Not really an Apple Store
One of the things I was eager to visit in Dubai, was the so-called Apple store that opened last year in the new Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai. Yesterday I went there and was quite disappointed. It is branded as an Apple Center. And while it’s nice to see a store dedicated just to Apple stuff, the place was underwhelming. It is small in size. The Apple brand is not strongly featured. It’s interior design only bears a distant resemblance to the real Apple store (I haven’t been to a real Apple Store yet, but I’ve seen tons of pictures). There are wavy an circular shapes hanging from the ceiling that don’t make sense.
As the for the selcton of products, well, what can I say. The basic things are there. But I found more iPod accessories at a one of the huge computer supermarkets in the same mall. And no, there is no Genius Bar.
The iPod is clearly making waves in the Middle East. I find it strange that there is so little focus on the region by the Apple brand. Dubai definately deserves a real Apple Store. Of course this might be really premature. Even Germany doesn’t have one yet. But it’s just sad how little people know about the Mac platform in this region.
Other global brands have a really strong presence in the market. I’ve been to a really nice Lego store today (more about that in a future post). The recent switch by Apple to Intel processors can help the cause of the Mac in Arabia. Cupertino: are you reading this blog?
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January 13th, 2006 at 1:37 am
i didnt read the artical yet bas i feel sorry for u from the title
January 13th, 2006 at 1:51 am
Ahmad! Don’t you have anything else interesting happening in your life except of things related to Apple, lol.
BTW, Apple new step toward Intel just prove that this company was lying to its customers all these years, if you remember them benchmarking – and always wining – against Intel in the past and it was like they were saying, G5 is way better than Intel, poor Intel owners! And now – all of the sudden – Steve Jobs is swearing by Intel, heck, what happened, Intel technology didn’t improve that much since the last benchmark.
lol
Hmmm, I don’t this comment will see the light on this site, prove me wrong.
January 13th, 2006 at 1:55 am
Please corret a misspelled word in my comment: swearing
January 13th, 2006 at 1:58 am
I hope edit comment feature was available in this blog.
I just want to add that yeah, this thing doesn’t look like anything like Apple. It looks like the very small computer store at end of our street.
January 13th, 2006 at 2:00 am
Hey—come to Seattle! We’ve got Apple stores out the wazoo. And a very cool Lego store, too.
January 13th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
You should check out the new Apple Store in Richmond, Virginia. You probably wouldn’t be disappointed.
January 16th, 2006 at 9:52 am
there are 2 or 3 in kuwait, 1 office and the famous zmacshop.com
April 13th, 2006 at 11:56 pm
Oye!! Anyone who can help me out… I need to know where I will be able to find iPOD socks in Dubai??
Thank you to whoever answers..
October 23rd, 2006 at 8:05 pm
Hi,
i am working in Doha, Qatar and have a powerbook with one of the faulty batteries. can i mail this to the apple store in Dubai for exchange of a new battery. do i need proof of purchase or is the serial number enough proof. thanks.
January 21st, 2007 at 4:07 pm
i own an ipod mini, it is not charging nor turning on can i get it replaced i have the whole box and the serial number. I purchased it in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah.
thank you.
January 21st, 2007 at 4:07 pm
PS.
i live in abu dhabi
July 29th, 2007 at 5:22 am
does it have an iphone?
November 4th, 2008 at 9:11 am
please send me the phone number of this apple store in Ibn battuta, thank you, it is verry urgent.