If M&S crumpets, ready meals and British pantry favourites are regulars on your shopping list, there’s a new destination to look forward to. Al-Futtaim is preparing to open a major Marks & Spencer store at Dubai Festival City, featuring what is expected to be the brand’s largest food hall outside the UK.
Dubai Festival City To Welcome M&S’ Biggest Food Hall Outside The UK
What Shoppers Can Expect
The food hall will cover 15,327 sq ft and bring together the full M&S Food range. Its shelves will feature around 3,500 core products alongside 500 locally sourced items. More than 200 UK suppliers will contribute to the selection, while local producers will provide fresh produce, protein, groceries, bakery items and prepared meal options.
The store is set to offer a mix of familiar M&S favourites and fresh food concepts, giving shoppers plenty to browse beyond the usual packaged range.
New Food Counters And Regional Firsts
Flowers And A Patisserie
The store will introduce fresh M&S flowers to an international location for the first time. It will also house the first M&S Patisserie in the Middle East, adding another option for shoppers looking for freshly prepared treats.
More Than A Regular Supermarket
The food experience will include several dedicated counters and food stations. These are expected to feature a Fruit Butcher, a sushi counter, rotisserie chicken, a coffee shop and a pizza oven. Al-Futtaim has also confirmed plans for hospitality concepts M&S has not introduced before, though it has yet to share further details.
M&S And Dubai: A Partnership Dating Back To 1997
Al-Futtaim signed its franchise agreement with M&S in 1997, and opened the first Dubai store in Deira in 1998. The partnership continued to grow over the years. In 2017, Dubai Festival City Mall welcomed an M&S Cafe, marking the brand’s first table-service dining concept in the region. That year also saw the opening of the Middle East’s first standalone M&S Food store at Dubai Marina Walk. Springs Souk followed in 2018.
M&S has also introduced products suited to local preferences, including halal own-brand ready meals. Dubai Hills Mall made its mark as the first M&S food hall in the region to feature self-checkout points.
Also Read: Marks & Spencer Launches Another Food Store In Dubai
When Will The New M&S Food Hall Open?
The new store is set to open in November 2026. But no definitive opening date has yet been confirmed. More details are expected nearer the launch.
Cover Image Courtesy: Supplied
FAQs
What is new at this M&S food hall?
It is the first outside Britain to stock the full M&S Food range. Fresh M&S flowers make their international debut, and the Middle East gets its first M&S Patisserie. Other counters include a Fruit Butcher, sushi, a rotisserie chicken station, a coffee shop and a pizza oven.
How many products will the store stock?
More than 3,500 core M&S products and 500 locally sourced lines. More than 200 UK suppliers and local producers will supply the range.
