Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Emirates airline announced Tuesday the opening of its 10th flagship “Emirates World” retail store in Abidjan, part of a major push to expand its physical travel retail footprint globally.
The Dubai-based carrier said it has invested 174 million UAE dirhams ($47.4 million) in the retail expansion. It plans to open 29 additional travel retail locations in 2026, aiming for a total of 48 stores by year’s end.
The stores allow customers to interact with the airline’s products, from cabin seats to its A380 onboard lounge, before flying. Since 2024, the concept stores have attracted over 1.4 million walk-in visitors, according to the company.
“We are cultivating opportunities for travellers to engage with our brand and imagine what their journeys could look like,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer.
The first store opened in Dubai in late 2022. Since then, flagship locations have launched in cities including London, Singapore, Bangkok and Riyadh. Each store is tailored to local markets, with features ranging from cabin displays to dedicated networking spaces.
The new Abidjan location includes a Business Class seat and an A380 lounge replica. Future openings are planned for cities including Athens, Tokyo, Istanbul and Cape Town.
Stores also offer digital kiosks for transactions and loyalty programme sign-ups, alongside curated collections of airline-branded merchandise and travel accessories.