Ulta Beauty, the largest Beauty Retailer in America, is opening a new location in the UAE with its first store set to open in January 2026 at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. This opening is a major milestone for Ulta Beauty as it continues its Middle Eastern expansion via a regional franchise partnership with Alshaya Group, which operates many of the world’s top international retail franchise brands.
In January 2025, Ulta Beauty announced their partnership with Alshaya Group. Subsequent information regarding the locations of these stores was provided in June 2025. The store in Dubai will be the second store within the Middle East since the first one opened at The Avenues Mall in Kuwait City, Kuwait in November 2025.
The Dubai opening is part of a broader rollout strategy across the Gulf region. After the Mall of the Emirates launch, Ulta Beauty plans to open a second Dubai store at Dubai Mall in March 2026. The brand will also enter the Saudi Arabian market with a store at Red Sea Mall in Jeddah during the same month.
According to John Hadden, CEO of Alshaya Group, the expansion is expected to generate strong consumer interest in the region. He noted that customers are eager to experience the brand’s distinctive retail environment and discover many international beauty brands that are being introduced to the Middle East for the first time.
Kecia Steelman, CEO of Ulta Beauty, said the company is excited to bring its unique retail concept to a new audience. She emphasized that the brand’s expansion into the region reflects the universal appeal of beauty and the growing demand for diverse product offerings and immersive retail experiences.
Ulta Beauty, established in America, is a large beauty retailer that has one of the largest online and in-store collections of products—over 25,000 items across all areas of the beauty space. Its collection includes hundreds of brands, and ranges from very low cost to very high cost. Examples of brands included in Ulta’s collection are e.l.f. Cosmetics, Chanel and Dior.
Ulta Beauty can be credited with their holistic retail strategy where it provides both beauty retail as well as salon services from one location while having a variety of price points to choose from for their customers. In addition to the above, Ulta Beauty will be launching over 80 different brands into the Middle East, many of which will be exclusive launches.
Ulta Beauty’s arrival in Dubai reflects a broader trend of major international brands expanding into the emirate’s retail market. Recent launches include the region’s first Disney Store at Dubai Mall and SKIMS, founded by Kim Kardashian, at Mall of the Emirates. Meanwhile, global fashion retailer Primark is also preparing to open three locations across the city.
With Dubai continuing to attract global retail brands and luxury concepts, Ulta Beauty’s entry is expected to further strengthen the emirate’s position as a leading beauty and lifestyle shopping destination in the region.
