MIDDLE EAST - The organiser of Franchise UAE 2012, which concluded in Dubailast week, has claimed the show triggered nearly 60 deals at over US$50 million.
Gaurav Marya, the MD of Franchise Middle East, who organised the two-day trade show, said local and regional brands had greater attention.
“This year's show saw a record number of investors visiting and shopping for home-grown brands, proof that SMEs and entrepreneurs are keen to be part of the franchising industry, which is said to be growing at 27 per cent annually in the Gulf,” said Marya.
“This augurs well for the franchising industry in the Middle East and we can expect greater maturity in this sector in the near future.
"We were delighted to see a significant number of Emirati and Arab visitors showing great interest in relatively smaller franchise brands, rather than chasing the big international brands. We expect to see many of the initial talks to be converted into business deals worth millions of dirhams in the next six months."
The UAE has launched its campaign to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai.
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