News

Middle Eastern countries are known for their vast oil wealth, low taxes and hot weather. What they are not known for is being sexually permissive.

Carrying a sex toy is enough to get you searched – or even arrested – in places like Dubai and Riyadh. Despite this, Ann Summers has announced plans to open shops in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

The move follows a trial last year and reports of booming demand for lingerie in the Gulf. Maria Hollins, the retailer’s chief executive, told the Telegraph last year that Middle Eastern customers were flocking to its Marble Arch store. Ann Summers now estimates the lingerie market in the Gulf is worth around $1.7bn (£1.3bn).

While customers in the region will be able to buy broadly the same range of lingerie, gloves, and masks as their counterparts in the West, British visitors to branches in the Middle East will notice a significant difference – sex toys will be conspicuously absent.

Possession of sex toys is widely banned across the region under Islamic law. Reality TV star Charlotte Crosby, known for appearing on Geordie Shore, claimed she was was nearly arrested for having a sex toy in her luggage in Dubai in 2021.

Despite their strict stance, retail experts say the expansion is a sign of a slow but steady softening of attitudes towards sex and the rights of women in the region.

In Saudi Arabia, for instance, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has allowed women to drive, travel internationally, take up jobs and start businesses without the permission of male “guardians”. However, critics point to ongoing systemic discrimination by the Saudi regime in many other areas such as childcare and marriage.

One retail industry insider said: “The generations are becoming more liberal in their preferences... It’s all about self-expression, especially with Generation Alpha and Gen Z. Dubai and the Emirates are more international in outlook, with wealthy expats and regional tourists creating a more diverse environment.”

Can Ann Summers get lucky?

Founded in the 1970s, Ann Summers was credited with challenging long-held taboos around sex and lingerie in Britain.

The company has fallen on hard times in recent years, dropping to a loss of £13.1m last year . Ms Hollins has been battling to turn around its fortunes and said the brand must become sexier again.

She told The Telegraph last year: “Being brutally honest, you go [to Ann Summers] because you want something sexy. The everyday product wasn’t really selling.”

As part of its turnaround plan, the retailer has repositioned itself around “sexual wellness” and has begun selling products Ms Hollins called “much softer and less intimidating”.

It has also launched a standalone business called Knickerbox.com, selling third-party brands such as Calvin Klein and Lemonade Dolls alongside its own wares.

The retail expert added: “Usually you [expand internationally] from a position of strength, and their position in the UK has been eroded. If you haven’t have cracked your domestic market, how do you think you can export it?”

It is not the first time Ann Summers has attempted to crack the Middle East. In 2000, it opened a swathe of shops across the region, including in Islam’s holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

An Ann Summers spokesman said the previous attempted expansion came “at a time when both Ann Summers and the retail landscape were vastly different”.

They said: “Women in the region, like women everywhere, want access to lingerie that makes them feel confident and empowered.”

Ann Summers won’t actually be running the shops itself. Instead, it has signed a franchise deal with Liwa, a Middle Eastern retail group, to run them on its behalf.

The first standalone Ann Summers in the Middle East is poised to open this summer.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.