Local and international food and beverage franchises are proving lucrative business opportunities in the Middle East, said Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, chairman of International Expo-Consults, organisers of Franchising Middle East (FME).

A leading trade event for the franchise sector in the Middle East region, FME will run from March 14 to 16 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

“In the past few months the F&B franchise sector has seen phenomenal growth in the Middle East, pointing to its growing popularity as a business model," said Falaknaz.

"Both local and international brands are expanding heavily and we predict this to continue as the region starts to emerge from the global economic downturn," he added.

The Subway restaurants chain has announced plans to operate 100 outlets in UAE besides 44 in Kuwait and 43 in Saudi Arabia. The global restaurant brand aims to open three more outlets in the UAE and Kuwait and two in Saudi Arabia by end of the year.

Subway chain is one of the many international brands that will be promoting its franchising opportunities at the expo.

Joseph Tabet, regional director of Subway Middle East & Africa, said: "We are proud to announce our network is further expanding, and will continue to grow to reach our customers with utmost convenience."

"I would like to congratulate Subway restaurants in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for their remarkable efforts, as we gear up to opening additional outlets in most of the Arab countries in the near future,” he added.

FME is the region’s only exhibition that offers a world of exciting opportunities to international franchisers to access the thriving Mena market and launch their franchise concepts, said Falaknaz.

Other F&B franchise options seeing growth across the Middle East include American sandwich chain Quiznos, which has signed a master franchise agreement to open 15 outlets in Kuwait. This will mark Quiznos’ first venture into the Middle East.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is also entering the market through a master franchisee agreement with Jawad Business Group.

Jamie’s Italian will launch in Dubai Festival City at the end of this year with a 290-seater restaurant complete with pasta bar. Oliver’s brand of Italian restaurants already operates 15 outlets in the UK.

Meanwhile, local brands are looking at going international using the franchise model. UAE-based Just Falafel has enlisted global franchise experts Francom to look at taking the brand global.

FME, which is being supported by the IFA (International Franchise Association), facilitates direct communication between entrepreneurs and potential franchise buyers from the region and beyond.-TradeArabia News Service