Ulta Beauty opens in Dubai Mall: 'We’re doubling down and it's a perfect time, perfect place'

Dubai: A young woman with a sleeping baby in a pram carefully made her way through the aisles of the newly opened Ulta Beauty store at Dubai Mall on Friday morning, pausing to inspect makeup and skincare displays. Around Clodagh Cooke from Ireland, a modest but steady line of early visitors waited for their chance to explore the new store and grab a goodie bag, undeterred by the overnight thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. It was a quiet but telling scene, a reminder of the resilience that has become part of Dubai’s character and how it shows up.

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Rebecca Jobo, President of Wellness division of Alshaya Group the Kuwait retail powerhouse who have brought the US beauty giant to this region, led Gulf News on an exclusive tour before the store opened its doors.

“We were always going to open up this store today. And for us, we’re doubling down on our business. This is absolutely the right time for us to open in Dubai Mall,” said Lobo as she took us on a private excursion around the sprawling store.

The Dubai Mall location is Ulta Beauty’s second store in the United Arab Emirates, following its January debut at Mall of the Emirates. This launch comes a day after they launched the hugely popular Primark department store downstairs.

And, they don't plan to stop any time soon even amid ongoing regional uncertainty.

“We’re going to continue to expand and, if anything, we will probably move more quickly. We believe in this region wholeheartedly, we believe in what we’re doing, and we believe in our customers, our clients! We are here for all of them.”

She described Dubai and the Gulf as a particularly discerning market. “What makes the Dubai and GCC consumer stand out is that she’s so well studied and so well educated on the products that are going to benefit her. She is clued in on the new products, and it is our responsibility to bring her the best new products out there.”

Jobo also highlighted the company’s focus on local brands.

“We are extremely proud of the local brands, and they surprise me every day. Each woman behind her brand is so courageous. They are strong businesswomen, and absolutely, they are doing an amazing job bringing unique products to customers.”

Global trends also feature prominently. “There is a huge selection of Korean skincare ... Plus, we’re starting to feature what we call CJK brands—the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean brands. I just bought a powder from them last night, beautiful lavender powder. We are focusing on C, J, and K brands.”

Asked about the balance of male and female shoppers, Jobo noted, “We really pride ourselves on being present for our customers, and we really want it to be women first. That’s not to say we don’t have male consumers. We do. We absolutely do in Ulta, but we are definitely focusing on makeup and skincare, for our female customers as much as our male customers.”

Looking ahead, she outlined the company’s regional expansion.

“Our next destination is going to be in Jeddah, Saudi, and possibly another one in the UAE. It’s all about timing. We’re definitely headed into Saudi and Qatar this year, and we’re going to open more locations in the UAE as well. So we have quite a few more stores planned.”

But she's as good as her team, she tells us. Gulf News was witness to a spirited huddle and dance party inside the store before the doors were made open to the public.

“I really try to let my team lead, and I am here to support because I am very lucky to have a great team of leaders. They’re experienced, and I know when they need me—and when they don’t. More often than not, they take the lead. They do amazing, and it’s incredible to see them grow. We believe in our people: belong, discover, grow. We want our leaders to grow, experience a very long career, and be amazing leaders in this immense organisation.”

Reflecting on the opening and the city itself, she said, “Honestly, I’m blessed to have such an amazing team every day and we definitely focused on resilience."

And of Dubai, she added simply, “It’s a perfect time, a perfect brand, and a perfect Mall.”