DUBAI - China's smartphone giant OPPO announced on Tuesday a new partnership with the United Arab Emirates(UAE)-based Lulu Hypermarket, one of the biggest retailers across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

OPPO said in a statement that the new partnership with Lulu in the UAE marks the beginning of a relationship that will evolve to cover the GCC region.

In addition to retail presence, Lulu will work with OPPO by providing marketing support in several GCC countries.

"We are thrilled to enter into partnerships with prestigious brands such as Lulu Hypermarket," said Andy Shi, president of OPPO Middle East and Africa.

"This new collaboration will help take OPPO further across the region by placing our smartphones in some of our consumers' favorite retail locations," Shi added.

"This growth signifies the success of our brand in the GCC countries and sets the stage for continued evolution of OPPO in this exciting and promising market," he noted.

The deal follows a move by OPPO to establish its regional headquarters in Dubai, UAE's largest city which OPPO selected for the first international launch of its new Reno series.