Apple Store Set to Open at Dubai Mall as Burlingame, Palm Beach, and LA Area Stores Close for Renovations

Apple today announced that it will be opening its second retail location in Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates.


The store will be located at The Dubai Mall in downtown Dubai, opposite the Burj Khalifa, the tallest structure in the world. As we reported in February, the store will be split into two floors inside the shopping mall. Apple said the grand opening will be "soon," but it did not provide a specific date or time.

Apple is celebrating the upcoming grand opening with an artistic display on its website and on the construction barrier covering the storefront.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Apple continues to renovate a number of its older stores with its newer retail design introduced in 2015.

Apple has announced that its stores in Burlingame, California and Canoga Park in Los Angeles temporarily closed for renovations on Sunday. Apple also temporarily closed its store at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on March 25 for renovations. All three stores will likely reopen by the end of the year.

Apple also announced that its current North Point Mall store in Alpharetta, Georgia will be closing and relocating to Avalon, a new mixed-use development in the Atlanta suburb. The grand opening is April 13 at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Elsewhere, construction continues for Apple's upcoming flagship store near the historic Michigan Avenue Bridge in downtown Chicago.

apple chicago roof

Roof panels for the Chicago River store arrived on a barge (Thanks, Steve!)

The store will include a "grand flight of stairs" going from street level to a walkway alongside the Chicago River's north bank. At street level, the store will have an entry pavilion that's 14-feet high. Pedestrians entering from North Michigan Avenue can reach the sales floor by stairs or elevator.

MacRumors has also received a tip from reader David about Apple possibly expanding its retail store at the Providence Place shopping mall in Providence, Rhode Island. David sent us a photo of what appears to be Apple's typical black construction barrier taking up four units on the lower level of the Macy's wing of the mall.

The tipster said he confirmed with multiple employees that the construction is indeed for a new Apple Store in the mall, which will replace its much smaller one down the hall. The tipster has heard that Apple is aiming to complete construction by June, and the store will likely open at some point in the summer.

apple rhode island

Apple-like construction barrier at the Providence Place shopping mall

Apple's newer retail layout often includes wider open spaces with some combination of large glass doors, touch-sensitive sequoia wood tables and shelves, seating areas for community events, large 6K resolution video screens, indoor trees, and light boxes extending the length of the ceiling.

Apple is similarly expanding its retail stores at Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, Connecticut and Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Update: Apple is also putting the finishes touches on its first store in Singapore, expected to open at some point in the next few months.

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Top Rated Comments

jamescobalt Avatar
107 months ago
So a company lead by an openly gay man is opening a shop in a country where gay men are at best chemically castrated and at worst sentenced to death. Interesting.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
guerro Avatar
107 months ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates

The United Arab Emirates ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates') includes the Emirates of Dubai ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai'), Abu Dhabi ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Dhabi'), Ras al-Khaimah ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_al-Khaimah'), Umm Al Quwain ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umm_Al_Quwain'), Ajman ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajman'), Fujairah ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujairah') and Sharjah ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharjah_(emirate)'). Sexual relations outside a heterosexual marriage is a crime. Punishments range from jail time, fines, and deportation ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportation'). Adultery and fornication ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fornication') are also crimes, and a person convicted of homosexuality may also face charges of adultery if they have a spouse while having sexual relations with a person of the same sex.

I see money > doing what is right for LGBT rights. Way to go Apple.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bitfactory Avatar
107 months ago
In Dubai, will the women be allowed in the store w/out being accompanied by a man?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dozer_Zaibatsu Avatar
107 months ago
Hopefully it will have a permanent rainbow flag Apple logo above the door! I guess it's a two way street, if the people are prepared to buy products from a company with an openly gay CEO does that show a 'crack in facade' that people can exploit?
Only Indiana is worth boycotting, apparently.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Attirex Avatar
107 months ago
I wish Apple would stop worrying about sequoia wood tables and spend some of their billions on new Mac--OH WAIT.

Dammit! Erm, uh, Steve Jobs would've never done this? Fire Tim Cook!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
341328 Avatar
107 months ago
So a company lead by an openly gay man is opening a shop in a country where gay men are at best chemically castrated and at worst sentenced to death. Interesting.
Money rules
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)