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WORK is progressing on the long-awaited IKEA store in Bahrain as excited shoppers wait for the famous blue and yellow logo to be unveiled in all its glory.
After years of rumours and false dawns, the land is being prepared for the warehouse on the junction of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Highway and Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway in Salmabad.
IKEA Saudi Arabia, part of Ghassan Ahmed Al Sulaiman Furnishing Co. Ltd, is crossing the sea into Bahrain to open the 36,000sq/m flagship store. It will boast two underground and one outdoor parking area for a total capacity of 1,250 cars, and it will be one of its biggest locations in the GCC.
Faisal Al Gain, country marketing manager at IKEA Saudi Arabia, told GulfWeekly: “The development of the project is on track, the site is fenced off, all machinery is mobilised, contractors have been selected, earthworks started on site and piling is being executed. Given the current work progress, we are aiming to open our doors to customers by the end of 2017.
“As we continue our strategy for long-term growth that includes expansion in both existing and new markets, we are excited about creating a better everyday life for the people of Bahrain.
“Similar to any other IKEA store in the world, our customers in Bahrain will have the chance to browse through 9,200 articles from different product ranges.”
IKEA is a multi-national group of companies that designs and sells modern competitively-priced, ready-to-assemble furniture, such as beds, chairs and desks, alongside appliances and home accessories.
It is the world’s largest furniture retailer. Founded in Sweden in 1943 by then-17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad, who has been listed as one of the world’s richest people, the company’s name is an acronym that consists of the initials of Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd, the farm where he grew up, and Agunnaryd, his hometown in southern Sweden.
The Saudi company was the first in the world to acquire an external franchise for IKEA. It currently has three stores in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran with plans for future expansion.
The Jeddah store opened in 1983 in a relatively small 700sqm space but within two years the operation was so successful it had to relocate to a 7,000sqm store. In 2004, due to a boom in business, it relocated both Riyadh and Jeddah operations to new full scale IKEA Concept stores.
Riyadh and Jeddah are 28,500sqm stores and Dhahran is 25,000sqm. All three feature an impressive array of cutting-edge design and home improvement solutions, all of which help to cement its position as market leaders. Sales growth too has been impressive, increasing at a double-digit rate for each of the last five years, the company reports.
Back in August, 2014, GulfWeekly reported that IKEA would open its first store in Bahrain within ‘the next three years’ and the company is keeping its promise. Original plans to open that year were shelved but the desire to open up a branch in the kingdom remained strong.
Saud Ghassan Al Sulaiman, CEO of IKEA Saudi Arabia, said at the time: “Our expansion into the Gulf is part of our vision, to serve customers throughout the region and follow the needs of the market, as well as provide our home furnishing competency, and while still serving the growing Saudi market, we are committed to expand our services into the Gulf by opening our first branch in Bahrain.”
The Dhahran store in the Eastern Province, at such close proximity to Bahrain, will continue to serve the Saudi market as well as the Bahraini market until the opening of the Salmabad store.
All construction work is expected to be complete by the September 30 deadline next year, it is believed. After the construction work is finished the IKEA retail teams will check the facility and take around three months to set up.
This ‘landmark IKEA project’ should significantly contribute to the country’s national economy, analysts suggest, generating business for the economy and creating jobs.
