A group of Dubai residents spent more than Dh550,000 on 76 iPhone 18 Pro bulk buyer purchases at the Apple Store in Dubai Mall on launch day, with some planning to resell the handsets at a premium of up to Dh3,000 per device.
Among the buyers, one expatriate purchased 27 iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, while a separate group of Dubai residents bought 36 units between them.
iPhone 18 Pro bulk buyers drive queues at Dubai Mall
The Apple Store in Dubai Mall opened its doors to the first customers on launch day, with men making up the majority of those queuing. Lines showed no sign of slowing through the morning.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max went on sale in the UAE on Friday, 18 September, following pre-orders that opened on Saturday, 12 September, according to Apple’s UAE newsroom. Both models had already sold out on pre-order before launch day.
The devices are available in four finishes: black, silver, glacier, and a new burgundy. Storage options run from 256GB up to 2TB, as listed on the iPhone 18 Pro specifications page.
UAE pricing starts at Dh5,099 for the iPhone 18 Pro, per the Apple UAE education store. In the US, the Pro starts at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299, according to the Apple global newsroom.
eSIM only, and what to do with your old device
Buyers picking up the new handsets should note that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are eSIM-only: there is no physical SIM tray. The UAE is among the markets where eSIM-only models are sold, confirmed on the Apple UAE shop.
For those trading in an older handset, Gulf News reported that Apple’s UAE Trade In programme offered up to Dh2,220 in credit for eligible iPhones (iPhone 13 and newer) at the time of launch. Apple had not announced trade-in values specific to the iPhone 18 Pro at the time of that report.
On the hardware side, the iPhone 18 Pro is powered by the A20 Pro chip and carries a 48MP Fusion main camera with variable aperture. The Pro Max is rated for up to 45 hours of video playback, six more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, per the Apple UAE iPhone overview. Both models run iOS 27 and carry an IP68 rating to a maximum depth of six metres for up to 30 minutes.
Apple’s UAE store network
The Dubai Mall launch comes as Apple operates five stores across the country. Its newest, Apple Al Jimi Mall in Al Ain, opened on 25 September 2025 and runs entirely on renewable energy. The other four stores are Apple Yas Mall and Apple Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, and Apple Dubai Mall and Apple Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.
With the Pro and Pro Max already sold out on pre-order, in-store stock availability for walk-in buyers will be the next indicator of how quickly supply catches up with demand.
