Franchise Arabia

What Franchise Arabia does

Franchise Arabia, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Dubai, operates the first and most established online franchise directory serving the MENA region. The company's core product is franarabia.com, a directory platform covering 75 industries across 17+ MENA countries (and select international markets), enabling franchisors to list franchise opportunities and prospective franchisees to browse, filter, and inquire by industry, geography, and investment level. Franchise Arabia also operates a lead-generation service that delivers verified prospects to franchisors after light qualification of contact details and stated intent. The platform is supplemented by light lead verification, content marketing (news, statistics, educational articles), and event participation including franchise exhibitions in Kuwait and the Retail Summit.

Franchise Arabia monetizes primarily through six tiers of advertising packages sold to franchisors and service providers, supplemented by affiliate/referral fees for delivered leads. Beyond directory services, the company operates several adjacent lines: franchise development consultancy (A-Z service covering territory mapping, legal agreements, and franchisee recruitment), the Advice Arabia subsidiary (business consulting for brand expansion, market entry, and digital transformation), and the Franchise Arabia Chapter program (franchising the company's own consultancy model via exclusive territory rights). Named enterprise clients and partners include Southern Fried Chicken (FFS Brands), Steakhouses, Abu Zaid Restaurants, OnlyRoses, Steak 'n Shake, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Ken's Cafe Tokyo, and Retail Food Group. The company is founder-owned and operated by Omar Al-Haza'a and maintains offices in Dubai, Amman, and Miami; no institutional funding has been disclosed.

Name

Franchise Arabia

Legal name

Franchise Arabia

Website

https://franarabia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Franchise Arabia is the leading online franchise directory and lead-generation platform serving the MENA region, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Dubai. It connects franchisors with prospective franchisees across 75 industries and 17+ countries, supplemented by franchise consultancy and business advisory services through its Advice Arabia subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubayy

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Directory Listings & Advertising: Franchise brands pay to advertise their franchise opportunities on the platform. Six different advertising packages are available, offering visibility to serious investors in the MENA region. The portal targets franchisors and service providers.
2. Lead Generation Services: Highly qualified leads are delivered to franchisors after verification. Advertisers can connect directly with prospects who have requested information about franchise opportunities.
3. Franchise Consultancy: A-Z service to help brands develop their franchise and recruit quality franchisees. Services include preparing franchise brands to international standard, recruiting franchisees, trade shows and workshops, and training.
4. Business Consulting (Advice Arabia): Business consulting services including brand expansion, business startup consulting, marketing consulting, digital business consulting, international business consulting, and MENA market entry consulting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Franchise Arabia operates an online franchise directory and marketplace at franarabia.com that aggregates franchise opportunities from third-party franchisors across 75 industries and 17+ MENA-region countries, complemented by franchise development consulting services (concept creation through master-franchise execution) and tiered advertising packages that deliver qualified leads to franchisors. The company also operates specialized sub-directories for Halal-compliant franchises and service providers, and a business consulting arm (Advice Arabia) addressing broader SME needs in the region.

Product overview

Franchise Arabia operates as a comprehensive franchise directory and business services platform serving the MENA region. The core offering is its online directory matching franchisors with prospective franchisees, supplemented by franchise development consulting services, advertising packages, and business consulting through Advice Arabia. The platform organizes franchises by industry categories (Food & Beverage, Beauty, Education, Retail, etc.), location (MENA countries and worldwide), and investment levels. Additional services include the Franchise Arabia Chapter consultant program and event calendar coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Advice Arabia: A business consulting agency offering a wide range of business and management consulting services to local and international clients with primary focus on the MENA region markets.
• Franchise Arabia Chapter

