Swedish home furnishings giant, IKEA, opened doors to its first store in Oman today at Oman Avenues Mall. In the run-up to the official inauguration, a large crowd of 3,100 customers was waiting for the store to officially open.
Featuring inspirational room setups and creative solutions for visitors with over 9,000 articles across living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and other home furnishing accessories, the store is located in the centre of the city, making it accessible for customers to visit.
The opening event was attended by Mr Omar Al Futtaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of Al-Futtaim Group; HH Sayyid Harib bin Thuwaini Al Said; H.E Mr. Niclas Trouve, Ambassador of Sweden to the Sultanate of Oman; Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud Al Khalili; Sheikh Taher Bin Saud Al Khalili; Sheikh Saad Bin Suhail Bahwan; Mr Vinod Jayan, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim IKEA, UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Oman along with selected VIP guests and customers who queued up to witness the opening.
Visitors at the opening were welcomed with performances that included Omani national drums, face painting for children, and a dedicated photo booth to mark the launch day.
Oman’s first IKEA comprises a 394-seat restaurant, directly connected to the shopping centre for easy access and convenience. Featuring self-service kiosks, the IKEA restaurant extends into the mall for more seating options for customers.
Customers can shop from the Swedish Food Market for their favourite Scandinavian ingredients and enjoy fresh pastries, cookies and more at the IKEA Bistro.
As one of the world’s largest food providers, IKEA has taken the next step toward making healthy and sustainable food more affordable and accessible to many people. The retailer continues to inspire better food choices at its Oman store, with a food and beverage range that includes IKEA’s popular plant-based meatballs, ASC-certified salmon, and UTZ-certified coffee.
IKEA has hired Omani nationals across different departments and positions. The retailer received over 48,000 applications to fill various roles across different departments and positions with a focus on equal opportunities to bring balance into the workplace. All IKEA employees have access to IKEA’s development programmes in Oman and across the global IKEA network which helps them to enhance their skills.
Vinod Jayan, Managing Director – Al-Futtaim IKEA UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Oman, said: “We are so delighted to have finally opened doors to IKEA’s first store in the Sultanate of Oman.
“It has been amazing to see the number of visitors at the store today. This is the first milestone in the journey of many more to come in Oman. IKEA brings affordable, comfortable, and sustainable furnishing solutions to its customers.
“Reflecting our core ethos, we keep our customers at the heart of all that we do and offer various different shopping experiences to suit everyone’s needs. We can’t wait to become a part of the everyday life of the residents and citizens of Oman.”
The newly launched store offers the convenient and contactless ‘Click and Collect’ service to the Sultanate. This gives customers the option to pick up essential items from the store on the same or the next day, without even leaving their car.
The store is also equipped with competent staff, services and technology to provide customers with everything they need from A-Z. Additionally, the store also offers services such as in-store planning tools and picking services, to help customers create and find everything they need to build their dream space.
