Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders announced the fourth edition of Franchising Middle East (FME), from 5-7 March, 2007 at Dubai International Exhibition Centre. The three day franchising exhibition offers an opportunity for international franchisors to attract entrepreneurs and investors across the Middle East, North Africa region, Indian Sub-continent, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt.
A large number of international and regional franchisors and master franchise will show case their products and services. Industry leaders, trade analysts, key decision makers and representatives of various franchise associations including the International Franchise Association (IFA) would converge in Dubai to evaluate and capitalise on the opportunities created by one of the world’s fastest growing markets.
Mr. Abdul Rehman Falaknaz, President, International Expo Consults, said, “ The 20 per cent annual growth of the FME in itself reflects the kind of interest Middle East as a franchising destination is generating. The retail industry in the Middle East is developing at a frenetic pace. At AED 30 billion, it is already the fourth largest contributor to UAE’s GDP. This phenomenal expansion is creating tremendous opportunities for new products and services. Phenomenal as the growth is, it is also accompanied by intense competition between the incoming and the established brands, retailers, vendors and other service providers.
We as organizers of the Franchising Middle East strive to provide a balanced preview of the opportunities and risks involved. Master franchise’s and franchisors get an idea about the market, the sectors that are doing well, the risk factors involved and the ways to overcome the pitfalls through experience sharing.”
The last decade has witnessed a rapid growth in franchise business in the Middle East & North Africa. Currently, worth over $14 billion, industry estimates put the annual growth of Middle East franchising sector at 27 per cent.
Middle East’s strategic geographic positioning which uniquely places it midway between Europe and East Asia has only facilitated this growth. Master franchise’s seeking new business markets favour Middle East as a franchising destination as it assures easy accessibility and communication with the surrounding areas. Increasingly, Middle East is being perceived as an ideal business base that allows businesses to tap the best of all the worlds.
The other peculiarity of this market stems from the fact that it is a Baby –Boomer market with half of the local population under 29 years of age, and with a continuing average annual population growth of 3.5 per cent per annum. This scenario is hugely enticing for franchisors as it creates tremendous demands for new products and services. Add to this the fact that this region is ranked high in terms of per capita income and consumer consumption. Thus, what you have on hands is a win-win situation.
An additional catalyser has come in the form of a largely composite population profile of the region. Dubai in particular makes for a perfect case study as a city that is experiencing maximum positive spin offs due its heterogeneity. The expatriate population in Dubai which is a mosaic of 160 foreign nationalities represents 80 percent of the total workforce and the numbers continue to swell. A large chunk of this population is drawn from the Indian subcontinent. 30 percent of the expatriates come from Europe and the US, while recent years have seen a significant increase in resident communities from Australasia and South Africa. This diversity creates a consumer base drawn from broad social and cultural catchments. Such a scenario inherently creates a demand for a wide range of products and services from heterogeneous markets.
If indicators are anything to go, FME - 2007 is all set to reflect new market trends. IEC- the organizers of the show have confirmed an increased participation from local entrepreneurs. “In a marked departure from previous shows, FME -2007 is attracting a lot of home grown franchise in the UAE. There would surely be an unprecedented local flavour to the show going by the interest evinced by local entrepreneurs. There is a substantial increase in local participation as more and more young business-people perceive FME as an international launch pad for realizing their global business interests”, confirmed, Mr. Falaknaz
The sectors which are in high demand include food, fashion, education training, personal development, consultancy services, retail and convenience stores, laundry and dry cleaning. This is in addition to other identifiable high growth sectors like automobile, apparel, education, beauty, IT , hotels, car rentals etc. While fast food alone accounts for a whooping 40 percent of the total market all the other sectors are showing a healthy growth.
Organised by International Expo Consults, FME has emerged as the largest international franchising exhibition in the MENA region, since its inception in 2004. The exhibition is a prime source of in-depth information on new business and investment opportunities emerging in the region. As an interface between international franchisors and entrepreneurs from the entire Middle East North Africa region and surrounding neighborhood of Indian Sub-continent, Iran Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt, the show has served as a gateway for many international brands in these regions.
Editor’s Note & Media Contacts
International Expo-Consults L.L.C. is an internationally recognised and professionally headed trade show management company with an impressive track record of over a decade in the Asia –Pacific region.
IEC is the specialist exhibition arm of the Dubai based Falak Holding - leading Middle East corporate group with international aspirations. Worth over US $5 billion, Falak Holding is a major stakeholder and investor in the gargantuan Sports City – the most ambitious sports project till date in the entire world. Converging diverse business interests across a spectrum of industries, Falak Holding has been instrumental in infusing new business synergies in the entire Middle East region, particularly, Dubai.
IEC excels at creating high profile, highly focused business exhibitions and expositions, which serve as highly effective business interfaces for buyers and suppliers from around the world. With a highly impressive track record in exhibition management, spanning well over a decade, IEC has emerged as a specialist in trade show management in the entire Middle East and the North Africa.
IEC's growing tradeshow portfolio serves a diverse range of industries spanning the Amusement, Automotive Aftermarket, Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Leisure, Sports, Signage & Graphic Imaging, and Franchising. Many of these trade shows have evolved into powerful brands that consistently attract the biggest and the best names in their respective industry.
