Primark Makes Middle East Debut Through Franchise Partnership with Alshaya Group

Primark lands in a new market. The Irish chain has opened the doors of its first flagship store in the Middle East, located in The Avenues, Kuwait, under the auspices of international retail franchise operator Alshaya Group. This will be followed by three more stores in Dubai, scheduled for early 2026, and a flagship store in Manhattan, New York.

The group is making its debut in the Middle East, a market that brings the total number of countries in which it operates to 18. It does so with a flagship store of more than 60,000 square feet on two floors, which will create 350 jobs in the city.

Following the announcement of the strategic alliance in September 2024, Primark, together with Alshaya Group, an international retail franchise operator, has confirmed the opening of three new stores, the first of which will be in Dubai Mall in March next year, followed by City Centre Mirdif and Mall of the Emirates.

Primark will expand next year in the United States with a flagship store in Manhattan

Primark also has plans for the United States, where it plans to open its first flagship store in Manhattan, New York, by 2026. The opening will come after celebrating its tenth anniversary in the U.S. market last September.

In the words of Eoin Tonge, interim CEO of Primark, the company, which has taken another step “on its path of global expansion,“ plans to “continue to expand” with more stores planned for Dubai next year.With this step in its international expansion, Primark hopes to collaborate with Alshaya to explore future stores in other markets in the region.

Primark ended the first six months of the year correcting the first quarter sales decline, but with growth of just 0.62% thanks to new openings in the period. The company’s operating profit rose by 5.71%, a far cry from the 53% increase the company posted for the full year 2024. The chain currently has 475 stores in 18 countries in Europe, the United States and, from now on, the Middle East.