US tech giant Apple on Monday announced plans to expand in Saudi Arabia, starting with the launch of the Apple Store online in summer 2025. As part of this expansion, Apple is in the initial stages of planning an iconic retail store coming to Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The online store will bring customers across Saudi Arabia new ways to shop Apple’s full range of products, with exceptional service and support directly from Apple in Arabic for the very first time.
Starting in 2026, Apple will begin opening the first of several flagship Apple Store locations in Saudi Arabia.
These retail stores will offer customers in the country even more ways to connect with Apple’s knowledgeable team members and find the perfect products and services.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook confirmed that they will be expanding in Saudi Arabia with the launch of the Apple Store online next year, and the first of several flagship Apple Store locations starting in 2026, including an iconic store at the stunning site of Diriyah coming later.
“Our teams are looking forward to deepening our connections with customers, and to bringing the best of Apple to help people across this country explore their passions, build their businesses, and take their ideas to the next level,” he added.
Whether online, in-store, or in the Apple Store app, Apple offers truly unique and personalized experiences for customers to compare and find the right product; choose from a variety of financing and payment options; and get set up with their new device — all with the help of Apple’s incredible team members.
Apple Developer Academy
Apple’s retail expansion builds on its existing investments and activities in the country. This includes the region’s first Apple Developer Academy, which opened in Riyadh in 2021 in partnership with the Government of Saudi Arabia, Tuwaiq Academy, and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
The all-women Apple Developer Academy located at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University offers world-class training for aspiring coders, designers, and entrepreneurs, preparing them for careers in the country’s vibrant app economy.
Apple continues to enhance learning opportunities through its academy programs and partnerships. This summer, Apple hosted the country’s first co-ed Apple Foundation Program. This month-long course brought together students from across the country to learn the fundamentals of coding and app development, with a focus on gaming. Apple plans to further expand the co-ed Foundation offerings, with the next cohort planned for spring 2025.
The app economy is growing at a rapid pace as more coders, entrepreneurs, and creators utilise the App Store and Apple’s many developer tools to enter the market. Since 2019, earnings for developers in Saudi Arabia are up over 1,750%, the company said.
Over the past five years, Apple has spent more than $266 million with companies across the country and Apple services help power businesses across Saudi Arabia.
With the opening of the new metro earlier this month, Riyadh is the latest to join the list of over 250 cities where users can ride transit with Apple Pay.
Riyadh is also the first city in the Middle East where users can ride the metro and buses with Express Mode, a seamless and secure way to tap and pay for transit by simply holding an iPhone or Apple Watch near a reader — no need to wake or even unlock the device.
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