The LEGO Group Opens its Doors to More Fans across the Kingdom with the Launch of its Latest Store in Riyadh
Gulftech – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The LEGO Group today announced the opening of its LEGO® Certified Store at Granada Mall in Riyadh. Officially opening its doors to the public on 26 April 2021, the store welcomed new and existing fans across Riyadh and the wider Kingdom. Children and adults alike were met with a full range of LEGO sets, including exclusive sets only available at LEGO Certified Stores worldwide and through the LEGO Certified Stores eCommerce websites.
Situated on the ground floor of Granada Mall, the store will offer families the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the LEGO® play experience. Children can explore their creativity in interactive stations as they engage in free play and discover the endless possibilities of building with LEGO® bricks. In line with the LEGO Group’s mission to develop the builders of tomorrow, the dedicated interactive areas offer a hands-on experience that encourages children to tap into their imaginations as they experiment with LEGO bricks of different colors, sizes, and shapes.
Drawing on local heritage and culture, the store will feature a one-of-a-kind build of a falcon that pays homage to the Kingdom’s legacy. Composed of 43,652 LEGO bricks, the life-sized structure was built by a dedicated team of five builders and took 477 hours to bring to completion. Families and friends visiting the store can also view a unique mosaic of the King Fahd International Stadium. This build, featuring the stadium’s iconic white tents, is made up of 168,593 LEGO bricks and was created as a tribute to the landmark sports destination at the heart of the capital. The result of 264 working hours, the mosaic was created by a dedicated team of six builders.
Jeroen Beijer, General Manager, LEGO Middle East & Africa, said: “Since establishing our first LEGO Certified Store in Jeddah last year, we have strived to bring the LEGO play experience to more families across the Kingdom. The opening of our Granada Mall store signifies an important milestone for us at the LEGO Group, as it also marks the launch of our third LEGO Certified Store location in Saudi Arabia within the past year. Alongside our partners at Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group LLC, we are pleased to introduce more children and adults to the joy of building with LEGO bricks.”
Hisham Al Hamoudi, Kamal Osman Jamjoom CEO, said: “Through our partnership with the LEGO Group, we have been able to introduce exclusive LEGO® sets to more families across the Kingdom as we bring them fun-filled experiences that can only be found at LEGO Certified Stores. These experiences are key to nurturing 21st century skills that further the Kingdom’s efforts to drive innovation and future-focused entrepreneurship among its youth. By introducing families to the possibilities of LEGO play, our aim is to provide children with the opportunity to expand their imaginations as they explore their creative potential. The opening of our store at Granada Mall is truly a momentous occasion for us, and we are thrilled to be able to extend this unique offering to more fans.”
Ahead of the opening of the Granada Mall store, Wesam Banabilah, Riyadh’s self-professed biggest LEGO fan, visited the store alongside his parents for an exclusive preview tour. A long-time collector and builder of LEGO® sets, the nine-year-old was first introduced by his parents to LEGO and took part in the opening preparations of the LEGO store in Riyadh Park Mall in January 2021. Wesam received the unique opportunity to participate in in-store trainings alongside employees and his LEGO creations were used to decorate the interior of the store throughout the launch period.
Wesam Banabilah said: “I have been playing with LEGO sets since I was three years-old and love to build so many different things – from Disney characters to architecture sets and even robots. I first started by following the instructions found in each box, but now I build by trying out different ways to put the bricks together and pull them apart. Each time I sit down to build a model, I try to create something new. I was so excited to hear that there will be a new store opening in Riyadh because there are so many new sets that are not available anywhere else. I cannot wait to see what new sets will be released in the next few months. I also want to thank the LEGO Group for giving me the chance to participate in building some LEGO sets for the store in Riyadh Park. It was so fun to be part of the LEGO team.”
The LEGO Certified Store at Granada Mall spans across 231.30m2 and is open Sundays – Saturdays from 9:30 am to 11:00 pm. In addition to the LEGO Group’s wider collection, fans can also shop for exclusive sets on the LEGO e-commerce website http://www.lego.saudiblocks.com/. The platform offers customers the best possible online shopping experience that is specially tailored to the brand’s multichannel shopper to enhance customer experience both in store and online.
