Apple Expanding Retail Presence in Saudi Arabia
Apple announced its expansion into Saudi Arabia, with an online store launching in summer 2025 and physical stores opening in 2026. The first store is planned for the UNESCO World Heritage site of Diriyah. This follows the 2021 opening of Apple's developer academy in the region. The online store will provide service and support in Arabic for the first time.
CEO Tim Cook expressed excitement about deepening customer connections and empowering individuals and businesses in Saudi Arabia. This expansion is part of a larger investment of over 10 billion SAR in the past five years. App Store earnings for Saudi Arabian developers have increased by over 1750% since 2019. Apple is also adding support for express transit on the Riyadh metro.
This move builds upon Apple's recent efforts to refresh its product lineup, such as the M4 Mac series, and introduce new technologies like those potentially seen in the ultra-thin iPhone planned for 2025. While facing legal challenges like the iCloud CSAM scanning lawsuit, Apple continues to invest in international growth.