Abercrombie & Fitch Co has opened its first store in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Dubai’s luxury Mall of Emirates shopping center.

The store is a joint venture operation between the high-end clothing retailer and Majid Al Futtaim Fashion. The new location is the company’s third store in the region, following the opening of two stores in Kuwait in early 2015.

The Dubai opening marks several firsts for the New York-based brand, including “a newly designed concept store featuring a stand-alone fragrance boutique and a carve-out for the ‘abercrombie kids’ brand,” the company said.

“International expansion in key growth markets remains a priority for Abercrombie & Fitch and we are delighted to bring a new store to the Middle East,” said Michael Scheiner, senior director – Marketing & Communications at Abercrombie & Fitch. “We know that there is a strong affinity for our brand in this part of the world, and we are excited to continue our development in the region in partnership with Majid Al Futtaim Fashion.”

The 18,000 square foot store is one of the largest in Abercrombie & Fitch’s mall-based global network of stores.

“There is significant demand for Abercrombie & Fitch in the Middle East and the UAE is a natural fit for the brand,” said Majid Al Futtaim Fashion CEO Rajiv Suri. “We look forward to the launch in Dubai and continuing to work closely with Abercrombie & Fitch, as we solidify the brand’s presence across the region.”

As of the end of the third quarter of 2015, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operated 790 stores in the U.S. and 175 stores across Canada, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as several ecommerce websites.

Majid Al Futtaim Fashion is the fashion retailing arm of Majid Al Futtaim. It currently works with a number of leading fashion brands throughout the GCC & Levant region including Hollister, Juicy Couture, HOSS Intropia, Halston Heritage, Jane Norman, and Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

Founded in 1992, UAE-headquartered parent Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The company currently owns and operates 17 shopping malls, 11 hotels and three mixed-use communities in MENA, with further developments underway in the region, in addition to 143 VOX Cinema screens and 18 Magic Planet family entertainment centers.