FILIPINO fast-food chain Binalot was recently awarded a single-country franchise by United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based conglomerate Al Ahli Holding Group (AAHG), who will offer the brand to the Arab country.
“We know the Filipinos in Dubai are excited about this development,” said Rommel Juan, founder and CEO of the wrapped rice-meals brand.
“With Filipinos forming more than 20 percent of the Dubai population, we know Binalot has a place in its food community.Al Ahli is the partner we have been looking for,” Juan said.
The AAHG is a diversified conglomerate set to bring a number of Filipino franchises to the UAE, starting in Dubai and then expanding to the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, namely, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and the UAE.
“We will stay as close as possible to the Binalot brand’s proprietary look and product mix,” said Parvez Naqvi, head of Al Ahli’s international business development team.
The group signed franchising agreements with five other food and beverage brands—Jay-j’s Inasal, Fruitas, Mochi Creme, Zagu and Fiftea. The six food offerings will be marketed in the UAE under the retail-food concept of Little Manila with the first store to be opened in the Dubai Outlet Mall by the end of the first quarter of 2015.
AAHG previously said it intends to grow to 20 outlets by 2020.