Apple to open fifth UAE store next year as local investments top $1.6bn

Chief executive Tim Cook arrives in UAE for visit amid news of planned store in Al Ain, which will be company's third in Abu Dhabi emirate

Apple chief executive Tim Cook with Emirati photographers Ola Allouz and Huda bin Redha at Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Photo: @tim_cook/X

Apple will be opening its fifth store in the Emirates next year, as the world's most valuable company continues to ramp up investments in the country.

The store in Al Ain, the third in Abu Dhabi, will be the latest in Apple's investment in the UAE, which has totalled Dh6 billion ($1.6 billion) in the past five years, the tech company said in a release on its website on Saturday.

This includes "Apple’s spend with Emirati companies, the thriving iOS app economy and direct employment", which supports more than 38,000 jobs across the country, the California-based company said.

It has also created "new opportunities for local companies and developers", reflected in the nearly Dh5 billion earned by developers – a nearly ninefold increase since 2019 – made through selling digital goods and services globally through their apps, it added.

"The Emirati developer community continues to be a powerful force for economic growth, supporting jobs across the country at companies large and small," the company said.

Apple did not disclose a time frame for the Al Ain store's opening or its location.

“The UAE is home to an incredible community of creators, innovators, developers and entrepreneurs, and we’re excited to keep growing our teams, supporting local businesses and strengthening our ties with our customers here,” said Apple chief executive Tim Cook, who also arrived in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Mr Cook visited Qasr Al Hosn palace fort along with Emirati photographers Ola Allouz and Huda bin Redha, according to his post on X.

Apple’s physical presence remains key to its overall retail strategy, despite the popularity of online shopping channels, providing consumers with more in-depth experiences of its products, in addition to educational sessions offered by its Today at Apple programme.

From its first outlets that opened in the US states of Virginia and California in 2001, Apple has a network of 533 outlets across 26 countries and territories, according to the company's website.

The UAE, the Arab world's second-biggest economy, is a key market for Apple, with the nation always among the first to receive the company's new devices, particularly its flagship iPhones.

Apple's first official foray in the UAE was in 2011, when it opened its online store. Four years later, it opened the first Apple Stores in the Emirates, with the outlets in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall and Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates opening simultaneously.

This was followed by another at The Dubai Mall in 2017, which features a Solar Wings balcony that is motorised and offers a view of the Dubai Fountain, making it one of the most popular Apple Stores worldwide.

The fourth store, in the Galleria Mall on Abu Dhabi’s Al Maryah Island, opened in 2022 and features flowing water alongside the entrance steps, from both the waterfront and the mall, which are firsts for an Apple Store.

The Al Ain outlet will bring Apple's global store count to 533. Turkey, with three stores, is the only other country in the Middle East and North Africa that has Apple Stores.

Apple commanded a record quarter for global smartphone revenue in the third quarter of 2024, driven by its new iPhone 16 line-up, as device shipments grew on improved consumer demand and macroeconomic conditions, Counterpoint Research reported last month.

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