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Nearly a year after opening its first Middle East store in Kuwait, Primark is preparing to enter Qatar and Saudi Arabia while adding space and locations in markets it already serves.
Primark’s next phase of Middle East expansion will combine entry into new countries with further investment in its existing Gulf stores, as the retailer and franchise partner Alshaya Group build on a regional launch that began in Kuwait last October.
A first Qatar store at Doha Festival City is planned for October, followed by a Saudi Arabian debut at The Avenues in Riyadh in March 2027. The pipeline also includes another Kuwait location at Aventura Mall, a second Qatar store at Villaggio Mall and additional retail space at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates.
Together, those commitments show how the partnership is moving beyond its initial programme of flagship openings. Primark is preparing to operate across five Gulf countries while establishing more than one point of access in several of them, making the next stage about both geographic reach and the depth of its local presence.
Kuwait introduced a new operating model
The starting point was Primark’s opening at The Avenues in Kuwait on 23 October 2025. The store marked two milestones: the company’s first Middle East location and its first franchise store anywhere.
At more than 60,000 square feet over two floors, with 350 colleagues announced for the operation, Kuwait was a substantial opening rather than a small initial outlet. It also brought Primark into its 18th international market.
The franchise arrangement is central to the regional story. Primark entered through a partnership with Alshaya, the Kuwait-based operator, rather than simply extending its existing directly operated store network into another territory.
That distinction gives Kuwait a role beyond being the first country on the opening calendar. It was the first location where the partnership’s operating model reached customers. The planned Aventura Mall store would add another Kuwaiti address as the wider network expands.
Bahrain establishes the regional pace
By 23 September 2026, Primark had reached its fifth Middle East store with the opening at City Centre Bahrain. Bahrain became its third regional market, following Kuwait and the UAE, and its 20th internationally.
The Bahrain outlet occupies more than 43,000 square feet across two floors and employs more than 320 colleagues, according to the company. Its opening followed three Dubai stores at Dubai Mall, City Centre Mirdif and Mall of the Emirates.
The property relationships behind those openings are also developing. City Centre Bahrain was the third Primark store within Majid Al Futtaim destinations, following the Mirdif and Mall of the Emirates locations.
At the Bahrain opening, Alshaya chief executive John Hadden also acknowledged customers who had travelled from Saudi Arabia. That provides a concrete connection between the existing network and the next announced market, although opening-day attendance does not establish the size of future Saudi demand.
Qatar adds a large-format anchor
The next country entry brings Primark into another major shopping destination. Doha Festival City’s announcement describes the planned store as spanning three levels and becoming a key anchor in its fashion portfolio.
For the mall, the opening is part of a strategy to introduce international brands making their Qatar debut. Its stated expectations include attracting family and value-focused shoppers and encouraging visits to other stores. Those are the landlord’s objectives for the arrival, rather than measured results from a store that has yet to open.
The market context is more specific than a general claim of rising Gulf retail demand. ValuStrat’s second-quarter 2026 Qatar review reported that median shopping mall rents fell 1% quarter on quarter to QAR177 per square metre per month, while footfall improved with support from Eid Al-Adha promotions and cultural events.
That combination shows why new anchor tenants matter to shopping centres even when rental growth is limited. Visitor activity and property income do not necessarily move together. Primark’s arrival will add a new large-format retailer to that environment, with a further Qatar location already announced for Villaggio Mall in 2027.
Riyadh puts Primark inside a broader investment
Saudi Arabia is the next announced country after Qatar. Primark’s September announcement places its first Saudi store at The Avenues in Riyadh, with a planned opening in March 2027.
“Saudi Arabia is an important next step in our growth,” Primark chief executive Eoin Tonge said in the announcement.
The location links the brand’s expansion to a wider Alshaya commitment. The group said its agreement with developer Shomoul Holding covered investment of more than $150 million, around 100 stores from its portfolio and more than 2,500 opportunities for Saudi nationals.
Those figures cover Alshaya’s broader programme at the development, rather than Primark alone. They nevertheless establish the scale of the retail platform into which the new store is expected to arrive.
Hadden said further Primark stores would follow in the Kingdom. The announcement did not identify those additional locations or provide their opening dates.
More space in markets already entered
Alongside the new-country launches, Alshaya has announced a second floor at Primark’s Mall of the Emirates store, scheduled for November 2026. The additional space is intended to expand menswear and homeware while increasing capacity across other departments.
That project makes the next phase more than a sequence of national debuts. Dubai is due to gain additional selling space, while Kuwait and Qatar have further locations in the pipeline.
The immediate milestones are Qatar’s first opening and the Dubai enlargement, followed by the planned Riyadh debut in March. For Kuwait, where the franchise partnership first became operational, Aventura Mall is the next announced step in a regional network that began with a single store less than a year ago.
