Australian bakery-café chain Pie Face has signed an agreement with Dubai-based retail and hospitality company the Landmark Group to open around 100 outlets in the Middle East.

The first Pie Face outlet will open in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2014, however, the location has not yet been made public. The move follows the brand’s expansion in the US and New Zealand earlier this year.

Under the agreement, Landmark Group will open a minimum 100 stores in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar in the next 10 years. A number of commissaries will also be opened to support the production of Pie Face products specifically for Middle Eastern consumers.

Pie Face co-founder and chief executive officer Wayne Homschek said the company is excited to partner with the multinational conglomerate and looks forward to expanding the brand’s reputation in a new region.

“The Group has a 40 year track record in the Middle East, is the largest retail tenant in the region with more than 22 million square feet of retail space, more than 45,000 employees and has a dedicated and experienced food services team,” Wayne said.

The bakery-café chain reportedly chose Landmark for its strong track record in retailing in the Middle East region as well as its enthusiasm for the Pie Face brand and business model.

Foodmark operates a number of internationally franchised brands in the Middle East and chief operating officer Kieran Mallon said consumers will respond well to the brand’s new offering.

“We are thrilled to be in partnership with Pie Face and it marks our entry into the bakery-café segment,” he said.

“It’s our endeavor to keep introducing new concepts to the region and Pie Face is a globally unique concept with fantastic product, a quirky brand, a fantastic business model and an experienced management team.”

Pie Face executive management opened the first non-Australian store in New York City in early 2012. Since then, the savoury pie specialists have garnered a $15 million investment from Las Vegas hotel developer Steve Wynn, who has bought 43 per cent of the issued and outstanding shares of Pie Face’s US’s common stock in a private placement, as reported by Nation’s Restaurant News

Pie Face US now operates seven locations in New York City, with the eighth set to open soon.