Dubai: Apple has confirmed that it will open a store in the region after posting a job listing for a store in Dubai on its website. The post, which was dated August 18, sought a retail manager for the UAE.
The new store would be the first in the region. In 2011, the company opened the Apple Online Store, UAE. It offers a range of iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac products. Globally, Apple has retail stores in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America and Turkey.
“The United Arab Emirates is an important country for Apple. it’s one of our fastest growing markets around the world. 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,” a company spokesperson told Gulf News in an e-mailed statement yesterday.
Apple products are already sold by different authorised retailers in the UAE, such as Virgin Megastore and iStyle, which is a premium reseller. How this would affect existing retail relations is unclear.
In February this year, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, met with Apple CEO Tim Cook. They discussed issues facing the IT sector, among other topics.
Positive sales
Apple posted positive sales growth so far this year. It sold 35.2 million iPhones and 4.4 million Macs in the fiscal third quarter ended June 28, marking an increase of 13 per cent and 18 per cent respectively from 2013.
That helped boost revenue by 6 per cent to $37.4 billion. Quarterly profit rose 12 per cent to $7.75 billion.
The iPhone 6 is rumoured to be released on September 9.
