On, the Swiss sportswear company, is preparing to open its first UAE boutique in Dubai this month, co-founder David Allemann told Arab News. The store follows the brand’s first retail space in the Gulf, which opened in Saudi Arabia in 2025, and marks the next step in a regional roll-out that Allemann has led personally.
Allemann helped found On in 2010.
The company already has a customer base in Dubai through its wholesale business and has previously announced plans for eight more locations across the Gulf Cooperation Council. He said Saudi Arabia was picked for the first GCC store because of the region’s growth momentum, and that Gulf customers are drawn to “the intersection of Swiss engineering and premium design”. Opening its own shop in Dubai gives the brand direct control over how it presents its range in the UAE, after years of selling there through other retailers.
The brand’s soles have become a recognisable fashion marker among Gulf shoppers. They use CloudTec, a patented cushioning system built from visible hollow pods that run along the outsole. On has also developed SenseTec, a soft fabric designed to breathe and wick away moisture, and LightSpray, a manufacturing method in which a single robotic arm builds the upper of a shoe. In the interview, Allemann described the range as footwear that bridges active sport and everyday lifestyle wear, which is how much of its Gulf customer base already uses it.
On is entering a crowded market. The Covid-19 pandemic set off a large rise in athleisure that encouraged homegrown alternatives in the region, including UAE-founded Squatwolf and Saudi label Kayanee, both of which design clothing for the Gulf’s hot and humid conditions. Allemann said being based in Switzerland does not stop the company from designing for climates and training conditions elsewhere, and that it will keep investing heavily in specialised textile testing and in the climate needs of different markets. Both brands were founded in the Gulf.
The company also wants to widen its reach beyond the sport that made its name. Allemann said On has become closely associated with running and now aims to become “highly credible challengers” in tennis, training and outdoor categories. The Dubai boutique and the eight further GCC sites already announced will be where Gulf shoppers first see how far that push into new categories has gone.
