupertino-based technology company said on Thursday.

Apple unveiled a special barricade surrounding the storefront on Thursday morning.

The barricade pays tribute to pearls and pearl divers, and what they represent for Abu Dhabi’s history and culture.

“The pearl and the environment it is born out of is a great metaphor for the growth of the city, and its investment in its creative community that is driving full speed towards the future,” Apple said.

The store will become a new place for the community to gather, learn and find inspiration, the company said.

“Visitors will be able to create, collaborate and continue to experience the best of Apple, all in one place.”

Apple opened its redesigned outlet at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall last week, with the shop now in a prime location and twice as big as it used to be.

The wood-and-glass-themed store offers the full line-up of Apple products available in the UAE, as well the company’s trade-in programme and technical support.

“We look forward to continuing to bring the best of Apple to the UAE and building on our history in the region,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of retail and people.

From its first outlets that opened in the US states of Virginia and California in 2001, Apple today has a network of 516 stores in 25 countries, according to the company’s website.

Apple’s stores have become an integral part of the company’s image and culture. From being mere retail outlets, Apple has expanded their purpose and integrated the outlets with the culture and surroundings of their locations.

For instance, The Dubai Mall store has what is called a Solar Wings balcony that is motorised and offers a view of the Dubai Fountain, while its Marina Bay Sands outlet in Singapore was designed as a “floating sphere”, making it the first Apple store to sit directly on water.

In Italy, Apple restored Rome’s Palazzo Marignoli, a 19th-century palace, to set up its 17th outlet in the country.

Apple, which has been operating in the Middle East for more than 10 years, already has three stores in the UAE.

The original Yas Mall outlet opened in parallel with Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates branch in 2015 – making them the first Apple stores in the Middle East – while The Dubai Mall store followed in 2017. These outlets together have welcomed about 30 million visitors to date.

Apple is the world’s most valuable company, with a current market capitalisation of $2.88 trillion as of the close of trading on Wednesday.