The company announced the move on its website on Thursday. A spokesperson did not make a comment when asked.
Advertisement
“We look forward to opening a physical store in the region and sharing Apple’s unique shopping experience and services that have been incredibly popular around the world, in the near future”. What’s surprising is that Apple hasn’t done this much earlier.
Sales of iPhones were up 50% year-on-year in the third quarter last year, the latest period for which regional data is available.
During the “reveal” of the Mall of the Emirates’ $1 billion extension on September 28, the mall’s management had chosen to remain tight-lipped about the Apple Store.
Revenue at Apple in its emerging markets increased 58% in April compared to the previous year, Tim Cook the CEO at Apple told his investors.
In a brief statement, Apple confirmed that the stores will be located in Mall of the Emirates in Dubai and Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi.
In a recent report by brand consultancy MBLM, Apple emerged as the most intimate brand among UAE consumers, beating technology peers Samsung, Sony and Google, who all feature in the Top 10 Most Intimate Brands in the UAE. The Dubai store will be inside the Emirates Mall where the indoor ski park is located and there are over 250 other stores.
They are both set to open their doors on Thursday, October 29. The location of 7-Eleven’s first store in the Middle East is Bay Square, near downtown Dubai and the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa Tower.
Advertisement
“We worked closely with Seven Emirates and our parent company Seven-Eleven Japan to ensure we are providing the neighborhood with the products they expect from 7-Eleven as well as fresh foods typically consumed there”, said Chris Tanco, 7-Eleven executive vice president and head of global.
