The 25,400 square metre Ikea store was the first to open its doors to shoppers at Dubai Festival City's Retail Park.
The Ikea store is four times bigger than its previous location in City Centre, and features 6,500 products, 1,200 vehicle spaces, 22 cash registers and a work force of 300.
"This is the most modern Ikea store in the world. There are currently 120 Swedish companies based in the UAE with 250 brands. This figure is just the starting point. In the future, we will see much more," said H.E Bruno Beijer, Swedish Ambassador to the UAE.
Ikea, a member of the Al Futtaim Group, allows customers to take home 90 per cent of the products on the same day from the store.
"No UAE citizen should walk by the store without taking a look inside," added Beijer.
Also present at the opening ceremony was Omar Al Futtaim, Chief Executive Officer, Al Futtaim Group, who said meeting the deadline for opening the store was difficult.
"People bet me that this place would not be open on time, even until the last few days, and even I had doubts and what was once a dream turned into a solid vision and has now become reality," said Al Futtaim.
Al Futtaim also said that DFC is a special project for the Al Futtaim Group.
"We have now brought more of Sweden to Dubai, and it is an honour to enjoy a successful partnership," added Al Futtaim.
Hans Skalin, director of the supervisory board, Inter Ikea Systems Holding, said Ikea's popularity has grown in the UAE, which is why they opened a bigger store.
"This market reflects a vibrant mix of nationalities, tastes and lifestyles," Skalin added.
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