What Went Down: H&M TAKES OVER DUBAI

In Dubai, you know it’s serious when the Burj Khalifa lights up. At 7:20pm, H&M took over the tower, kicking off a night that was all about their brand new store at Dubai Mall.

The Drop at Dubai Mall

An hour later, the newly reimagined H&M Dubai Mall store opened its doors, revealing an all-senses-on experience.

Inside, the space introduced the brand’s latest design direction with interactive fitting rooms enhanced by RFID tech to check size availability on the spot, self-checkout stations, a customisation corner, and a beauty claw machine that became an instant hit.

There was a photo booth, a DJ soundtracking, adding to the buzz, and enough in-store activations to keep energy levels running high all night.

All About Beauty

A major moment inside the store was that the brand has expanded its beauty offering. H&M carved out a space for regional favourites like By Mina Al Sheikhly, Noha Nabil Beauty, By Haneen Al Saify, and Barkha Beauty, sitting next to international names like Murad and trending Korean labels Medicube, Beauty of Joseon, Muzigae Mansion, and Keyth. And as a perk, the first 300 customers who made a purchase left with beauty bags worth AED 600.

Mystery Boxes

Outside, the queue stretched early for a big reason. The first 300 visitors received mystery boxes stacked with curated gifts and limited-edition pieces. Some held gift cards, others had one of 50 tickets granting access to the invite-only after-party at Arte Museum.

The After-Party at Arte Museum

Talking about the party, at 9pm, select guests moved to Arte Museum inside Dubai Mall, where H&M built an after-hours world of archival looks, beauty highlights, and holiday-season moodboards.

Visitors and creators and influencers including regional names like Karen Wazen, Jana Diab, and Noor Taher moved through the installations. The space spotlighted three themes, H&M Beauty, H&M Designer Archives, and the Holiday collection.

A takeover of the tallest building in the world, a flagship store built around tech and interaction, a beauty lineup shaped by the region, and an after-party staged inside one of Dubai’s most sensory museums. H&M clearly knows that the city likes things done that way.