Primark and Ulta Beauty arrived in Dubai after opening in Kuwait. On’s Dubai shop came after its stores in Riyadh and Kuwait. Pacsun reached a different milestone at Mall of the Emirates, where it opened its first physical store outside the United States. Each opening brought a new shop to Dubai, but the geography behind the word “first” differs. Knowing which claim applies also helps when a brand has already added a second or third branch.
This guide follows four operating stores and the UAE branches that followed them. The opening notices establish the sequence. Current store listings tell you which destination to choose for a visit, and branch contacts are the place to check a particular product, size or service. Sources were checked on 6 November 2026.
Ulta Beauty chose Mall of the Emirates for its UAE debut
Ulta Beauty’s own announcement set 29 January 2026 for its first UAE store at Mall of the Emirates. Its franchise partner Alshaya confirmed the opening in a release dated 30 January. The brand had opened its first Middle East store in Kuwait on 7 November 2025, so the Dubai launch marks entry into the UAE. Alshaya subsequently confirmed the Dubai Mall shop as its second UAE store in a notice dated 30 March. If you want to visit the debut branch, choose Mall of the Emirates. If you are already in Downtown, the later store is the branch to look up. Ulta’s UAE opening announcement · Alshaya’s first UAE opening confirmation · Dubai Mall second-store announcement
The debut brings makeup, skincare, haircare and fragrance together across prestige, mass and emerging brands. Ulta also describes makeup, skin, brow and nail services at launch. Shopping for a product and arranging a service are different visits. For a shade or fragrance, ask whether the branch stocks what you want to try. For a service, check what is currently offered at that location, whether it needs an appointment and what the charge is. Launch demonstrations and appearances were part of the opening programme. Use the store’s current contact or local locator for an ordinary visit. Ulta’s launch assortment and service scope · Ulta UAE store finder
Mall of the Emirates lists Ulta Beauty on the ground floor, nearest parking C, with a direct map and branch number. It gives 10am–11pm on weekdays and 10am–midnight on weekends. Use the branch page when making an evening visit or contacting the shop about a service. The other Dubai branch has its own location and may have different arrangements. Mall of the Emirates branch listing
Primark opened in Dubai Mall before adding two more Dubai branches
Primark’s first UAE store opened in Dubai Mall on 26 March 2026. Alshaya identifies it as the retailer’s second Middle East shop after the October 2025 debut at The Avenues in Kuwait. The Dubai Mall launch gave the retailer a single sales floor of more than 60,000 square feet across women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, home and beauty. The product mix explains the appeal of the flagship if your visit spans more than one category. It does not establish whether a specific collaboration or size is available now. Alshaya’s Dubai Mall opening notice · Kuwait and UAE launch sequence
City Centre Mirdif followed on 9 April and Mall of the Emirates on 21 May. Primark’s current store list includes all three. If you are shopping for everyday clothing, the closer branch may suit the trip. If the reason for going is a home item or a particular collection, check the exact store first. Alshaya’s Mall of the Emirates launch described its opening ground-floor space and a later additional floor. That plan belongs to the Mall of the Emirates branch and should be checked against a current opening notice before you visit for a specific department. City Centre Mirdif opening · Mall of the Emirates opening · Primark’s current store list
Pacsun opened its first physical store outside the United States
Majid Al Futtaim confirmed Pacsun’s Mall of the Emirates opening on 27 May 2026. It identifies the Dubai branch as the brand’s first physical retail location outside the United States. That wording matters because the partnership announcement had already described a planned UAE activation at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. A branded activation can introduce a collection or bring a label to an event. A permanent store gives shoppers a branch to visit after the event ends. The May opening is the milestone that establishes that physical retail presence. Pacsun partnership and activation announcement · Pacsun public opening confirmation
The opening release describes a clothing selection covering denim, graphic T-shirts, hoodies, swimwear and accessories. The store is useful to someone who wants to see how a California youth fashion label’s categories fit together, or to compare denim fits before buying. If you are looking for one item seen in a US campaign or on an international product page, confirm it with the Dubai store. The categories named at opening describe the local offer in broad terms. They do not tell you whether a particular print, size or seasonal collaboration is still available. Pacsun’s Dubai launch assortment
The opening also had its own programme. Majid Al Futtaim describes live music and a meet-and-greet during the launch, with local creators helping develop the event. Treat photos or announcements from that day as a record of the opening. If you want to attend a new event, look for an announcement that gives a date for that particular programme. For an ordinary shopping visit, look up Pacsun in the mall’s directory or map. The current mall sitemap includes the brand, but the verified opening record and listing used here do not supply branch-specific hours. Launch programme · Mall directory index
On brought its first UAE store to Mall of the Emirates
On announced that its first UAE store opened on 22 July 2026. The Swiss sportswear brand called it the third store in its GCC network, following Riyadh in October 2025 and Kuwait in February 2026. The Dubai opening was a new branded retail location. The issuer also describes an existing regional partnership with Mizzen. For someone who had already bought On shoes elsewhere in the UAE, the difference is the arrival of the brand’s own physical shop, where the local range can be viewed in one place. On issuer release · On Dubai launch page
The mall identifies the store on the ground floor, nearest parking B, and publishes 10am–midnight for weekdays and weekends. Its listing describes footwear, clothing and accessories across running, outdoor, training and everyday categories. Start with the activity you want the product for. A pair for regular training may need different qualities from one you plan to wear mostly for walking, and the shop gives you a place to compare models in person. The official branch contact is the place to check a particular size, width or fitting arrangement. No paid fitting, trial service or appointment requirement was verified for the branch. On branch map, contact and hours
