Sunday 21 / June / 2026
Muscat: Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) launched on Sunday the 5th edition of the Franchise Programme.
The ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr. Khamis Saif Al Jabri, Minister of Economy.
The Franchise Programme comes within the framework of the Chamber's strategic directions aimed at improving the business environment, expanding the base of economic diversification, and partnering in the economic development of the governorates, in alignment with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
It aims to promote and spread the culture of franchising among business owners in the Sultanate of Oman, support scalable Omani brands, enhance investment opportunities and commercial partnerships, enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to grow and expand into regional and international markets, and contribute to creating job opportunities and stimulating the national economy.
Faisal Abdullah Al Rowas, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that the launch of the fifth edition of the Franchise Programme comes as part of the Chamber's keenness to enhance the competitiveness of the Omani private sector and empower small and medium enterprises and national brands for sustainable growth and expansion, in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 aimed at expanding the economic diversification base and increasing the private sector's contribution to economic development.
He explained that the programme represents one of the strategic initiatives adopted by the Chamber to develop the franchise ecosystem in the Sultanate of Oman and transform promising Omani brands into success stories capable of expanding locally, regionally, and globally.
Al Rowas pointed out that the programme contributes to creating new investment opportunities, raising the efficiency of national companies, and enhancing their capacity to apply international best practices and standards, which reflects positively on the growth of the national economy and creates more commercial and investment opportunities.
He called on Omani business owners and brands to benefit from the qualitative opportunities provided by the program and to invest in the franchise model as one of the promising paths for growth and expansion, emphasising that the Chamber is moving forward in providing initiatives and programmes that enhance the readiness of Omani companies and consolidate their position in regional and international markets, thereby contributing to building a more competitive and sustainable economy.
Eng. Hamoud Salim Al Saadi, Second Deputy Chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors and Head of the Franchise Center Committee, highlighted the latest updates of the Franchise Program and its focus on providing evaluation and consultation services, preparing operational manuals, building financial models, marketing investment opportunities, and providing specialised training programmes and workshops. He noted that the programme witnessed a significant organisational shift following the issuance of the decision to establish the Franchise Centre Committee at the Chamber and the adoption of the executive regulations governing its operations, thereby enhancing governance and raising the efficiency of services provided to investors and brands.
He indicated that the Centre is working to empower 300 targeted brands, focusing on raising the market value of Omani franchisors and franchisees to OMR1 billion and qualifying them for local and regional expansion, contributing to enhancing their competitiveness and business sustainability. He added that the program was divided into consecutive executive phases, starting with the first phase, followed by expansion phases that included 6 brands in the second phase, 23 brands in the third phase, 25 brands in the fourth phase, reaching 26 brands in the fifth phase.
Al Saadi reviewed the most prominent milestones of the programme since its launch and the comprehensive package of services it offers, which includes assessing brand readiness, studying operational models, preparing franchise manuals, developing contracts and operational systems, providing legal and financial consultations, preparing feasibility studies, promoting brands, and connecting them with investors, alongside organising specialised training courses and qualification programs for franchisors and franchisees. It also includes conducting field studies, market analysis, evaluating investment opportunities, and building databases for brands to support investment decision-making.
Al Saadi revealed the expansion of the programme's international presence, as it aims to reach 22 countries around the world, while building a network comprising more than 150 international franchisors and attracting more than 220 investors and partners from various markets, thereby enhancing the prospects for Omani brands to spread outside the Sultanate of Oman.
For his part, Zakariya Abdullah Al Saadi, CEO of the Chamber, said that the launch of the fifth edition of the Franchise Programme embodies the Chamber's commitment to continuing its role in building an integrated system to support the private sector and enable Omani companies to adopt innovative business models capable of achieving sustainable growth and expansion.
He explained that the Chamber undertakes a pivotal role in the regulatory and supervisory aspects of the programme by coordinating with strategic and technical partners, establishing the frameworks and criteria necessary to select qualified companies, and supervising the implementation of training and advisory programmes to ensure the achievement of the program's targets and enhance the readiness of Omani brands for local, regional, and global expansion. He noted that the programme represents one of the qualitative initiatives contributing to consolidating the franchise culture in the Sultanate of Oman.
He emphasised that the successes achieved in the previous editions of the programme, and the expansion witnessed by Omani brands inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman, reflect the importance of continuing to work on developing the franchise ecosystem and strengthening partnerships with various relevant entities, thereby contributing to achieving the targets of Oman Vision 2040 and supporting the Chamber's strategic directions.
The ceremony witnessed the signing of three cooperation and support memoranda. Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, represented by the Franchise Centre, signed a memorandum of cooperation with Oman Oil Company to support the Franchise Programme by providing 10 locations at the company's filling stations in the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman for the outputs of the Franchise Programme, as well as providing advertising spaces on the advertising screens belonging to the company's filling stations for the programme's outputs. The Chamber, represented by the Centre, also signed a framework support agreement for small and medium enterprises with Shell Oman Marketing Company to provide an amount of $5,000 to support the participation of small and medium enterprises in the Egypt Franchise Exhibition, and to provide the opportunity for the outputs of the Franchise Programme to be present at 19 locations within the company's filling stations. Furthermore, the Chamber, represented by the Center, signed a cooperation agreement with Oman Commercial Complexes Company to support the Franchise Programme by studying the possibility of providing between 5 to 12 commercial units in Al Muzn Mall and Nizwa Grand Mall for qualified Omani brands from the Franchise Programme, and studying additional opportunities in Barka Grand Centre and Salalah Grand Mall.
During the ceremony, 62 franchise agreements were also signed for a number of Omani brands across 7 countries, namely the Sultanate of Oman, the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Ecuador, the State of Qatar, and the State of Kuwait.
The ceremony featured the success story of businessman As'ad Saud Al Akhzami, founder of the "Nomad Inn" brand, who highlighted his experience in building and developing the brand, the challenges he faced, and the lessons learned from his entrepreneurial journey. He explained the extent of his benefit from the Franchise Programme in terms of transforming accumulated operational expertise into clear systems and procedures, raising the institution's readiness for expansion through the franchise model, and enhancing confidence in the ability to build a scalable Omani brand.
For his part, investor Syed Iqbal from Shaheen Group reviewed the group's experience in expanding the presence of the "Seven Fries" brand in the United States of America by signing a "Master Franchise" contract with Al Saleh for Ideal Projects Company, pointing out that this step reflects the ability of Omani brands to expand into global markets via franchise models.
On the other hand, Mahmoud Hamdan Al Mujarfi from the Development Bank presented a working paper on the "Alamah" programme for franchise financing, reviewing the financing solutions provided by the program to support the growth of Omani brands and enable them to expand through the franchise model.
He noted that this financing falls under the category of SME loans allocated for the franchise sector, and covers the developmental sectors approved by the bank with a financing ceiling of up to OMR100,000, at a supported financing return rate of 3 percent, while the repayment period reaches up to 7 years with a grace period extending up to 12 months, in addition to the technical and advisory support provided by the Chamber to select the appropriate franchise, and providing the opportunity to benefit from training programs before receiving the project.
The ceremony was attended by Qais Mohammed Al Yousef, Chairman of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, Faisal Abdullah Al Rowas, Chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors, a number of senior officials, members of the Chamber's Board of Directors, and businessmen and businesswomen.
