{"id":123566,"date":"2026-04-03T11:11:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T06:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=123566"},"modified":"2026-04-03T11:11:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T06:11:37","slug":"luxury-stores-take-hit-in-dubai-as-iran-war-drags-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/123566\/","title":{"rendered":"Luxury stores take hit in Dubai as Iran war drags on"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DUBAI(National Times)- Rows of luxury boutiques line an upmarket Dubai mall, yet a month into the\u00a0Middle East war<\/a>\u00a0their sales staff sit idly, phones in hand, watching for the rare customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salespeople in immaculate suits say they have been told not to speak to reporters, but one briefly described the mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course, there are fewer customers, especially tourists,\u201d the salesperson told AFP.<\/em> \u201cLocals still come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLuckily, we have a strong local clientele and no one is panicking.\u201d This glamorous playground for the world\u2019s rich has taken a hit since the start <\/a>of the US-Israeli offensive agai\u00adnst Iran on February 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubai, long known for its peace and stability, has been targeted frequently by Tehran\u2019s retaliatory drones and missiles, sending tourists fleeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One industry figure, req\u00adu\u00adesting anonymity, said the prevailing belief was that \u201cthe situation is temporary and will improve soon\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just out of Chanel, one of the few shoppers put it more bluntly: \u201cPeople shouldn\u2019t come (to Dubai) right now.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s dangerous, it\u2019s war. For me it\u2019s different. I\u2019m from here \u2014 if I die, I die with my family,\u201d she said, dressed in a black abaya and niqab and carrying an orange Hermes bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global revenues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle East, one of the few regions where luxury sales are still growing, accounts for six to eight percent of global revenues for top brands, according to Bernstein analysts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They estimate that the region\u2019s luxury sales will fall by half in March, mostly due to the collapse in tourism \u2014 both to the Gulf and in transit, with major air hubs like Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi closed or operating at diminished capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than half the reg\u00adion\u2019s luxury stores are in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most profitable ones are clustered in Dubai Mall, a vast shopping complex that sits below Burj Khalifa, the world\u2019s tallest building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With its waterfalls, massive aquarium and more than 110 million visitors a year, the mall, a monument to bling, claims to be the most visited place on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No tour groups drifted through its wide, air-conditioned corridors on a late March evening, but the regulars were out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And more shoppers were lining up at Primark \u2014 a newly opened budget chain \u2014 than inside the mall\u2019s glitzy \u201cFashion Avenue\u201d area, lined with chic luxury chains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DUBAI(National Times)- Rows of luxury boutiques line an upmarket Dubai mall, yet a month into the\u00a0Middle East war\u00a0their sales staff sit idly, phones in hand, watching for the rare customer. Salespeople in immaculate suits say they have been told not to speak to reporters, but one briefly described the mood. \u201cOf course, there are fewer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":123567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nLuxury stores take hit in Dubai as Iran war drags on - Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/123566\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Luxury stores take hit in Dubai as Iran war drags on - Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"DUBAI(National Times)- Rows of luxury boutiques line an upmarket Dubai mall, yet a month into the\u00a0Middle East war\u00a0their sales staff sit idly, phones in hand, watching for the rare customer. 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