Hundreds of people queued from the early hours of Friday morning to be among the first to take home the latest iPhone 15 that went on sale at Dubai Mall.
Extra security was drafted in to manage the huge crowds that gathered inside the mall, waiting for shops to open their doors.
Many had already queued to reserve their slot to visit the Apple Store, which opened for a special launch event at 8am.
With each of the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max devices priced from Dh5,099 ($1,388) – it is an expensive passion, although some shoppers were looking to sell on their devices for inflated prices on the secondary market.
Flying in for a phone
Sofia Tarasova, 15, from Moscow, was visiting Dubai with her brother for a week with the main intention of buying Apple products.
“I bought these four iPhones as I want to sell them in Russia,” she said. “The iPhone 15 ProMax will sell for around $4,500 there.
“We can't buy these iPhones in Russia because we have many sanctions and so we come to Dubai to buy.
“Apple is very popular in Russia as well, many people like an iPhone and they are more comfortable using them.”
Each year when Apple launches its latest products there is a huge rush to become the first to pick up the devices that have become a status symbol for some.
Die-hard Apple fans were given a QR code to join the front of the queue, but due to high demand for the devices, they were restricted to buying a maximum of two new phones per person.
The race to be first in line
Sayed Fawas, from Kerala in India, was the first though the doors of the Apple Store in Dubai Mall, a long held ambition for the 34-year-old sales supervisor.
“Every year, I've been trying to become the first person but every year it's very tough for everyone – trying to get in is very difficult,” he said.
“I cannot compare Apple with any other brand of phone, the flexibility, the operating system, everything is totally different.”
Mr Fawas bought two iPhone 15 Pro Max devices for himself and then two more for a friend.
“It's an investment,” he said.
“I already have an iPhone 13 Pro, I have a 14 and I even have 11 Pro.
“I'm very happy but the queue is the biggest and there is a big difference from last year with many more people.”
Shoppers were also queuing at Virgin Megastore and Sharaf DG that were running similar systems for early buyers of the latest devices.
Apple was also launching its latest version of the iWatch.
Crowds gather in Abu Dhabi
Meanwhile at the Galleria Al Maryah Island, a shopping centre in Abu Dhabi, similar queues were building as Apple fans waited in line.
"In my country, iPhones are very expensive because we don’t have any Apple Stores there, and the tax is very high – the difference in price is more than $500,” said Munar Nurkazy, from Kyrgyzstan.
"I arrived yesterday at 12am, I didn't even go to the hotel and went immediately to Galleria Mall.
“It was closed but we stayed outside until they opened the doors."
Like many others, Mr Nurkazy was looking to sell his extra devices for a tidy profit.
"I came for my business as I own an electronic store,” he said.
"Almost all the countries around us don’t have any Apple Stores. That’s why we come here and buy and then sell it on in my country.”
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Results
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
SPECS
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
