NEW YORK, Sep 21, 2006/ FW/ ---Yesterday evening the first H&M store opened in Marina Mall, Kuwait

"After the successful opening of three H&M stores in Dubai the past two weeks, we are both excited and proud to open the first H&M store in Kuwait. We are happy to bring the latest styles and fashion trends to customers in this fast growing region, which is known for its high fashion awareness," says Rolf Eriksen, CEO H&M.

The new H&M location in Kuwait's Marina Mall measures approximately 1,200 square meters and offers an extensive collection of fashions and accessories for women, teenagers, and children - everything from fashion basics to clothes that reflect the very latest trends.

The store features H&M's contemporary indoor décor and with new garments arriving in the store every day, H&M makes it easy for its customers to dress their individual style.

The new H&M stores in the Middle East are being established through a franchise agreement with one of the Middle East's leading retailers, M.H. Alshaya.

By doing this, H&M is able to bring its fashions to a part of the world where it would not otherwise be possible to establish a presence, using the current H&M wholly-owned subsidiary model.

M.H. Alshaya is one of the leading retail companies operating in the Middle East and is the franchisee for more than 42 International retail brands including e.g. Debenhams, The Body Shop, MAC, and Starbucks Coffee. Based in Kuwait, Alshaya operates more than 1,000 stores across eleven countries. Alshaya Retail employs more than 8,000 people of 46 different nationalities.