CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc. (CKE), parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., has reached a significant milestone with the opening of its 300^th restaurant in the Middle East. The new Hardee’s location will open April 21, 2015, in Yanbu Al-Sinaiyah, King Fahd Street, Saudi Arabia, and will be operated by Al-Ahlia Restaurant Company, a subsidiary of longtime Hardee’s franchisee, the Americana Group.

“As one of our pioneering international licensees, the Americana Group continues to be an invaluable partner that has demonstrated deep knowledge, expertise and passion for developing the Hardee’s brand abroad,” says Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc. “This milestone shows the strength of our brand and business offering while also providing a testament to the commitment of our international franchise partners and international consumers.”

The new Hardee’s location is the 100^th in the Kingdom of Saudi. The Americana Group also operates Hardee’s restaurants in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Kazakhstan, and Kurdistan. The Americana Group opened the Middle East’s first Hardee’s restaurant in Kuwait in June 1980. Fostering a successful 35-year relationship, CKE and the Americana Group anticipate continued growth in the Middle East.

“The opening of the 300^th Hardee’s restaurant in the region is a very proud milestone for us in our history as a restaurant operator developing brands in the Middle East and as a partner with CKE,” says Marzouk Al Kharafi, chairman at the Americana Group. “We look forward to many more successful years working with the international leadership team at CKE.”

“The extremely capable and seasoned team at Americana have been tremendous partners and friends of our brand for more than three decades,” says Ned Lyerly, president of international at CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc. “Not only has Americana been instrumental in building our brand in the Middle East, their contribution to the success and growth of CKE internationally is highly valued. As we look toward a continued bright future with Americana, we thank them for their long-term partnership and congratulate them on this significant achievement.”

The opening of the 300^th restaurant in the Middle East is part of CKE’s accelerated global expansion, which includes signed development agreements to open more than 1,000 new international restaurants. This includes increased momentum in the Americas, with growth in Latin America and Canada; in Asia, where CKE recently announced new franchise agreements to bring the Carl’s Jr. chain to Japan and India in 2015; and in Europe, where CKE operates restaurants in Denmark and Turkey. The Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s system is now 81 percent franchised, with international restaurants representing 18 percent of the system.