Starbucks celebrates 400th store opening in MENA Region

Press release

Published November 8th, 2015 - 06:55 GMT

During the celebrations

Starbucks, the leading coffee house operator, has celebrated the opening of its 400^th store in the MENA region. The latest store is in the new extension to the iconic Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, and continues the company’s strategy of bringing Starbucks closer to its customers and the communities in which it serves.

Starbucks’ first store was launched in Kuwait in 1999, marking the start of its operations in the Middle East & North Africa. The company today operates in 10 countries across the region.

“Starbucks has always been about creating and delivering the Starbucks “third place” experience, one that brings people together and serves the different needs of its customers in a warm and friendly environment,” said Andy Holmes, Vice President of Starbucks MENA.

“Expanding across the MENA region has been a great journey, and it continues to motivate us to do more for our customers as we continue to grow. Starbucks has become part of our customers’ daily lives I hope that we will be able to continue to provide a truly memorable coffee experience for them for many more years to come.”

In its 16 years in the region, Starbucks has become an active supporter of the communities in which it serves, and has delivered many locally-based programs that uplift the lives of both its customers and partners.

Mr Holmes said Starbucks would continue to open high-profile stores, showcasing the company’s unique and familiar design elements that appeal to local markets and culture.

Background Information

Starbucks Coffee Company

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world.

As the premier vendor of the finest coffee, Starbucks is focused on delivering the best experience to every customer at each of its locations around the world, including Kuwait, KSA, UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain & Oman in the Middle East region

Starcbucks work with many communities, and is committed to providing the Starbucks Experience while respecting the local customs and tastes of each country it operates in. It is also committed to hiring locally, currently providing nearly 2700 jobs for more than 30 nationalities including Arab nationals in over 300 operating stores in the region.

Starbucks stores have been operating in the Middle East since 1999 through a licensing agreement with trading partner and licensee MH Alshaya WLL, a private Kuwait family business.