DineEquity, Inc. Announces Opening of First IHOP Restaurant in the Middle East

GLENDALE, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), the parent company of IHOP Restaurants and Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, today announced the opening of the first IHOP restaurant in the Middle East, an IHOP in The Mall of the Emirates, in the Al Barsha district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The opening marks the first of a 40-restaurant development agreement between IHOP and M.H. Alshaya Company for restaurants in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain and Egypt. As a leading international retail franchise business, Alshaya operates over 2,200 stores across 7 divisions: Fashion & Footwear, Health & Beauty, Food Service, Optics, Pharmacy, Office Supplies and Home Furnishings. Alshaya's stores can currently be found in 19 markets across the Middle East and North Africa, Russia, Turkey and Europe and the company employs more than 28,000 people from over 90 nationalities.

The first IHOP restaurant in the Middle East, in the Al Barsha district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has a new, enhanced ambience that features the brand's latest international design and is set to accommodate 225 guests. (Photo: Business Wire)

"This marks a major milestone in IHOP's international development strategy and we are delighted to make the IHOP experience available to guests in the Middle East," said John Merkin, IHOP VP of Development and International. "In this venture, we are proud to partner with one of the premier franchisees of international brands in the Middle East. Together we plan to expand the IHOP brand to a new continent and provide our signature menu to an entirely new set of guests and their families."