Apple Holding Discussions With Saudi Arabian Government to Open Retail Store in 2019

[MacRumors]

Apple could debut its first retail location within Saudi Arabia as soon as 2019, thanks to the government's current push towards a "high-tech look" for the country. Reuters reports today that officials in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh -- including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- are currently in licensing discussions with both Apple and Amazon in an effort to entice major technology companies into the country.

Apple is rumored to be talking with SAGIA, Saudi Arabia's foreign investment authority, and a licensing agreement for Apple's retail stores with the authority is expected to come by February 2018. The first location would then be targeted for an opening in 2019.

Image of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia via Wikimedia Commons​

Apple and Amazon are in licensing discussions with Riyadh on investing in Saudi Arabia, two sources told Reuters, part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s push to give the conservative kingdom a high-tech look.

A licensing agreement for Apple stores with SAGIA is expected by February, with an initial retail store targeted for 2019, said two sources familiar with the discussions.

Amazon's cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, is said to be leading the company's discussions with Saudi Arabian officials. The talks are believed to be in "earlier stages" than Apple's, with no specific time frame given for Amazon's investment plans in the country.

The Saudi Arabian government's regulations previously placed heavy limits on foreign ownership of businesses, preventing companies like Apple and Amazon from coming to the country. In the past two years, however, falling crude oil prices "highlighted the need to diversify" the country's dependency on oil within its economy, leading to courting technology companies.

Evidence of this came in September, when Saudi Arabia lifted a ban on services that provide access to calling someone over the internet, including Apple's FaceTime. The ban was enacted in 2013 and began due to the government's fear of non-secure internet communication among its residents, but was lifted this year in the country's new efforts to "attract more business" to its economy.

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Article Link: Apple Holding Discussions With Saudi Arabian Government to Open Retail Store in 2019

 

[DrewDaHilp1]

Well Timmy here's your chance to do some real political grandstanding and tell the House of Saud how they treat gays and women are wrong.

 

[Hastings101]

Well Timmy here's your chance to do some real political grandstanding and tell the House of Saud how they treat gays and women are wrong.

That would just be the greatest thing to see

 

[Naraxus]

Retail....because Cook wouldn't dare discuss the country's abysmal civil rights record would he?

 

[justperry]

Well Timmy here's your chance to do some real political grandstanding and tell the House of Saud how they treat gays and women are wrong.

Regarding women, seems you don't read (the) news, it's changing but slowly, what do you expect, you can't expect it to go from very conservative to completely open in a year, it might take decades.

Retail....because Cook wouldn't dare discuss the country's abysmal civil rights record would he?

I already said it before and say it again, what do you expect, he's the CEO of Apple, he's there to make money for the shareholders, he's not a politician.
In countries where he can speak up he will, he could get jailed for speaking openly in many other countries.

 

[Naraxus]

Regarding women, seems you don't read (the) news, it's changing but slowly, what do you expect, you can't expect it to go from very conservative to completely open in a year, it might take decades.

What I expect is for SJW Cook to put his money where his mouth is and stand behind what he says. If he's going to see fit to lecture me on his pet sjw issues then he damn sure better do the same elsewhere. He likes to lecture people on LGBT, racial, civil rights & women's issues but that political bluster goes out the window when it affects his bottom line.

He's nothing more than a hypocritical phony.

 

[mactactic]

Can’t wait for HYPOCRITE Timmy to tell us what a great opportunity it is for Apple to open a store in a country that Murders Gays and is Repressive to Woman!!
And liberals wonder why Trump why Trump won....

 

[MH01]

Great business decision . Right move by Apple .

now tim, stop lecturing me about SJW crap..... it's all about the $$$$, and that's fine.
[doublepost=1514480663][/doublepost]

Regarding women, seems you don't read (the) news, it's changing but slowly, what do you expect, you can't expect it to go from very conservative to completely open in a year, it might take decades.





I already said it before and say it again, what do you expect, he's the CEO of Apple, he's there to make money for the shareholders, he's not a politician.
In countries where he can speak up he will, he could get jailed for speaking openly in many other countries.

Owww he is a politician . He will tell you what you want to hear to get your $$$. He is a very good politician.

You do realise he is getting sales by saying the right SJW stuff....

 

[0007776]

If he's going to see fit to lecture me on his pet sjw issues then he damn sure better do the same elsewhere. He likes to lecture people on LGBT, racial, civil rights & women's issues but that political bluster goes out the window when it affects his bottom line.

