Apple to open physical and online stores in Saudi Arabia

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Today, Apple has announced that its first online store in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will launch in the summer of 2025.

The new online Apple Store will allow the country’s customers to order all the company’s products directly from them for the first time.

However, that’s not all. Apple also plans to open multiple retail stores in Saudi Arabia starting in 2026.

One of the locations for the new physical Apple Store is Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site located on the outskirts of Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh.

Apple to open a physical store in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site

Apple’s new retail expansion in Saudi Arabia builds upon its existing investments and activities.

The company opened the first Apple Developer Academy in Riyadh in 2021 in partnership with the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tuwaiq Academy, and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.

Now, Apple plans to invest more in the country. In the summer of 2025, the company will bring the Apple Online Store to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

It will offer “exceptional service and support directly from Apple in Arabic for the very first time.”

The company is also in the early stages of planning several flagship retail stores in the country, including an Apple Store at the UNESCO World Heritage site in Diriyah. The first store will open in 2026.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the following in a statement:

We’re excited to be expanding here in Saudi Arabia with the launch of the Apple Store online next year, and the first of several flagship Apple Store locations staring in 2026, including an iconic store at the stunning site of Diriyah coming later.

Our teams are looking forward to deepening our connections with customers, and to bringing the best of Apple to help people across this country explore their passions, build their businesses, and take their ideas to the next level.

Saudi Arabia already has several Apple Authorized Resellers. However, this will be Apple’s first official presence in the country. 

In another press release, the Cupertino firm announced that it will open a new store in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, next year. 

Unlike Saudi Arabia, Apple already has four official stores in the United Arab Emirates and launched its online store in 2011. 

What do you think about Apple expanding its retail presence in Saudi Arabia? Are you excited to see the new Apple Store? Let’s chat below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.