Jarir Bookstore
Corporate brand
UnclaimedJarir is the retail and wholesale brand of Saudi Arabia’s Jarir Marketing Company, selling books, electronics, IT products, office and school supplies, and related goods.
Last updated October 16, 2026
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Overview
Jarir Bookstore, operated by Jarir Marketing Company, is a Saudi Arabian retail and wholesale business headquartered in Riyadh. Although its name and historical identity are associated with books, the company has developed into a broad-format retailer serving education, office work, personal technology, and selected consumer-electronics needs. Its retail business operates under the Jarir Bookstore trademark and includes physical stores as well as online sales, while its wholesale division supplies products through a separate commercial channel. The business began in Riyadh in 1974 as a small bookshop on Jarir Street, the location that supplied the name. Its early assortment included used books and art materials sold by expatriates living in the city. During the 1980s, Jarir expanded with a second Riyadh branch, and it added another branch during the 1990s. These early expansions established the company as a recognizable local bookseller before it broadened its merchandise and geographic footprint. Jarir's present assortment spans Arabic and English books and publications, stationery, office and school supplies, children's toys, educational aids, arts and crafts materials, computer peripherals and software, mobile phones and accessories, audiovisual products, photography equipment, smart televisions, and computer-maintenance services. This mix places the brand between a traditional bookstore, an educational-supplies retailer, and a consumer-technology chain. The format allows Jarir to serve students, families, schools, offices, creative users, and technology customers in the same retail environment. The company entered the Saudi public market through an initial public offering in 2003. Approximately one-third of its shares was described as traded on Tadawul in the referenced material. The public-company structure supported the development of a larger regional store network and a more formal retail platform. Jarir subsequently expanded beyond Saudi Arabia into other Gulf Cooperation Council markets, with operations reported in Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Digital commerce became especially important during the COVID-19 period. Online sales were reported to have increased six-fold in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the same period of the previous year. The shift reflected the wider movement toward online retail during pandemic restrictions and demonstrated the importance of Jarir's online channel alongside its physical branches. Jarir has also received recognition as a prominent Saudi retail brand. It was ranked seventh in the 2017 BrandZ list of the most valuable Saudi retail brands, and it appeared in Forbes Middle East's 2018 ranking of the Top 100 Listed Companies in the Arab World. The available reference material does not establish a current store count, current financial performance, current chief executive, or a definitive corporate website. Jarir's continuing identity is that of a Gulf regional retailer whose core bookstore heritage has been extended into office products, education, electronics, and online commerce.
History
Jarir Bookstore is the retail brand of Jarir Marketing Company, a Saudi Arabian business based in Riyadh. The company was founded in 1974 by Abdulrahman Nasser Al-Agil as a small bookshop on Jarir Street in Riyadh. Its original business was centered on used books and art materials, including items sold by expatriates living in the city. The location gave the business its name and helped establish the bookstore's local identity. Expansion began during the 1980s, when Jarir opened a second Riyadh branch. A further branch followed in the 1990s. This gradual expansion preceded the company's transformation from a small bookseller into a larger retail organization. Over time, Jarir expanded beyond books into office and school supplies, children's toys, educational aids, arts and crafts materials, computer products, mobile devices, audiovisual equipment, photography tools, smart televisions, and computer-maintenance services. The company broadened its commercial structure into two main divisions. The retail division, including online sales, operates under the Jarir Bookstore trademark. A wholesale division provides a separate route to market. This combination enabled Jarir to serve individual consumers while also participating in broader institutional and commercial distribution. Jarir completed an initial public offering in 2003. The reference material states that roughly one-third of the company's shares was traded on Tadawul. Public-market status accompanied the company's development as a larger Saudi retailer and its subsequent presence in other Gulf markets. Operations were reported in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. The product mix positioned Jarir at the intersection of several retail categories. Books remain central to the brand's heritage, but the company also serves schools, offices, families, artists, students, and technology users. Its Arabic and English publications support a bilingual regional market, while its office, educational, and electronics ranges provide reasons for customers to visit beyond book purchasing. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the importance of Jarir's online business. Online sales in the second quarter of 2020 were reported to be six times higher than in the comparable period of the previous year. This change reflected pandemic-era consumer behavior and the increasing role of digital commerce in Jarir's retail model. The brand received external recognition during the late 2010s. It was identified as the seventh most valuable retail brand in Saudi Arabia in the 2017 BrandZ ranking and was included in Forbes Middle East's 2018 list of the Top 100 Listed Companies in the Arab World. The available source material does not provide a current executive roster, current financial results, or a verified corporate website. Jarir is therefore best described as an active Saudi-led Gulf retailer with a bookstore foundation and a diversified retail and wholesale platform.