Products and services

• Online Franchise Directory (franarabia.com) Flagship online franchise directory aggregating franchise opportunities from third-party franchisors across 75 industries, geographic markets, and investment levels; serving franchisors who list and advertise, and prospective franchisees who browse and apply.
• Halal Franchises Directory Vertical sub-directory of the franchise marketplace dedicated to Halal-compliant franchise opportunities for investors and operators seeking Sharia-compliant business ventures in MENA markets.
• Service Providers Directory Curated online sub-directory listing vetted third-party service providers (consultants, legal, real estate, marketing, etc.) that support franchisors and franchisees in the MENA region.
• Promote Your Business (Advertising Packages) Tiered advertising package offering franchisors paid listings, enhanced visibility, and lead-generation referrals on franarabia.com; structured in six tiers with multi-year contract options targeting franchisors seeking qualified investor inquiries.
• Franchise Your Business (Franchise Development Consulting) End-to-end franchise development consulting service covering concept design, branding, operations manuals, marketing strategy, launch planning, and master franchise execution for businesses seeking to franchise their concept in the MENA region.
• Advice Arabia (Business Consulting) Business consulting subsidiary offering advisory services to SMEs and entrepreneurs in the MENA region on topics beyond franchising, including general business setup, operations, and growth strategy.
• Franchise Arabia Chapter (Consultant Franchise) Consultant franchise opportunity allowing partners to operate Franchise Arabia-branded local franchise consulting offices, extending the firm's market reach through licensed local experts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Franchisors report signing Master Franchise agreements within short timeframes after listing on the platform

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ken's Cafe TokyocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 March 2024Japan's top-ranked chocolate specialty store (ranked #1 in Japan for 8 consecutive years on Tabelog) signed agreement to expand presence in MENA through Franchise Arabia.
• International Canadian AcademycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 October 2022Canadian bilingual education franchise signed agreement with Franchise Arabia to expand presence in MENA region.
• Dickey's Barbecue PitcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 July 2020American barbecue brand (founded 1941) signed exclusive agreement with Franchise Arabia for MENA and worldwide expansion.
• Retail SummitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2019Exclusive collaboration agreement established for Retail Summit 2019, bringing together retail and franchise industry stakeholders.
• Askar BrandscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 September 2019USA-based brand that signed agreement with Franchise Arabia to expand presence in MENA region.
• Natural Skinny FoodscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 August 2019Canadian healthy food and beverage manufacturer signed exclusive agreement for MENA and worldwide expansion through Franchise Arabia.
• Steak 'n ShakecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 February 2019American classic burger brand (founded 1934) signed exclusive agreement for MENA expansion.
• Retail Food Group (RFG)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 August 2018Australian multi-brand food and beverage franchisor partnered with Franchise Arabia for MENA expansion.
• Global RLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor and partner featured on the Franchise Arabia website. Global RLC is a restaurant and lifestyle company.
• Franchise License AsiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for franchise licensing activities in Asia, featured as a sponsor on the Franchise Arabia platform.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• iFranchise Group: Franchise development consultancy that helps brands build franchise systems and recruits franchisees — directly comparable to Franchise Arabia's 'Franchise Your Business' consultancy line.
• FranChoice: US-based franchise matchmaking and consulting firm connecting prospective franchisees with franchisors, directly comparable to Franchise Arabia's core matchmaking and lead-generation service.
• MFV Expositions: Operator of major franchise trade shows and exhibitions — directly comparable to Franchise Arabia's franchise exhibitions and events channel for connecting franchisors with prospective franchisees.
• The Entrepreneur's Source (TES): North America's largest franchise coaching and consulting network helping individuals explore franchise ownership — directly comparable to Franchise Arabia's franchisee-investor advisory and matchmaking offerings.
• Fransmart: US franchise consultancy that helps emerging brands scale via franchising and assists international brands expanding into new markets — directly comparable to Franchise Arabia's consultancy and cross-border MENA expansion services.
• Franchise.com (Franchise Opportunities Network): Online franchise directory and marketplace connecting franchise buyers with brands — the closest direct competitor to Franchise Arabia's directory platform, though focused on the North American market.
• The Franchise Consulting Company: US franchise consultancy offering brand development and franchisee recruitment services — closely comparable to Franchise Arabia's full-stack consultancy + lead generation model.

Broad incumbents

• Franchise Times: Established US franchise media brand covering news, rankings, and franchise opportunities — a broader incumbent with overlapping content/directory capabilities that competes for franchise advertising budgets.
• Franchise Update Media: Multi-channel franchise media company producing publications, events, and digital directories — broader incumbent with overlapping advertising and lead-generation reach in the franchise category.
• Entrepreneur Franchise (Entrepreneur Media): Major business media brand operating the Franchise 500 list and an online franchise directory — broader incumbent with established brand and audience that competes for the same franchisor advertisers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franchise-arabia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Franchise Arabia