Starbucks and Alshaya Group – Deepening our commitment to the Middle East
In early February, our leadership team visited the Middle East in celebration of our growth in the region and continued commitment.
As part of ceo and chairman Brian Niccol’s ongoing visits to markets around the world to connect with our partners and experience what makes Starbucks so special, he recently had the opportunity to visit the Middle East along with other members of the leadership team.
For more than 25 years, the Middle East market has played an important role in Starbucks global journey. Spending time in stores, meeting with green apron partners, and engaging with business partners at Alshaya Group reinforced for visiting leaders the company’s deep commitment to the communities, partners and customers in the region.
At Starbucks, there is a strong belief in empowering the next generation. For more than a decade, The Starbucks Foundation and Alshaya Group have joined together on many occasions to advance economic opportunity and build better futures for young people across the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye.
One of the most meaningful moments of this trip was announcing the EmpowerME initiative, a collaboration between The Starbucks Foundation, Alshaya Group, INJAZ Al-Arab/JA MENA and Habitat Association, through which we will provide a total of $6 million in grants to support mentorship, skills development, and career readiness for an estimated 250,000 youth throughout the region This builds upon our legacy of supporting communities and ensuring young people have the tools and training they need to succeed.
This trip also presented an opportunity to celebrate a milestone in Kuwait – the reopening of our newly refurbished Starbucks Reserve ® store at The Avenues. This location holds special significance. When it first opened in 2012, it was not only Kuwait’s first Starbucks Reserve store, but also the largest Starbucks store in the world.
And now, after a thoughtful redesign, the two-story, 5,000-square-foot space has been transformed to reflect Kuwait’s rich artistic and cultural heritage. It’s a stunning representation of how we root each of our stores in the local communities they serve.
Partners’ passion and craftsmanship in serving the finest coffee in the world is evident in this iconic location. And it’s just one example of the investments Starbucks is making in the region to foster a coffeehouse experience where customers sit down, relax and connect over a great beverage.
As Brian has shared previously, Starbucks is a global company with tremendous potential for growth internationally. Around the world, Starbucks mission will remain clear: To be the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world, inspiring and nurturing the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.
Central to this regional vision in the Middle East is a strong and collaborative partnership with Alshaya Group, which includes plans to open 500 new stores and create 5,000 jobs over the next five years in the region. Doing business together since 1999, we look forward to nurturing our relationship for the next 25 years and beyond.
