Dubai: Apple unveiled its biggest product lineup of the year at its September 9 “Surprise and Shine” event, led by the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. The device opens into a 7.6-inch display and starts at Dh8,499 in the UAE. Pre-orders begin at 4pm on October 16, with the phone available in the UAE from October 23.
Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, featuring a new 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture, along with Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 and AirPods 5.
Look back at the year in pictures as Apple’s latest launch adds another chapter to the iPhone story.
Customers purchase the new iPhone at the Apple Store in Dubai Mall in 2025.Mohammed Shaka, first in the queue to buy new iPhone at Dubai mall store in 2025.Customers queue patiently as sales of the iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 begin at Apple Dubai Mall in 2024. For over a decade, Dubai has been at the heart of Apple’s iPhone mania, with every launch turning into a spectacle of excitement, anticipation, and long lines. From the earliest models in the late 2000s to the latest iPhone 16 unveiled this year, the city’s passion for Apple products has only grown stronger, cementing its place as one of the most enthusiastic markets in the region.Apple enthusiasts line up outside the Apple Store at Dubai Mall to purchase the new iPhone 11 in 2019. Each September, scenes outside flagship Apple stores in Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates have become almost ritualistic: hundreds of eager buyers queueing overnight, some even days in advance, to be among the first to own the new device. Crowds gather during the launch of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max at the Apple Store, Dubai Mall, in 2018.Mr. Bakhit, a UAE national from Abu Dhabi, proudly collects the first online pre-order of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max in 2018. The rush has never been just about the technology—it has been about belonging to a global trend, capturing the prestige of being “first,” and celebrating innovation.People wait in long queues to buy the iPhone X during its launch at Apple Dubai Mall on November 3, 2017. Over the years, photo after photo has captured the evolution of this frenzy—shoppers carrying fresh boxes with pride, security staff managing serpentine queues, and Apple staff cheering as doors opened at dawn. These images tell a story not just of a product launch, but of how Dubai has embraced global tech culture while adding its own unique flair.
