Cairo shoppers now have two dedicated Karen Wazen boutiques to browse, following the Lebanese eyewear brand's first standalone openings in Egypt this November. The designer herself flew in from Dubai on 8 November for a three-day launch programme, cutting the ribbon first at 5A by The Waterway, with a second store opening the next day at Arkan Plaza.
The move formalises a relationship that has been quietly building since 2021, when the brand entered the Egyptian market through a partnership with local retail group Baraka. That partnership clearly worked: according to Vogue, more than 12,500 pairs of Karen Wazen sunglasses have been sold in Egypt since 2021 — strong numbers for a market many global labels still treat as an afterthought.
And the Cairo boutiques are only the beginning. The expansion plan between Wazen and Baraka Group targets 15 to 16 branded stores across Egypt within four years, which would make the country one of the brand's densest retail footprints anywhere.
The brand itself has an interesting backstory. Founder Karen Wazen, born in Beirut and now 40, started out as a fashion and lifestyle voice online, launching her blog Karen's Choice in 2016. Sunglasses, she has said, helped her feel more confident growing up, and that personal connection shaped Karen Wazen Eyewear when she founded it in 2018. What began as a sunglasses label now covers optical frames, jewellery, belts and other accessories.
Physical retail has become the engine of the business rather than a side channel — Vogue reported that in-person stores accounted for 85 percent of sales as of November 2025. The new Cairo locations will stock the full range, and new releases should arrive in Egypt in step with the brand's international and online launches, so local shoppers won't be waiting seasons behind Dubai or Paris.
Why should a traveller care? If you're passing through Cairo, the new boutiques give you a chance to pick up a cult Middle Eastern eyewear label at home-market prices rather than importing it. 5A by The Waterway and Arkan Plaza are both in the city's upmarket New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed shopping districts, where boutique retail, cafés and dining cluster together — easy to fold into an afternoon of shopping. And with more openings planned over the next four years, Egypt is shaping up as the place to watch this regional brand grow. For anyone building a Cairo itinerary around design, fashion or retail, these stores add a contemporary local-shopping stop alongside the city's older bazaars and concept shops.
