Aeropostale opens first UAE store

New York City Aeropostale said Tuesday that it opened its first store in the United Arab Emirates, as part of the company’s plan to expand to more than 20 stores in the Middle East.

The Dubai store in the Oasis Centre Mall is Aeropostale’s first venture outside North America, but the company said it hopes to have locations in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates over the next few years.

"This new venture in Dubai will enable us to introduce the Aeropostale brand in new markets overseas and lay the groundwork for what we believe can be a greater expansion of the brand globally," chief executive Julian R. Geiger said in a statement.

Aeropostale has partnered with Apparel Group to open and run its Middle East mall-based stores.

The retailer, which reported an uptick in earnings earlier this month, has managed to stay above the fray during the recession by focusing on low prices and planned discounts.