Primark officially opens first UAE store at The Dubai Mall
This is Primark’s second Middle Eastern market and its 19th worldwide.
UAE – Primark has made its official debut in the United Arab Emirates with the opening of a flagship store at The Dubai Mall, marking its second Middle East market after Kuwait.
The Dubai Mall unit spans approximately 60,000 sq ft (around 5,600 sq m) and operates as a single‑floor global flagship, positioned inside one of the world’s busiest shopping destinations.
The store offers a full‑format assortment including womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, home‑ware and beauty products, all aligned with Primark’s low‑price, fast‑fashion model, and employs roughly 600 team members.
This launch is the centrepiece of a rapid, multi‑city rollout across the GCC in 2026, being executed under an expanding franchise partnership with Kuwait‑based retail operator Alshaya Group.
The Dubai Mall store represents the first of three UAE locations planned for the first half of 2026, with City Centre Mirdif scheduled to open in April and Mall of the Emirates following in May, giving Primark a presence in three of Dubai’s highest‑traffic malls within a short time frame.
Beyond the UAE, Primark is planning five additional regional openings in 2026 under the Alshaya‑led franchise model, including Bahrain (City Centre Bahrain) and Qatar (Doha Festival City), as part of a broader strategy to reach 21 international markets.
For Primark, the UAE entry provides access to a high‑spend, mall‑centric consumer base that traditionally shops at premium and mid‑market fast‑fashion brands, enabling the retailer to compete on value‑driven mass beauty and fashion.
For Alshaya, the agreement deepens its portfolio of quick‑service and value‑fashion concepts across the GCC and underscores a shared appetite for aggressive, multi‑market expansion in the region.
Late last year, Primark officially expanded into the Middle East with the grand opening of its first store at Grand Plaza, The Avenues Shopping Mall in Kuwait.
This marks its 18th international market entry and first franchise operation in partnership with the prominent retail operator Alshaya Group.
The flagship store covers more than 60,000 square feet across two floors and has created 350 jobs, drawing thousands of eager customers familiar with the brand from their travels abroad.
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