Upmarket UK retailer Waitrose is preparing to open its first supermarket in Bahrain as it looks to expand in the Middle East.

The company confirmed that it will open a 22,000 sq ft supermarket, which will be operated under licence by local partner Fine Fare Food Market.

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The outlet will be located at The Lagoon, a shopping centre on Amwaj Island on the north-east coast of the country.

“We’re currently working together to find more suitable locations in the region, with the aim of opening more shops in the Middle East,” Waitrose MD Mark Price said.

Waitrose opened two supermarkets in Dubai in 2008.

The company was not immediately available for further comment.

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