George Davies, the man who founded the NEXT fashion chain and then gave his name to George at Asda, is to launch a new children's fashion chain in the Middle East.

'I have had the chance to get back to basics and really think about the client and the customer - which is why I originally got into the retail business in the first place,' he said.

'The way I feel now is how I felt when I created NEXT and hence why it is my passion to make the shopping experience fun and easy once again.'

His new brand, FG4, is set to open 120 new stores early this year in target areas such as Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt and Kazakhstan.

This move to the Middle East will represent the first time he has launched an entirely new retail chain overseas.

'Over the last six months I have spent a tremendous amount of time in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia,' he added.

'I have the greatest respect for the culture and out of all of the brands that I have built, have found FG4 the most exciting.

'The response to online social media has been out of this world.

'Launching the FG4 brand has opened many doors to a new retail experience and I have high hopes for the success of it.'

The first store will open today in the Riyadh Gallery and a further nine stores will open the following day in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

All stores will be more than 1,000 square feet and will continue to be set in prime retail locations.

Further to this, many more stores will be opening on a weekly basis, which will result in 50 stores being open across Saudi Arabia.-TradeArabia News Service