Irish-based fashion retailer Primark has confirmed that it will continue expanding into the Gulf region and include Qatar and Bahrain as part of its expansion strategy into the Middle East region, as well as its forthcoming launch in the UAE.
Primark will launch its first store in the UAE on Thursday, March 26, in Dubai Mall, which will be the official opening of the brand in the country.
It will be followed by two other sites in the UAE later this year, with the stores set to be located in City Centre Mirdif in April and Mall of the Emirates in May. The latter two locations have yet to be confirmed to have specific opening days.
The UAE’s launch follows after Primark’s regional debut in October last year, when it opened its first GCC store at The Avenues Mall in Kuwait. The retailer made its entry into the Middle East by partnering with Alshaya Group that is spearheading its rollout in the region.
Primark has already confirmed that it will open new stores in Qatar and Bahrain by the end of 2026 after the openings in the United Arab Emirates. The brand will be based in Qatar, with a store in Doha Festival City, and in Bahrain, where it will open at City Center Bahrain.
However, the expansion will take Primark’s global footprint to 21 countries by the end of 2026. Primark was launched in Dublin 55 years ago and has progressed to become one of the largest value fashion brand retailers in the world with over 450 stores spread across more than 11 countries around the world.
The brand has a strong presence across Europe and the US, where it operates 16 stores. Primark is known to have a large range of products with its approach to affordable trend-led fashion, covering womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, homeware, beauty, accessories, and footwear.
Its Middle East growth is in the backdrop of the long-term need for value-based retail ideas in the GCC that is anchored by the good mall traffic and price-sensitive customer segment.
According to Logic Consulting, the GCC retail market is expected to maintain a compound annual growth rate of approximately 5 percent and surpass $390 billion by the year 2028.
That momentum already seems to be on the ground, with Dubai Mall alone receiving over 105 million visitors in 2023. Primark is also expanding internationally beyond the Gulf, and it plans to launch its first flagship store in Manhattan, New York, later this spring.
