Japanese convenience store brand 7-Eleven has set an ambitious plan to open 100 stores across the UAE by 2017 as part of its regional expansion strategy, said a report.

The renowned brand from Japanese retail giant Seven & i Holdings will be launching its first Middle East store in Dubai next year followed by other outlets in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, reported the Wall Street Journal newspaper, citing a top official.

"We will first build a firm foundation in Dubai and then sequentially advance to other (United Arab Emirates) nations, such as Abu Dhabi and Sharjah," Ryoji Sakai, Seven-Eleven Japan’s managing executive officer and head of planning and finance, was quoted as saying in te report.

"Our aim is to expand the network in Dubai to more than 10 stores by the end of next year, and then take it to 100 outlets in 2017, he added.

There are currently 53,000 7-Eleven stories in 16 countries worldwide, of which more than 16,000 are in Japan.