A Pakistani resident in Dubai was the first customer to walk away with Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro Max.
A Pakistani man has become the first person to buy the new iPhone 18 Pro Max in the UAE, leading the queue as Apple’s latest flagship went on sale across the country. Mohammed Shaka, a Pakistani accountant based in Dubai, was the first customer through the doors at the Apple Store in Dubai Mall on Friday, September 18.
Shaka is no stranger to the moment. According to Gulf News, he was also the first buyer of the iPhone 17 at the same store last year, making his front-of-line spot something of a personal tradition. A committed iPhone enthusiast, he said he has bought every model since the iPhone 4 and looks forward to each new launch.
Crowds Line Up Overnight for iPhone 18 Pro Max Launch
The launch drew large crowds to Dubai Mall, with some shoppers arriving in the early hours of the morning. Queues began forming outside well before dawn, and the Apple Store opened two hours earlier than usual to manage the turnout. Many of those first in line were collecting devices they had pre-ordered days earlier.
Demand was strong from the start. Pre-orders had opened on September 12, and reports said some models sold out within 20 minutes online. On launch day, several customers bought multiple devices for family and friends, with the new burgundy color emerging as the most sought-after option.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at 5,099 dirhams, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max begins at 5,499 dirhams, with prices rising to 10,599 dirhams for the largest storage version. Buyers pointed to the new colors, along with camera and storage upgrades, as the main draws.
Shaka, meanwhile, said he is already looking ahead to Apple’s next release, keeping up a launch-day habit that shows no sign of slowing.
