Global brands shut Middle East stores as conflict causes chaos

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Global brands shut Middle East stores as conflict causes chaos
 
Published Friday, March 6, 2026 11:00 am
by Helen Reid and Dominique Patton

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"Chalhoub Group, which runs 900 stores for brands from Versace and Jimmy Choo to Sephora across the region, said its stores in Bahrain were closed, while other markets, including the United Arab Emirates, ​Saudi Arabia, and Jordan remained open though staff attendance was "voluntary."

"We operate with a lean team formed of members who volunteered and feel comfortable to come to the ​store," Chalhoub's Vice President of Communications Lynn al Khatib told Reuters, adding that the company's leadership team personally visited Dubai Mall and ⁠Mall of the Emirates on Monday morning to check in with workers."

 

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Global brands shut Middle East stores as conflict causes chaos | Helen Reid and Dominique Patton

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Global brands shut Middle East stores as conflict causes chaos | Helen Reid and Dominique Patton

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Global brands shut Middle East stores as conflict causes chaos

Major retail brands have closed stores across Middle Eastern shopping hubs including Dubai as escalating regional conflict disrupts business operations and travel, with many locations operating with skeleton staff or shuttered entirely.  Chalhoub Group, operating 900 stores for brands including Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Sephora, closed all Bahrain locations while making staff attendance voluntary in UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan markets. Luxury conglomerate Kering temporarily closed stores in UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar, while Amazon shuttered Abu Dhabi fulfillment operations and suspended regional deliveries. Apple's Dubai stores remained closed, H&M shut Bahrain and Israel locations, and consumer goods group Reckitt closed its Bahrain manufacturing site while instructing all Middle East employees to work from home. Luxury stocks LVMH, Hermès, and Richemont declined 4% to 6.5% as investors assessed the impact on a region that represented luxury's strongest growth market in recent years, accounting for 5% to 10% of global luxury spending. 

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