HH General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum visits Franchising Middle East Exhibition 2005

FME is an exclusive 3-day international event offering an unparalleled opportunity for franchisors to access the Middle East Markets.

FME is presented by Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders. And it is supported by International Franchise Association (IFA), the worldwide body of Franchising. The technical organisers of the expo are International Expo - Consults LLC. This year's exhibition is expected to host over 80 Exhibitors from across the world.

Speaking during his visit to the tradeshow General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said, 'The tradeshow is very well organised, I'm happy to see the growth in the Franchise Industry in the Middle East. Franchising offers sources of new business opportunities and employment to our UAE nationals. The fact that today we have home grown Franchisers, like Magrudy's & Café Ceramic who are ready to take their brands across the world highlights the success of this exhibition & the Franchise industry in the Middle East.'

The exhibitors who were delighted by his Highness' visit gave their feedback on the success of the show.

Mr. Rolf G. Kirst, German Franchise Association said, 'The exhibition is attracting very high quality serious business visitors. We have participated in lots of tradeshows world-wide but this one is really giving us the best response. We are looking at over 100 business leads & queries. The Middle East Market is an excellent potential for German Companies.'

Another delighted exhibitor Mr. Clive Sherer, Managing Director, West End Training limited, UK said, 'We have got quality response. We've met our expectations at the exhibition. We have already 4 very serious business leads.'

Ms. Tracey Furey, Managing Director, Franchise Development Services, UK said, 'We have increased our investment \ participation in this event by almost 120%. That's because we believe that Franchising as a concept is really catching on in the Middle East & this exhibition is helping promote the concept further. The quality of crowd participation is excellent.'

Mr. Tom Matzen, President & Co-founder, Par Masters, Canada, said, 'This is our second participation. We are really getting quality response from the trade visitors. We already have 4 very serious business leads. We have a long term strategy for this market & we feel that this exhibition will help us get the results.'

The Middle East is one of the fastest growing franchising destinations for marketers from across the world. The region is probably the most investor friendly region with full support from the Governments, attractive tax free facilities and world class infrastructure. Additionally, improved Intellectual property Legislations, a high number of High Net-worth Individuals and a young upwardly mobile consumer market keen on leisure and consumer spending make the Middle East an ideal place for Franchising opportunities. Industry estimates put the annual growth of this sector at 27 per cent, currently evaluated at over $14 billion across the region. While fast food accounts for 40 per cent of the total market, other sectors are also growing rapidly.