Franchise UAE 2011 opens to good response

Franchise UAE 2011, a three-day exhibition for franchising entrepreneurs, opened at Business Village, Deira, Dubai, on April 14, amidst good response. The exhibition is a unique platform for new entrepreneurs, budding enterprises and established SMEs, eyeing new areas for business expansion in the Middle East.

The exhibition consists of a comprehensive business meet and the Entrepreneurship Summit 2011, which will focus on creating regional networking by bringing together over 200 delegates and more than 20 top industry experts sharing their success stories. These include Rama Chakaki (Baraka Ventures), Sunil Bahri (Dubai Quality Group), Kamal Puri (Skyline University), Dr. Manoj Nakra (Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment), Mamur Mustapha (Firefly Konsulting FZE), Shobha Menon (Equity ME) and Joycia Young (Clyde & Co LLP).

The companies participating in the event include renowned Internet marketing franchise WSI, British Orchard Nursery, Promise (personality development for kids), Thumbrule (talent testing specialist), Trade Xpert, Edify School, Webcom Technologies, CADD Centre (training company), Cantabil Italy, SMS Country, Fujairah Media, Infobahn Consultancy, Gitanjali Jewels, Derby, Café Jubilee, Tie rack, Satya Paul, Pizza Fusion, Siyaram's, Funland, Strands Salon & Spa, Col. Kebabz, Cocoberry, Heritage for Henna and many more.

Franchise UAE 2011 is being organised by Franchise Middle East and supported by Dubai SME, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Indian Franchise Association (IFA) and Commercial Office of UAE Embassy, New Delhi.

UAE is emerging as an ultimate destination for Indian brands looking for expansion due to sound government policies and world-class infrastructure. Franchise UAE 2011 is the first step in this direction.

Franchising industry in the UAE is largely untapped due to the reluctance of the Asian mindset to share the business expertise and practices. The Ministry of Foreign Trade is also working aggressively to bring Indian entrepreneurs and brands to the UAE, as India is witnessing robust growth and a number of Indian brands are ready to enter new markets, especially the Middle East.

The booming Middle East franchising market, currently valued at US$ 30 billion, is growing at 27 per cent annually, and the region presents lucrative opportunities for growth because of the presence of a large number of high net worth individuals and multi-ethnic populations with high disposable incomes.