Arrangement Includes Opening of New Office Depot Retail Stores in Several Countries Throughout the Middle East

Boca Raton, Florida, USA, January 10th, 2009 - (BUSINESS WIRE)-- Office Depot (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, together with M.H. Alshaya Co. ("Alshaya"), an international retailer operating over 40 international franchise brands throughout the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Russia, have concluded an agreement to sell office products and services under the Office Depot name. Under the agreement, Alshaya will be granted the franchise rights for all channels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. The first four retail store locations are scheduled to open in 2009 in Kuwait City and Dubai.

Office Depot offers a broad assortment of products and services, competitive prices, and an informed staff of sales associates. With products ranging from ink and toner to office furniture and electronics, Office Depot has the products that help customers take care of their business.

"We are very pleased to have Office Depot as our partner," said Mohammed Alshaya, Executive Chairman of M.H. Alshaya Co. "We believe there is a significant market for these products and services throughout the Middle East. We look forward to using our experience and regional knowledge to firmly establish Office Depot as the natural choice for businesses and individuals for all of their office supply needs."

"Office Depot understands the importance of developing a retail business in the Middle East and is partnering with a very experienced company such as Alshaya," said Ernst Wessel, VP International Franchise Development. "We believe that the Office Depot business is particularly suitable and attractive as a franchising concept for certain territories and I look forward to talking with other potential partners."

*Source: ME NewsWire

*View this release online and download high resolution images and logos at: http://www.me-newswire.com/content/view/462/lang,en/

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About Office Depot
Every day, Office Depot is Taking Care of Business for millions of customers around the globe. For the local corner store as well as Fortune 500 companies, Office Depot provides products and services to its customers through 1,705 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and a $4.9 billion e-commerce operation. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $15.1 billion, and employs about 49,000 associates around the world. The Company provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries than any other company, and currently sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 48 countries.

Office Depot's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at http://mediarelations.officedepot.com

About M.H. Alshaya Co.
M.H. Alshaya Co. is a leading international franchise operator for over 40 of the world's most recognized retail brands, including Starbucks, H&M, The Body Shop, Foot Locker, Mothercare, Debenhams, River Island and Boots. The company operates over 1,500 stores across six divisions: Fashion & Footwear, Health & Beauty, Food, Casual Dining, Optics and Pharmaceuticals.

M.H. Alshaya Co. stores can currently be found in 16 markets across the Middle East, Turkey, Cyprus, Russia, Poland and Egypt. More recently, the company launched operations in Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary. It employs more than 15,000 people from over 35 nationalities.

The company has established itself as the industry leader across these territories through a combination of local market understanding and a comprehensive commitment to customer service. Growth in each of its operating divisions and brands is supported by continuous investment in talent and infrastructure. It applies best practices in retail operations, merchandising, marketing, information technology, logistics, real estate, human resources and financial controls.

M.H. Alshaya Co. is the retail business of the Alshaya Group, which was founded in Kuwait in 1890 and today represents one of the most dynamic companies in the Middle East. In addition to its retail operations, the Alshaya Group is active in a number of other sectors including real estate, automotive, hotels, trading and investments.

Learn more about the company at www.alshaya.com.

Contacts
Office Depot,
Boca Raton
Brian Turcotte,
Investor Relations,
561-438-3657
brian.turcotte@officedepot.com

Brian Levine,
Public Relations,
561-438-2895
brian.levine@officedepot.com

Source: Office Depot

View this news release online at: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20090108000000/en

© Press Release 2009