Borders to open store in World's Largest Shopping Mall in Dubai, UAE

Borders(R) to Open in Dubai's Mall of the Emirates

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Al Maya Group, a diversified corporation headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country, will open the first Borders store in the region at the end of this month in Dubai's Mall of the Emirates.

This leisure, entertainment and shopping complex is recognized as the largest mall outside of North America and includes more than 400 luxury retailers including Harvey Nichols, Dolce and Gabana, and Gucci, as well as entertainment features highlighted by Ski Dubai, the region's first indoor ski destination, and Magic Planet, a two-story family entertainment experience.

Al Maya Group is opening this Borders store and others in the GCC planned for the future under a franchise agreement with Borders, Inc., a subsidiary of global book, music and movie retailer Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE:BGP).

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/
prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO )

Like the other retailers at the Mall of the Emirates, Borders will offer shoppers something special. The 16,000-square-foot Borders store, located on the first level, is one of the largest outside of the major department stores and will engage customers with a rich shopping experience that celebrates the universal human desire to explore and find personal enrichment and knowledge through books.

The store will carry a comprehensive range of over 65,000 book titles in English and Arabic languages in categories such as literary fiction, history, business, poetry, travel, cooking and many others. The children's section -- with its colorful decor and vast selection of books -- is expected to be particularly popular as the scene of many special children's events such as weekly story time.In addition to books, the new Borders store will also carry hundreds of magazines and newspapers, a wide selection of stationery items, and a Starbucks Coffee store that will serve its trademark beverages and food items.

The shopping environment, like all Borders stores in the United States, will be warm and inviting with plenty of comfortable chairs throughout, encouraging customers to relax and spend time exploring in the store. The Borders experience is like nothing available in the GCC for book lovers and is expected to attract thousands of customers each day as the mall boasts over 450,000 visitors per week.

Like all Borders stores around the world, the Dubai Borders store will serve as a community gathering place for residents and visitors, offering shoppers plenty of free in-store events including appearances by authors who will appeal to all ages and interests.

"It is our mission to be the preferred place for knowledge and entertainment throughout the world," said Borders Group Chief Executive Officer George Jones.

"Franchise agreements with strong and experienced retailers such as Al Maya Group offer our company an effective way to expand in new global markets. The Mall of the Emirates is a spectacular retail development and there is no other site like it in the world. We are proud, through our association with Al Maya, to be a part of this luxury shopping destination and we are confident that Al Maya will represent the Borders brand well throughout the GCC."

Al Maya Group Director Vivek Bahirwani said, "We are delighted to align with Borders because the brand is known worldwide for its vast selection, unique shopping experience and strong ties to communities. We are pleased to be the company that will bring Borders to the GCC and have ambitious plans for this brand."About Borders GroupBorders Group, Inc. is a $4 billion retailer of books, music, movies and stationery items that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BGP. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Borders Group, through its subsidiaries, operates more than 1,300 stores and employs more than 34,000 people worldwide who serve more than 30 million customers each year. More information on the company is available at http://www.bordersgroupinc.com/ .

About Al Maya GroupAl Maya Group, a household name within the U.A.E., owns a leading supermarket chain & other businesses such as franchising of BHS (U.A.E. & Poland), Steven Madden & Champion. In addition the group also owns one of the largest Food Wholesale Distribution Divisions within the U.A.E. and other GCC countries. The group employs approximately 2,000 people globally.
For more information please visit our website on
http://www.almayagroup.com/
First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact:
hstein1@bordersgroupinc.com
Photo: NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Borders, Inc.
CONTACT: Louise Jones, Marketing Manager of Al Maya Group, 09714821555;
or Holley Stein, Public Relations Specialist of Borders Group, Inc.,+1-734-477-1224
Web site:
http://www.bordersgroupinc.com/http://www.almayagroup.com/
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/106169.html

EDITOR NOTE:
FOR A TOUR OF DUBAI AND A LOOK AT THE MALL OF THE EMIRATES, VISIT
www.ArabAmericanTVOnline.com

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