SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 29 March 2024, Friday |

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

A new Apple shop will open shortly on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, becoming the tech company’s fourth location in the UAE.

The Apple Al Maryah Island shop will include views of the waterfront promenade and will “be a haven for consumers to develop their creativity, discover new products, and receive the greatest assistance from the new retail staff,” according to the Cupertino-based technology giant.

On Thursday morning, Apple installed a customized barrier encircling the location.

The barrier honors pearls and pearl divers, as well as everything they symbolize in Abu Dhabi’s history and culture.

“The pearl and the environment it was formed in are a perfect metaphor for the city’s development and investment in its creative sector, which is racing full speed ahead,” Apple said.

According to the firm, the store will become a new gathering spot for the community to congregate, learn, and be inspired.

“Visitors will be able to create, collaborate, and continue to enjoy the best of Apple in one location.”

Apple’s renovated store in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall opened this week, with the store now in a fantastic position and double the size it used to be.

The wood-and-glass-themed store sells the whole array of Apple products accessible in the UAE, as well as the company’s trade-in program and accessories.

“We look forward to bringing the best of Apple to the UAE and expanding on our heritage in the area,” said Apple’s senior vice president of retail and people, Deirdre O’Brien.
According to the company’s website, Apple now has a network of 516 shops in 25 countries, up from its initial locations in the US states of Virginia and California in 2001.

Apple’s retail locations have grown inextricably linked to the company’s brand and culture. Apple has enlarged their mission and blended the stores with the culture and environment of its locales, moving away from being only retail storefronts.

The Dubai Mall shop, for example, features a motorized Solar Wings terrace with a view of the Dubai Fountain, and its Marina Bay Sands outlet in Singapore was constructed 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 house its 17th store.

Apple, which has been in the Middle East for almost a decade, already has three outlets 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.

    Source:
  • The National News