Dairy Queen opens world's largest location in Saudi Arabia

(Dairy Queen)

Ice cream and fast-food retailer Dairy Queen has chosen to open its largest location in the world in Saudi Arabia, a two-storey restaurant that can seat 240 customers.

The 7,500 square-foot (697 square-meter) restaurant is just one of three locations that opened in the capital city this month and marks the beginning of aggressive expansion plans in a region where the average high temperature reaches 33 C (92 F).

In July, the average high temperature hits a blistering 43.5 C (110.3 F ).

By the end of the year, the chain plans to build five more locations. And by 2015, residents in Saudi Arabia will have gotten used to seeing the lip-smacking DQ logo, as the company also plans to expand the brand to a total of 32 locations throughout the arid country.

Dairy Queen already has outposts in the Middle Eastern countries of Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar, with 236 international stores in countries like China, Mexico, the Philippines and Thailand. In total, there are 841 locations in 16 countries outside the US and Canada.

The Riyadh restaurants will serve the chain's classic menu including its signature Blizzards, soft-serve cones, sundaes, and burgers.

Meanwhile, the world's largest ice cream retailer Baskin-Robbins also made another foray in the global market, opening its first location in Singapore earlier in the month.

The opening marked Baskin-Robbins' 4,000th store and 48th country. The new store design features lounge-style seating, and interactive LCD menu displays.