Apple confirms the opening dates for the first two Apple Stores in the United Arab Emirates-- 29 October 2015, with the stores located in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The Dubai location is in the Mall of the Emirates, Al Barsha, while the Abu Dhabi store is in Yas Mall, Yas Island. The Dubai store is supposedly the biggest in the world, as it covers an area of 50000 square feet. The current biggest Apple Store, the one in Covent Garden, London, has 3 floors making a total area of 40000 square feet.
As 19th richest country in the world the UAE are a natural home for an Apple Store or two, as it has a ready consumer base of both wealthy locals and moneyed tourists on the hunt for luxury goods. So is the Mall of the Emirates with its 700 stores (including 80 designer brands), two 5-star hotels and indoor ski resort.
However opening an Apple Store in the UAE is not without difficulty-- the Dubai store opening was originally planned for August 2015, but regulatory issues reportedly pushed the event back as the company scrambled to get exemption from UAE foreign ownership laws.
