DUBAI, April 16 (Reuters) - A franchisee of supermarket

chain Spinneys, which operates in the United Arab Emirates and

Oman, on Tuesday announced plans for an initial public offering

(IPO) on the Dubai bourse, in the first listing of a supermarket

chain operator in the UAE.

Spinneys Dubai LLC will offer a 25% stake through the

IPO, and the price will be determined through a book-building

process that will open on April 23 and close on April 29 for UAE

retail investors and other investors, and on April 30 for

professional investors.

Shares are expected to start trading on the Dubai Financial

Market next month, the company said in a document.

Reuters was first to report about the IPO plans in

September, citing sources that the company was planning a public

listing in the second quarter of this year and that owner

Albwardy Investment had hired Rothschild & Co to advise on the

transaction.

Spinney's IPO adds to the small but growing regional food

retail sector. UAE-based hypermarket and mall operator Lulu is

also expected to go public later this year, Reuters previously

reported.

Emirates NBD Capital, Merrill Lynch International and

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited have been appointed as joint

global co-ordinators and joint bookrunners, while EFG Hermes UAE

Limited was also named a joint bookrunner.