Baskin Robbins to Open 70 Locations in UAE

From The Franchise Magazine: US ice cream retail giant Baskin Robbins said on Sunday it is set to open 70 more outlets in the UAE this year.

The company, which has a total of 500 outlets across the Middle East including 135 in the UAE, said it was pursuing an aggressive expansion plan in the emirates and was planning to spend up to $150,000 on the new stores.

It said in a statement that revenue is up 15 percent this year compared with the same period last year.

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Saudi Fast Food Market to hit $4.5bn By 2015

From ArabianBusiness.com: Saudi Arabia’s fast-food market is expected reach a value of $4.5bn in the next three years, driven by high demand among young, affluent citizens, according to a report by Euromonitor.

Restaurant chains providing hamburgers and popular deserts will see the biggest surge in sales, accounting for nearly 20 percent of food service transactions in the Kingdom by 2015, the market research firm said.

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UAE Women Eye Business Opportunities

From The Star Online: Simple rules and regulations, attractive tax incentives and a welcoming environment are the qualities that businesswomen from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) look for when exploring investment opportunities in any country, including Malaysia.

In a media session at Power Ladies UAE-Malaysia Roundtable 2011 that featured prominent women business leaders from the UAE, Raja Easa Al-Gurg, Fatima Al-Jaber, Faiza Al-Sayed and Huda A. Al-Matroushi, agreed that Malaysia did offer business opportunities that they were looking to explore, especially in the halal food industry.

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Fast Food Franchise Burgeons

From AME Info: Alternative Dining Experience Restaurants Management L.L.C. has announced the sale of 18 Dukkan Falafel franchises across the UAE in just seven months.

The pioneering fast-food franchise has been growing rapidly for some time now.

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Food Franchise Signs Agreement with UK-based Group

From ameinfo.com: As part of its expansion plan, Al Farooj Fresh, a fast-casual food franchise chain in UAE, has signed an agreement with Al-Amin Holdings, a UK-based business group, awarding them the franchise rights for opening up six Al Farooj outlets in the UAE.

Al-Amin Holdings, established in 2001, specialises in catering services and real estate development.

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