Turkish clothing major Koton has planned to open eight new shops in the GCC next year, a top company official said.

While the UAE will get three new outlets, Saudi Arabia will get the rest, taking the total stores of the company in the region to 35 from the present 27, according to the Gulf News.

'There are still great opportunities available within the Middle East as the market has not yet matured. If you compare the potential shopping mall facilities in the Middle East with those available within mature markets, the opportunity for growth here is obvious,' Koton chairman Yilmaz Yilmaz was quoted as saying in the report.

'The successful structure and the inner potential of Koton has been recognised by many world-renowned retail companies, and as a result, powerful franchising relations have been made with international companies including Landmark International, which has opened 23 Koton stores within the region,' Yilmaz added.

Launched in early 2004, Koton now has three shops in Dubai, one in Abu Dhabi, two in Bahrain, three in Kuwait and 18 in Saudi Arabia.