The Coffee Club Group is set for more international expansion, with the cafe chain signing a licensing agreement with Liwa Minor Food & Beverages LLC across six territories in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region of the Middle East.

Liwa Minor Food & Beverages LLC is a joint venture between Al Nasser Holdings and Minor Food Group.

Al Nasser Holdings operates as a multi-disciplined business conglomerate in the United Arab Emirates and the GCC countries. It operates and manages specialty retail stores, manufactured steel products and provides oilfield services and storage facilities for oil trading.

The signing is part of The Coffee Club’s international expansion focus and aims to see at least 100 The Coffee Club stores across the GCC region by 2023.

The Coffee Club CEO Jason Ball said the signing with the GCC was another important milestone for the future growth of the brand internationally, following its partnership with Malaysia in August.

“Expanding our store footprint is a key focus for us, particularly now that we are underway with our brand transformation. International markets play an integral role in these plans and we are excited by the opportunities presented within the GCC States,” Ball said.

“We currently have a presence in seven countries across the world and this signing, along with the recent deal with Malaysia, will see us grow to at least 14 countries within the next ten years.”

The six territories which form part of the GCC region comprise the states of Kingdom of Bahrain, State of Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.

“The GCC States represent huge growth potential for The Coffee Club brand and we are excited by the new partnership and look forward to the first store opening in the new year,” Ball said.

The Coffee Club currently has 68 international stores with 46 in New Zealand, 12 in Thailand, four in China, three in Egypt, two in the Maldives and one in New Caledonia.