Swiss performance brand On, whose CloudTec®-equipped footwear has turned running into a near-cult phenomenon, has officially opened its first Gulf Cooperation Council store in the iconic Kingdom Center. This is not merely a retail expansion; it is a cultural and ideological landing for a brand that has spent fifteen years redefining what performance, luxury, and lifestyle can mean in concert.
The 314sqm flagship is a deliberate manifestation of On’s philosophy: movement as a social, psychological, and cultural vector. From running shoes and tennis apparel to lifestyle sneakers and outdoor gear, the store is a laboratory for human kinetic engagement. Beyond commerce, it will host weekly 7:30 p.m. run clubs, positioning the brand as a convener of community, rather than simply a purveyor of premium goods.
“Our stores are about more than products,” says Bianca Pestalozzi-Houchangnia, General Manager for EMEA at On. “They’re about creating meaningful experiences that inspire people to move.” This ethos aligns seamlessly with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a socio-economic agenda seeking to transform public engagement with health, wellness, and sports. On’s arrival is thus not only timely but ideologically congruent: a Swiss-born brand embedding itself in the emerging Gulf fitness narrative.
The Riyadh store represents a strategic inflection point in On’s global expansion. Flagships in Tokyo, Houston, Zurich, Bangkok, and Seoul have already established On’s capacity to merge innovation, culture, and luxury retail. In the GCC, On will open nine additional stores over the next two years, in collaboration with Mizzen, part of the Seddiqi Holding Group.
Innovation meets ethics: On’s CloudTec® and LightSpray™ technologies are hallmarks of its performance credentials, but the company is equally committed to circular economy principles, demonstrating that design, function, and sustainability need not be mutually exclusive. In Riyadh, consumers can inhabit this intersection, exploring premium design, engineered efficiency, and ecological consciousness in a single space.
Open daily from 10 AM to 11 PM, the Kingdom Center store is more than a retail environment – it is a cultural observatory, an experiential lab, and a statement that the Gulf is now a serious stage for global lifestyle brands. Swiss by origin, globally ambitious, and GCC-ready, On’s Riyadh flagship crystallises a moment in which sportswear becomes culture, philosophy, and movement, not merely a commodity.
