Supermarket chain franchisee Spinneys will enter the Kuwait market under a strategic partnership with Gulf retail giant Alshaya Group, and plans to open 10 stores in the country, the two firms said on Friday.

United Arab Emirates-based Spinneys will own a 51% stake in the joint venture and will lead the operation and management of all Kuwait stores under the partnership, the two companies said in a joint statement.

The first store is expected to open next year, marking Spinneys' entry into its fourth market in the Gulf Cooperation Council region besides the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

"Kuwait is a high potential market and presents strong growth opportunities for us," Spinneys CEO Sunil Kumar said in the statement.

Spinneys, which listed on the Dubai bourse last year after raising around $375 million, operates a total of 86 premium grocery retail supermarkets under the Spinneys, Waitrose and Al Fair brands.

(Reporting by Federico Maccioni. Editing by Mark Potter)