Dubai, 05.12.2010

Luxottica Group S.p.A. (MTA: LUX; NYSE: LUX), a global leader in the design, manufacturing and distribution of fashion, luxury and sports eyewear, today celebrates its commitment to serving the Middle East and its consumers as the company begins its second decade of direct presence in the region.

Visiting the region to commemorate the 10 year anniversary celebrations, Andrea Guerra, Chief Executive Officer of Luxottica Group said, “We are very proud of our first ten years in the region, where we are present with both our Wholesale and Retail Divisions. Over the years, we made important investments in what we always believed it’s a strategic region, and the results are rewarding us.  The Middle East is one of the regions where demand for quality eyewear has continued to grow. Based on what we have achieved so far, we are very excited about Luxottica’s future in the Middle East.”

Commenting on achieving this milestone, Andrea Zaffin, General Manager of Luxottica Middle East added, “10 years ago we recognized the huge potential for eyewear brands in the region and we were among the first players establishing a presence. The Middle East has become a key market for us and we now have a strong presence in the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Bahrain and Qatar.” He continued, “A decade ago there was a significant gap between the availability of collections in Europe and in the Middle East. Over the years, we worked hard to better satisfy local consumers’ needs and now this gap has closed: consumers of this region, which has become a great global showcase, have access to the best styles, collections and choice.”

The Middle East already represents a very important market for Luxottica, one of the top 10 worldwide for Luxottica’s Wholesale Division, and has an excellent growth potential. Luxottica aims at further strengthening its presence in the region as well as the relationships with its industry partners through new and tailor-made initiatives. In particular, Luxottica will continue to invest on its brands, with focus on Ray-Ban and Oakley; to strengthen the partnerships with its clients; and to launch and promote new collections and special editions of the premium and luxury brands.

With net sales reaching Euro 5.1 billion (24.8billion AED) in 2009, approximately 60,000 employees and a strong global presence, Luxottica is a leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of fashion, luxury, sport and performance eyewear. Founded in 1961 by Leonardo Del Vecchio, the Group is now a vertically integrated organization whose manufacturing of prescription and sun frames and lenses for sunglasses is backed by a wide-reaching wholesale distribution network and a retail distribution network comprising over 6,300 retail locations.
Thanks to a well established partnership, Luxottica has 34 Sunglass Hut - the Group’s sun specialty chain that operates in a number of geographical areas - stores in the Middle East region.

Luxottica products focus on design and quality and are known all around the world thanks to a strong and well-balanced brand portfolio. House brands include Ray-Ban, the world’s best known eyewear brand, Oakley, Vogue, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Arnette and REVO, while its license brands include Bulgari, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Polo Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Stella McCartney, Tiffany and Versace.