Meet the residents who spent thousands of dirhams on iPhone 17

It was all smiles and excitement as several people lined up outside the Apple store at both Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates to get their hands on the brand-new iterations of the iPhone 17 on Friday morning.

- Nasreen Abdulla

One such person was Abdul Rafique, who spent a whooping Dh42,594 to secure six phones on the first day for his entire family. An out and out Apple fan, this isn’t the first time he has bought an iPhone on the first day. In 2023, he was the first person in line to get his hands on the first iPhone14s. That day as well he had booked six devices for his family. However, he said this time it was more difficult to secure all his devices, and he had to split time and location.

“I booked two phones to be picked up from Mall of the Emirates in the morning and four phones to be picked up from Dubai Mall in the evening,” he told Khaleej Times. “My family are eagerly awaiting the devices, and I am excited about getting these to them.”

He wasn’t the only one who bought multiple devices for his family. At Dubai Mall, banker Romit Aggarwal purchased a total of seven iPhone Air and Pro Max for his family including his mother and cousins. “I am upgrading from iPhone 15 Pro to the iPhone Air, and it feels like a great upgrade,” he said. “The occasion is great with the new iPhone launching and that’s why I’m buying for everyone.”

However, he declined to reveal how much he had spent on his purchase.

Cash purchases