American Eagle to Open Stores in the Middle East

American Eagle to Open Stores in the Middle East
March 16, 2010

Pittsburgh-based American Eagle Outfitters Inc. announced it will open its first stores outside of North America in Dubai and Kuwait City. The stores, due to open this week, will launch in cooperation with Kuwait-based retailer M.H. Alshaya Co., which signed a franchise agreement with American Eagle last year that calls for the opening of a series of American Eagle stores in international markets over the next several years. M.H. Alshaya operates 1,700 stores in teh Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Cyprus, Russia, Poland, Egypt, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The 9,400-sq.-ft. American Eagle will debut today in Dubai, with the second 8,500-sq.-ft. Kuwait City store scheduled to open on March 25, according to a statement from the company. "We are very excited to expand the international presence of the American Eagle Outfitters brand," said Jim O'Donnell, American Eagle CEO. "There is a significant appetite for the AEO brand internationally, and we are excited to bring our high-quality, affordable fashion to customers in the Middle East." American Eagle Outfitters currently operates 938 stores in the United States and Canada, including its latest Times Square flagship store which recently launched in New York.