It’s always about the bottom line, in the US he knows it helps sales, elsewhere it hurts them so he tailors his message to each country.

 

[IPPlanMan]

Will the store sell rainbow watch bands?

 

[alex2792]

I’m assuming that the gay pride bands will be front and center?

 

[ramallite]

I wonder if they'll have a glowing orb at the opening ceremony for Tim Cook and the Saudi princes to lay their hands on...

 

[Will.O.Bie]

In countries where he can speak up he will, he could get jailed for speaking openly in many other countries.

I agree. I'm sure they get briefed beforehand on what they can and cannot say. Others simply cannot expect the same liberal thinking and lifestyle in parts of the world that are still in the stone age. He's there exactly for business purposes and not to push his political agenda. Kinda sad depending on how you look at it...revenue > integrity.

 

[dampfnudel]

I’m curious if they’ll have separate stores, one for men and one for women and their escort. That Saudi money was just too good to ignore.

 

[imageWIS]

Can’t wait for HYPOCRITE Timmy to tell us what a great opportunity it is for Apple to open a store in a country that Murders Gays and is Repressive to Woman!!
And liberals wonder why Trump why Trump won....

Drumpf won because 'abortion' and that most people are utter and complete morons.

 

[usarioclave]

Can't wait to see the Apple branded burqas that the associates are going to use.

 

[fairuz]

So they're selling gold-plated iPhones now?
[doublepost=1514537519][/doublepost]

Well Timmy here's your chance to do some real political grandstanding and tell the House of Saud how they treat gays and women are wrong.

Haha, just like everyone's been saying on every single article about Tim Cook.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I wonder if they'll have a glowing orb at the opening ceremony for Tim Cook and the Saudi princes to lay their hands on...

Out of all the insightful and comedic commentary in his thread this is one joke I have no idea what you’re referring to or talking about. I didn’t get the joke. Honestly.


Anyone else waiting to see Tim get jailed for grandstanding rights issues while in Saudi Arabia? can you imagine what would transpire?

Product warranty will be adjusted as well and they’ll not be able to pull his battery crap there.

 

[mrgraff]

Out of all the insightful and comedic commentary in his thread this is one joke I have no idea what you’re referring to or talking about. I didn’t get the joke. Honestly.

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-orb-globe-saudi-arabia-what-was-it-2017-5

 

[CrystalQuest76]

Money rules with Tim Cook and the heck with ethics. Does he pay any attention to how they treat homosexuals? Does he not care that if it were not for the fact that he is the CEO of Apple the arabs would not let him in the country? if their law enforcement saw him with his partner in public they would beat him bloody (and its legal to do that). After beating him and his partner, the Arabs would put him in jail.
Is this a country that Steve Jobs want to do business in? Or is this just Tim Cook and all about the money?

 

[Solomani]

Well Timmy here's your chance to do some real political grandstanding and tell the House of Saud how they treat gays and women are wrong.

Would the First Saudi-American War start if Prince Abdelpalooka bin Laden (17th in the Line of Succession Praise Be Unto Him) throws Timmy from the 29th story of a Riyadh skyscraper?

Or maybe Führer Trumpf would simply instagram his buddy Prince Abdelpalooka a congratulatory msg "Well done!"

 

[iDento]

With all the money House of Saud have, Timmy himself would wear a burqa.

 

[kwikdeth]

Out of all the insightful and comedic commentary in his thread this is one joke I have no idea what you’re referring to or talking about. I didn’t get the joke. Honestly.

its a reference to Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia a few months ago.
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-orb-globe-saudi-arabia-what-was-it-2017-5

 

[DeepIn2U]

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-orb-globe-saudi-arabia-what-was-it-2017-5

Thank you.

Would the First Saudi-American War start if Prince Abdelpalooka bin Laden (17th in the Line of Succession Praise Be Unto Him) throws Timmy from the 29th story of a Riyadh skyscraper?

Or maybe Führer Trumpf would simply instagram his buddy Prince Abdelpalooka a congratulatory msg "Well done!"

Cropped into a selfie pic most likely.

its a reference to Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia a few months ago.
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-orb-globe-saudi-arabia-what-was-it-2017-5

Thank you as well.

For all the thanks I’ve given ... how does grid emoji evoke the words Thank you ?

 

[koulmj]

Well Timmy here's your chance to do some real political grandstanding and tell the House of Saud how they treat gays and women are wrong.

There is an awsome article jn Time Magazine this minth about how the new ruling Saudi Prince is making strides towards modernization and women equality. Its a good read