The British sportswear retailer has opened its first Middle Eastern store at Bahrain’s beachfront shopping destination Marassi Galleria Mall under a franchise agreement with GMG.
The 5,422 sq ft store was opened with a ceremonial ribbon cutting followed by in-store activities over the long weekend.
The partnership with GMG will enable JD to deliver on the rollout of its “JD Brand First” strategy and its continued expansion into new markets. Under the 10-year agreement, GMG will open around 50 stores under the JD fascia by 2028, with a focus on locations in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt.
Chris Rowan, JD’s international franchise director, said: “We are very excited to see our first store in the region come to life and look forward to welcoming our new customers. This is a further milestone in our international expansion strategy and we are delighted to be working with GMG, as we continue to bring JD’s distinctive offering to more customers globally.”
