Naartjie Kids expands into Middle East

Saudi Arabia — Children’s retailer Naartjie Kids said Thursday it opened its first Saudi Arabia flagship store on July 9 in the Riyadh Gallery Mall. The company said six additional Saudi Arabia stores are slated to open this month.

It is the retailer’s first foray into franchising, and will expand its global retail presence beyond the U.S. and South Africa into the Middle East and North Africa. The initial opening of seven Saudi Arabia stores is part of an exclusive multiyear licensing agreement with Fawaz Alhokair & Co. based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Alhokair partnership includes the opening of an additional 50 plus retail stores by 2015 in the greater Middle East and North Africa regions.

Naartjie Kids will operate 52 wholly owned retail stores in the USA by year end 2011 with an additional 25 stores in South Africa.