Primark to enter Middle East via Alshaya Group deal

Budget retailer Primark has confirmed plans to enter the Middle East via a new partnership with retail franchise operator, Alshaya Group. The duo, which had first announced their strategic partnership in 2024, are planning to open four stores across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

The openings will start with a new store at The Avenues, Kuwait, which will debut in October 2025. This will then be followed by locations in Dubai in early 2026, including at the Dubai Mall, Mall of Emirates and City Centre Mirdif. Following these four initial stores, Primark said it will continue to work with Alshaya on potential future locations in other markets in the GCC.

In a release, Primark’s interim CEO, Eoin Tonge, said the company was excited to take the next step in its ongoing global expansion. Tonge added that across the Middle East “there is already a strong cohort of shoppers ready and waiting for us and we believe the wider region holds a lot of potential for Primark and our value proposition”.

In his own statement, Alshaya CEO, John Hadden, commented: "Since we announced our partnership a few months ago, we’ve seen how excited our customers are for Primark’s fantastic stores to open in the region. We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Primark, and we are all looking forward to the much anticipated first stores in the next few months.”