Apple announced today that it will expand in Saudi Arabia, starting with the launch of the Apple Store online in summer 2025. The online store will provide customers across the country with new shopping options for Apple’s full product range, featuring exceptional service and support in Arabic for the first time.
Beginning in 2026, Apple will open several flagship stores in Saudi Arabia, offering customers more ways to engage with Apple’s expert team and discover the perfect products and services. As part of this expansion, Apple is planning an iconic retail store in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“We’re excited to be expanding here 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,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
“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.”
Whether online, in-store, or through the Apple Store app, Apple provides customers with personalized and unique experiences to compare products, explore financing and payment options, and set up their new devices – with the support of Apple’s expert team members.
Apple’s retail expansion builds on its existing investments in Saudi Arabia, including the opening of the region’s first Apple Developer Academy 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 at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University offers top-tier training for aspiring coders, designers, and entrepreneurs, equipping them for careers in Saudi Arabia’s growing app economy. Nearly 2,000 students have completed programming courses and are now publishing their apps on the App Store for both local and global users.
Apple is expanding learning opportunities through its academy programs and partnerships. This summer, Apple hosted the country’s first coed Apple Foundation Program, a month-long course that brought students from across Saudi Arabia to learn coding and app development, with a focus on gaming. Apple plans to expand the coed Foundation program further, with the next cohort scheduled for spring 2025.
Apple Developer Academy graduates are joined by a growing community of developers driving Saudi Arabia’s booming iOS app economy. This dynamic developer ecosystem is fueling economic growth, creating jobs across the country in both large and small companies. The app economy is expanding rapidly, as more coders, entrepreneurs, and creators leverage the App Store and Apple’s developer tools. Since 2019, earnings for developers in Saudi Arabia have surged by over 1,750%.
Apple continues to invest in Saudi Arabia, driving job creation and introducing new technologies to artists, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and commuters. Over the past five years, Apple has spent more than 10 billion SAR with companies across the country. Apple services also support businesses nationwide. With the opening of Riyadh’s new metro this month, the city joins over 250 others where Apple Pay is available for transit. Riyadh is the first city in the Middle East where users can pay for metro and bus rides with Express Mode, a secure, seamless method that allows users to simply tap and pay with an iPhone or Apple Watch – without needing to unlock the device. Since launching in Saudi Arabia in 2019, Apple Pay has offered greater security and convenience, leading many customers to abandon their plastic cards.