Apple’s giant new Dubai Apple Store at the Mall of the Emirates has officially opened its doors today as scheduled. Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s head of retail, tweeted the photo above showing the new store’s staff that will be able to “serve in 26 languages.” Ahrendts previously shared multiple photos showing off Apple’s latest flagship retail stores (below) in Dubai and Abu Dhabi which both open today.
Dubai’s store launch follows several years of effort to bring the Apple store experience to the region. Early last year, Apple CEO spent time visiting local electronics vendors after meeting the UAE Prime Minister. Rumors of Apple’s plans to open a retail store at the Mall of the Emirates date back several years.
Then earlier this year media in the region pegged the launch to this fall, although a couple months too soon possibly due to foreign ownership laws. Earlier this month we got the official dates for both stores opening today. We’ve also shared more photos plus video of what the new stores.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id6szBtDgVo&feature=youtu.be]
Angela Ahrendts has also tweeted launch photos from Abu Dhabi:
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I am so confused – I thought women who showed their hair were stoned to death in these countries? Or was it only if they show their finger nails?
This is the UAE. From satellite it may like like the same desert wasteland as every other hole in the middle east, but here money talks and islam walks. It’s a slice of manufactured trillion dollar paradise.
Such an ignorant reply, you obviously don’t know anything about the Middle East.
So you mean they DON’T stone them to death? I’m still confused.
And how are gay rights doing in the Middle East then? Are gay people still thrown from the tops of buildings, as the Koran commands? Or are they just beheaded instead?
The entire Middle East is truly hell on earth. A vile, toxic mix of filthy oil money and dark ages bigotry, violence, and superstition. The sooner the oil runs out, the better.
My initial reaction, too! All these women employees, no hijab. In the US there are Muslim women wanting to wear a veil in their drivers license photos. In the Middle East, not so much. But it’s been known for a long time that strict observance was a method to control the masses, not the way most of the controlled wanted to live. And, as Bruno points out, when money power supplants religious power, control goes with the power.
No, women in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran are not allowed to show their hair; however, what actually happens in reality is different, and women actually show their hair. Just like the American south is conservative and I might find it too conservative, there are parts of Saudi Arabia that are more conservative than other. UAE is another different story; women can show their hair, well, they can also show their butts too. And stoning doesn’t happen anymore in Saudi Arabia, and stoning isn’t the punishment for showing your hair, but for cheating on your wife/husband.
80% of the UAE are foreigners, so the women in the video probably aren’t even Muslim.
I’ve lived in Dubai for eight years and I’ve never heard of anyone who was ‘stoned’ to death… :-|
That’s a shame. They need to do as the allah commands
LOL, no they don’t stone women to death here, they only do that in your fractured corrupt media, so stay brainwashed with how your media arrogantly shows how the middle east looks like in their delusional mind, while we enjoy the golden life that we really live.
Do not believe the media, come and experience middle east by yourself, or at least try to read or watch different media, there are some Muslims liberal more than western ones! Unfortunately, ISLAM is misunderstood intentionally by western media, and kidnaped by some terrorist during the last 50 years. Again use the senses and research, then you will know the truth, and do not believe everything delivered to you!
There is no such thing in the UAE. just because you watch what they do in Saudi Arabia, doesnt mean it applies to the rest of the Gulf. The UAE is one of the most diverse countries on the planet. There are issues, but not as bad as you think. Just do your research next time. Also, most of the replies to your questions are ignorant. Do your own research and find out!
@vandiced this is what may media says there, girls wear whatever they want, even hair is optional (except a few countries)
you should know that real Islam is about mercy and connecting people in one big family without any Racism . and in UAE they respect people and workers despite their religion or nationality and that is my Islam .
If they can afford to employ as many shop personnel as in the above photo it just goes to show how much profit they are making and can afford to spend extravagantly.
When I lived in Dubai, the number of languages spoken was so impressive. You would walk around the gold souk and a 40 something Indian guy working for a pittance would leave you in a stall with hundreds of thousands of dollars of gold to go get you some tea and could greet you in any of a dozen languages with not even a high school education. It was humbling.
26 languages–I believe it.
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Are they selling iPhone 6s with FaceTime in this stores?
Best way to find out what really happens in any country/community is live in it wether its the Arab/Islamic world or not!
Awesome store, will definitely visit next time im in Dubai!
However much the apologists deny it in the replies herein, Middle East beliefs are still misogynistic and homophobic to a considerably greater extent than in Western Europe and the U.S. – so I am surprised at the presence of female employees !
I don’t understand, If you are that closed minded then how are you judging arab people, what you are seeing on your own news that what they want you to believe, it’s far from the truth. I am not judging European people or American people, but i feel sorry for you because you still think this way. What is happening in the middle east is because your governments are trying to steal our resources but we are not judging the people for what your governments do.
There was a time when the church controlled the politics and did more horrible things than what you are mentioning in your comments not because the religion was bad back then but because the people who used the religion for their own advantages were bad so don’t judge the religion and don’t give a general judgement because it’s not fair and not right. I think you should know that before anyone else.
As all posts about Dubai & Abu Dhabi ! trolled. It’s been irritating.
If you want to know to know the truth don’t take it from one source. Read more.
This is NOTt a politics website.
hello everybody, i would like to know if it’s possible to trade a iphone 6 to a 6S,both are supposed to be sim free