- 2020
Online sales accelerate during COVID-19
[1]Online sales increase six-fold in the second quarter compared with the same period of the preceding year.
- 2018
Forbes Middle East listed-company recognition
[1]Jarir appears in Forbes Middle East's reported Top 100 Listed Companies in the Arab World.
- 2017
BrandZ Saudi retail recognition
[1]Jarir is reported as the seventh most valuable retail brand in Saudi Arabia in the cited BrandZ ranking.
- 2003
Initial public offering
[1]Jarir undergoes an initial public offering, with a portion of its shares traded on Tadawul.
- 2003
Listed on the Saudi Capital Market
- 2002
Became a joint-stock company
Jarir Marketing Company became a joint-stock company.
- 1990
Further Riyadh expansion
[1]The company opens another Riyadh branch during the 1990s as it develops from a small bookseller into a wider retail operation.
- 1990
Another Riyadh branch opened during the 1990s
- 1980
Second Riyadh branch opens
[1]Jarir expands beyond its original location with a second branch in Riyadh.
- 1980
Second Riyadh branch opened during the 1980s
Products and positioning
A large Gulf retail chain combining bookstore heritage with office, education, technology, and consumer-electronics merchandise. A broad-based bookseller and specialty retailer that has expanded into consumer IT, electronics, office and school supplies, and related services, with both retail and wholesale operations.
Books and media · 1974
Books and publications
Books are the historical foundation of Jarir's identity. The company sells Arabic and English books and publications, serving general readers as well as educational and family audiences. The range connects the modern retailer with its origins as a Riyadh bookseller dealing in used books. Arabic and English books and publications.
Stationery and educational supplies
Office, school, and creative supplies
Jarir sells supplies for schools, offices, and everyday writing and organization. This category broadens the store's customer base beyond book buyers and supports recurring demand from students, households, businesses, and educational institutions. Office and school supplies, arts and crafts materials, toys, and educational aids.
Consumer electronics
Technology and electronics
The technology assortment includes computer peripherals and software, mobile phones and accessories, audiovisual equipment, photography tools, and smart televisions. These products make Jarir a technology retailer as well as a bookstore and allow it to participate in higher-value consumer-electronics purchases.
Toys and educational aids
Children's and educational products
Children's toys and educational aids complement Jarir's books and school supplies. The category addresses families and learners while reinforcing the brand's educational and family-oriented retail role.
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts materials
Arts and crafts materials extend the assortment into creative activities and support the company's historical association with art products. They are sold alongside books, stationery, and educational merchandise.
Electronics and consumer IT
Electronics, computer peripherals and software, mobile phones and accessories, smart televisions, audiovisual products, and photography tools.
Brand decisions
2020
Acceleration of online retailStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic changed shopping behavior and increased demand for remote purchasing.
Action taken
Jarir's online channel served increased demand, with online sales reported to have risen six-fold in the second quarter compared with the prior-year quarter.
Aftermath
The result highlighted the online business as an important part of Jarir's retail model.
Online sales growth. Six-fold increase (Second quarter of 2020 compared with the second quarter of the previous year)
2003
Public-market transition through an initial public offeringStrategyBackground
After developing from a small Riyadh bookstore into a broader retail and wholesale business, Jarir entered the Saudi public market.
Action taken
The company conducted an initial public offering, with a portion of its shares subsequently traded on Tadawul.
Aftermath
The offering established Jarir as a publicly traded Saudi retail company and supported its profile as a regional operator.
Sources5 sources
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