Apple Al Maryah Island to enhance consumer experience starting tomorrow: O’Brien

Apple Al Maryah Island will have strong health and safety measures in place, and visits on opening day will be by appointment only

US technology giant Apple is expanding in the region and has pledged to enhance consumer experience as it gears up to open its fourth new Apple store in Al Maryah Island on Friday at 5pm local time, told Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice-president of Retail + People in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times.

“Connecting customers with the best of Apple is something we’re really passionate about. Since we opened our first stores in the UAE in 2015, we’ve been thrilled to see the overwhelmingly positive response from millions of visitors, and with Apple Al Maryah Island, we are giving our customers even more choice for their shopping and service needs," she said.

"With Apple Al Maryah Island, our customers in Abu Dhabi have more opportunities than ever before to explore our products, get help with one of their devices, or bring their best ideas to life through one of our Today at Apple sessions,” she added.

Welcome 30m+ visitors

Apple opened its first store in the UAE in 2015, and has so far welcomed more than 30 million visitors. Apple Al Maryah Island will have strong health and safety measures in place, and visits on opening day will be by appointment only. Customers can choose from available times at apple.com/ae/almaryahisland.

The global brand, recently opened Apple Yas Mall, which includes 100 highly trained team members and collectively speak 33 languages, representing 32 nationalities.

“We are proud to continue to be an engine of opportunity and growth in the UAE, and look forward to expanding our team with the opening of Apple Al Maryah. And our economic impact expands beyond the four walls of our stores," O’Brien, said.

She said Apple has teams dedicated to supporting local app developers, entrepreneurs, and business customers, who benefit from the expertise of our teams and the personalised sessions hosted in store.

"Our new store also includes a boardroom, where our business customers can get personal advice and guidance to help them serve their customers,” she said.

O’Brien has spent over three decades with Apple and attributes her growth to commitment to excellence.

“A deep focus on innovation and care for teams and customers at the heart of everything we do makes Apple a stronger brand. I felt that passion and energy from my very first days at Apple, and I still feel it today. Leading our Retail and People teams has been the honour of a lifetime, and I’m so fortunate to get to work alongside so many passionate, talented people.”

Focusing on innovation

O’Brien is trying to bring in innovation in building a team that can reach out to consumers with diversity at its core.

“Apple Al Maryah Island is a really special place. The design of the store is one-of-a-kind, with breathtaking views of the Abu Dhabi skyline just across the waterfront. What makes this store truly exceptional is our team. Together speaking more than 30 languages, this multi-talented group reflects the creativity and diversity of the community they serve. At the heart of our stores are our people, and we can’t wait for our customers to meet them,” she added.

Building relationships

For nearly 10 years, O’Brien, said Apple has been building relationships with customers and communities in the UAE.

“With every investment we make, our focus is on deepening those relationships — by providing the best localised experience across our products and software, and the best customer experience in our stores and online,” she said.

“Our focus is on connecting our amazing teams with customers wherever they are — in stores and online. There’s no better place to check out our products and learn more about our services than an Apple Store. And there’s no virtual destination that brings together the best of Apple like the Apple Online Store. No matter where our customers are, they’re going to have the same great experience, because they’re connecting with the same great team.” — sandhya@khaleejtimes.com