Starbucks Moves Into the Middle East

Starbucks Corp. said it has launched an expansion into the coffee-loving Middle East with the opening of a cafe in Kuwait. Under a licensing agreement with M.H. Alshaya W.L.L. of Kuwait, the Seattle-based chain said it plans to open additional stores in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. “The Middle East potential is big,� said Jinlong Wang, a vice president of Starbucks’ international division. “There is a very, very strong culture, with a long history of coffee consumption there.� He declined to give details on how fast the company plans to open additional Middle East stores. Starbucks, which has more than 2,000 stores worldwide, inherited one outlet in Kuwait when it purchased Britain-based Seattle Coffee Co. last spring. That outlet will be converted to a Starbucks, Wang said.