Urban Outfitters to kick off Middle East expansion with Dubai store

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Oct 31, 2018

Azadea Group has signed a deal with Urban Outfitters Inc. for an exclusive franchise partnership, bringing the multinational brand to the Middle East. As part of the partnership, the multi-brand retail company will manage Urban Outfitters' expansion program, and will open its first store in Dubai in 2019. 

The Urban Outfitters brand currently operates over 240 stores in the United States, Canada and Europe as well as an e-commerce platform, offering youth-focused women’s and men’s apparel and accessories, beauty, intimates and a collection of vintage clothing.

“We are delighted to welcome Urban Outfitters to our growing family of brands," said Said G. Daher, chief executive officer at Azadea. “As there continues to be a high demand for experiential concepts, we believe Urban Outfitters will be very well received by our customers across the MENA [Middle East and North Africa] region.” 

Azadea Group operates 50 international franchises across the Middle East and Africa, in countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. 

The new partnership holds further distribution potential when considering the Urban Outfitters Inc. portfolio, which aside from the Urban Outfitters brand, includes Anthropologie, BHLDN, Free People and Terrain.