There’s a certain rhythm to how global brands enter the Dubai market. For Ulta Beauty, that rhythm has picked up rather quickly. Just two months after opening its first UAE store at Mall of the Emirates in January, the American beauty giant has officially opened doors to its second location at Dubai Mall on March 27, marking its rapid growth in one of the world’s most competitive retail landscapes.
If Mall of the Emirates served as Ulta’s introduction to the UAE consumer — a way to familiarise shoppers with its distinctly American, all-under-one-roof beauty format — then Dubai Mall represents scale, visibility and reach.
Ulta’s entry into the region, through its partnership with Alshaya Group, has also been positioned as part of a wider Middle East expansion strategy that began with its first regional store at The Avenues in Kuwait in November 2025.
Now, opening two stores in Dubai within months suggests that Ulta is no longer just testing the waters in this market but ready to make an impact.
Dubai Mall sees back-to-back global brand launches
Interestingly, this expansion comes at a moment when Dubai’s retail landscape is already seeing large-scale global debuts. Just a day earlier, Irish fast-fashion giant Primark officially opened its first UAE store at Dubai Mall on March 26, marking its long-awaited entry into the market.
Positioned as a flagship launch and the first of three planned Dubai locations, the opening signals a broader influx of international high-street and beauty brands choosing the city as their regional gateway.
So, what’s in it for the Dubai shopper?
At its core, Ulta Beauty’s format is designed to make shopping feel easier. Instead of navigating separate spaces for luxury and affordable beauty, everything sits side by side, with premium, mass and emerging brands all under one roof.
For consumers, this translates into the freedom to mix and match your beauty buys without the hassle of walking into multiple stores. To be able to pick up a high-end serum, a mid-range foundation and a budget-friendly mascara in a single visit, ah, the joy!
The scale of the offering only adds to that convenience. With more than 80 brands expected across its Middle East footprint — including globally loved names like Morphe, Peter Thomas Roth and RMS, alongside Ulta Beauty’s own collection — shoppers are no longer limited to what’s locally available.
Products that once meant waiting for international deliveries, relying on resellers or picking them up while travelling are now within immediate reach.
The ‘phygital’ shift: Where Dubai shopping is headed
What’s also interesting to note is that Ulta Beauty is not thinking in terms of physical retail alone. Even as it expands its footprint in Dubai, the brand is simultaneously investing in a very different kind of storefront on its home turf.
Its recent launch on TikTok Shop in the US, where users can discover and purchase products directly through creator-led content, points to the brand’s broader ‘phygital’ strategy.
At a time when discovering new makeup products usually begins on a phone screen, mid-scroll, somewhere between a GRWM video or a late-night skincare routine, this shift may also signal what’s next to come in Dubai, where this kind of ‘phygital’ model feels like a natural evolution.
But until then, shoppers can enjoy a more immediate, on-ground experience, walking into the much-awaited stores, trying products in real time and finally accessing brands that were, until now, only seen on TikTok reels.
Source: Khaleej Times