An Apple shop on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. The UAE, Turkey and now Saudi Arabia are the only countries in the Mena region where Apple has a retail presence. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
An Apple shop on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. The UAE, Turkey and now Saudi Arabia are the only countries in the Mena region where Apple has a retail presence. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
An Apple shop on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. The UAE, Turkey and now Saudi Arabia are the only countries in the Mena region where Apple has a retail presence. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
An Apple shop on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. The UAE, Turkey and now Saudi Arabia are the only countries in the Mena region where Apple has a retail presence. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Apple starts Saudi retail operations with opening of web and app stores


Alvin R Cabral
  • English
  • Arabic

Apple has initiated its retail presence in Saudi Arabia with a website and mobile application as it plans a major expansion in the kingdom.

The website and iPhone app are now live, and give consumers in the Arab world's biggest economy the full range of Apple products, the California-based company said on Tuesday.

It is also the first time Apple has offered direct service and support in Arabic.

Apple's array of services in Saudi Arabia will include dedicated support teams, flexible payment options, a trade-in programme, free engraving and special pricing for customers in the education sector.

Retail channels will offer customers "a new way to explore and shop", said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of retail and people.

The company’s physical presence remains vital to its overall retail strategy, despite the popularity of online shopping channels.

From its first shops that opened in the US states of Virginia and California in 2001, Apple now has a network of 535 outlets across 27 countries and territories, according to the company's website.

Apple first revealed plans to expand in Saudi Arabia in December, planning several stores including an "iconic" outlet in the historic city of Diriyah, as it increases its regional presence.

Tuesday's statement said Apple is in the "initial stages" of planning to open the store in Diriyah, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

In 2021, it opened the region's first Apple Developer Academy in the kingdom. Two students from the programme emerged as global winners in 2024.

The company also launched its latest hearing aid and hearing test services in March, offering residents in the kingdom free access to the technology.

The company first entered the Gulf in 2011 when it opened its online store in the UAE. It has since opened four Apple Stores in the Emirates, two each in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

A fifth outlet is scheduled to open in Al Ain this year as part of Apple's wider investments in the UAE that have totalled Dh6 billion ($1.6 billion) in the past five years, the company says.

Aside from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Turkey is the only country in the Middle East and North Africa region in which Apple has a retail presence.

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Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough

Stars: 4

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Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

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Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
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Oman, UAE, Namibia
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Name: Qyubic
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Founder: Namrata Raina
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Sector: E-commerce
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Investment stage: Pre-seed
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for job-seekers
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David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

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Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

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Founder: Kamal Nazha

Based: Dubai

Founded: 2020

Number of employees: 5

Sector: Technology

Funding: $450,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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The specs: Fenyr SuperSport

Price, base: Dh5.1 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

SHAITTAN
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVikas%20Bahl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAjay%20Devgn%2C%20R.%20Madhavan%2C%20Jyothika%2C%20Janaki%20Bodiwala%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Updated: July 22, 2025, 10:13 AM`