Russian beauty retailer Gold Apple has launched its inaugural UAE store at City Centre Mirdif, adding a 1,500 sq m “retail-tainment” hub to Dubai’s growing cosmetics scene. The opening follows the company’s late-2024 e-commerce debut in the Emirates and marks the brand’s Middle East headquarters.
Shoppers walking through the doors will find a catalogue that rivals any regional beauty hall. Roughly 17,000 products from more than 500 labels line the shelves, with the portfolio expected to climb past 700 brands by the end of 2025. That expansion includes 70 names making their first regional appearance—among them Korean favourites The History of Whoo, Darling and O HUI—and another 70 carried here on an exclusive basis, such as Germany’s La Biosthetique and France’s St Barth. Prestige houses Gucci, Prada and Tom Ford sit shoulder-to-shoulder with indie Russian staples like Natura Siberica and Romanovamakeup, speaking for Gold Apple’s claim to a selection roughly ten percent wider than legacy megastores.
The launch weekend doubled as an event calendar: complimentary consultations, influencer-led workshops and a three-day slate of giveaways (16–18 May) turned the shop floor into a mini beauty festival. Beyond opening week, the company promises regular masterclasses and “retail-tainment” activations designed to keep footfall high and baskets full.
Payments and logistics lean hard into convenience. Customers can tap out with Apple Pay, settle on delivery in cash or by QR-code card, or spread the cost via Tabby instalments. Dubai addresses qualify for four-hour express shipping, while next-day service covers the remaining six emirates—useful when that sold-out serum restocks online before you’ve finished lunch.
Gold Apple arrives with scale already in place. The retailer reported USD 1.7 billion in Russian revenue last year and a 70 percent jump in global turnover, fuelled by omnichannel growth across six countries and some fifty physical “beauty destinations” worldwide. The UAE store is positioned as the distribution hub for further Gulf expansion.