On’s launch page also distinguishes the Dubai store from events associated with the brand. It carries a launch recap and describes local running activity. A running group or launch session has its own place and time. If that is the reason you are going, follow the event listing before treating the store as the meeting point. If you are visiting for shoes, the current mall branch page provides a more direct route to the ground-floor shop. On’s launch and event information · Mall of the Emirates On listing
What “first” tells you about each opening
For Primark and Ulta, the first UAE store followed a regional debut. The fact that both brands entered the UAE through Dubai makes their openings useful for following the local market. The Kuwait openings answer a different question about the Middle East. The locations also show two different rollout patterns. Primark opened in Downtown and followed with stores in Mirdif and Al Barsha. Ulta started at Mall of the Emirates, then added its Dubai Mall shop. Someone who saw only the later Downtown Ulta announcement might otherwise assume it was the brand’s UAE launch. Ulta’s Kuwait opening · Ulta’s second UAE branch · Primark branch list
Pacsun’s first is about physical stores outside its home country. That is a broader geographic milestone than a UAE debut, but it is still about one type of presence. A partnership, online listing, stockist or temporary activation can reach shoppers before a brand runs a permanent shop. The earlier Pacsun partnership announcement and the later opening release identify those stages separately. If you want to follow the regional rollout from here, look for a separate opening notice and current locator entry for the next branch. The partnership’s expansion plans provide context for what may come after Dubai. They cannot supply an address or public access for a store that has yet to open. Pacsun partnership plans · Pacsun’s physical opening
A first store can also come after years of local familiarity with a product. On’s issuer release identifies a regional representation partnership dating to 2024. The July 2026 announcement establishes a dedicated UAE store. If you already own a pair, the store gives you a new place to compare models. If you are following the brand’s expansion, the milestone is the physical shop in the UAE, with its place in the GCC sequence clearly described by the issuer. Those two ways of reading the same announcement can help keep a shopping decision distinct from a market claim. On’s GCC retail sequence
There is also a first that refers to a design concept rather than a new market. In September 2026, Apparel Group reported that ALDO opened a new flagship at Mall of the Emirates and used Dubai to debut its new retail concept globally. That means the location is useful if you want to see the new format. The announcement describes a first for the concept, so it belongs in a different category from the four first UAE stores above. Read the words after “first” or “debut” before comparing opening headlines. Apparel Group’s ALDO format announcement
How to plan a visit around the exact branch
Mall of the Emirates contains three of the debut stores in this guide, as well as the later Primark branch. If you want to combine stops, start with the one that has the most restrictive timing. The current Ulta and On entries place both on the ground floor but give different nearby parking zones. Use C for the Ulta reference and B for On when consulting the map. If you are meeting someone, send the store name and floor as well as the parking zone. They can then use that information regardless of how they arrive. The mall has a separate visit guide for access and parking, and individual store pages for their location and contact details. Mall of the Emirates visit guide · Ulta location · On location
If you are visiting for an Ulta service, check that the exact store can offer it and whether you need a time slot. If you are comparing shoes at On, start with the model, size and intended use. If you want denim from Pacsun, a current store listing establishes where to look, while the branch can confirm what can be tried on. Those checks are especially useful if the trip depends on a single purchase. The launch notices describe the initial offer. Current stock and the availability of services can change independently of the fact that the store is open.
In Downtown, you can visit Primark’s UAE debut branch and Ulta’s later branch in the same mall. That makes sense if you are already going to Dubai Mall. If you want to see Ulta’s first UAE location specifically, use the Mall of the Emirates entry. For an ordinary shopping trip, the closest store can be the better choice if it confirms the product or service you need. Check the complete branch name before following directions or relying on a post that refers to a different opening.
Late visits deserve a separate check. The mall’s general visit page lists 10am–11pm Monday to Thursday and 10am–midnight Friday to Sunday. On’s branch listing gives a midnight closing on both weekdays and weekends. If you are counting on that extra weekday hour, check with the store how to enter and leave late. Ulta’s posted weekday closing is 11pm. Finishing an appointment before browsing another store may work better than relying on a single closing time for both. Mall access and hours · On store hours · Ulta store hours
For a Primark visit, use the list of three Dubai malls before searching for an entrance. The May launch account at Mall of the Emirates describes the ground-floor opening. A later update about its additional floor would apply to that branch. It would tell you little about the layout of the original Dubai Mall store or the range in Mirdif. If a department is the reason for your visit, check the current branch entry and confirm that the department is operating on your date. Primark’s branch list · Mall of the Emirates opening scope
When buying something you may need to exchange, ask about the local purchase terms before paying. A retailer’s policy for an overseas website or a US launch page may not apply to a purchase made from its UAE franchise. Keep the receipt and the branch details, especially if the brand has several shops. The transaction is with a particular local retailer, even when the collection is marketed under the same global name.
Keep the opening notice if you want to track when a brand entered Dubai. For a visit, start with the current locator and use the branch contact for anything that depends on stock, an appointment or a particular price. The historical first and the practical choice can both be useful, even when they lead you to different branches.
If you are meeting another shopper, share the specific mall and brand locator before leaving. Include the nearest parking zone where the mall publishes one, and confirm the floor from the live branch page. The same brand name now points to several addresses across Dubai.
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