Tim Hortons, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the regional headquarters of Tim Hortons (Middle East) in Riyadh. Founded in 1964, Tim Hortons is the leading coffee chain in Canada and has over 4,900 locations globally. Tim Hortons Middle East entered the GCC in 2011 and has since become the leading Tim Hortons franchise outside of North America. Tim Hortons Middle East currently operates 148 stores across the GCC and is leading an aggressive expansion of its footprint across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman in addition to India and Egypt. Tim Hortons, a leader in four categories -- coffee, baked items, breakfast, and lunch -- is already on an expansion course with 42 coffee shops to be opened across Saudi Arabia this year. The President of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), Fahd Al-Rasheed, signed the MoU on behalf of RCRC and Niraj Tikchandani, a member of the Board of Directors, on behalf of Tim Hortons. Speaking on this occasion, Tekchandani; said: “For Tim Hortons, Saudi Arabia has been and will continue to be a key part of our Middle East story, and we see our regional headquarter at King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh as the perfect hub from where we intend to manage and expand into the broader MENA region and subcontinent.” “We are very excited about the transformation and the innovation that we have seen here and know that there’s a lot more still to come,” said Huda Al-Lawati, also a non-executive director at Tim Hortons. “By basing ourselves in Riyadh, we strengthen our ties to this vibrant, young city. Saudi Arabia is well suited to our growth ambitions, and we are honored to play our part in developing the local economy,” she added. The move to base the regional headquarters of Tim Hortons in Riyadh is significant, noting that that the RCRC has plans to make Riyadh one of the top 10 vibrant cosmopolitan cities of the world. The kingdom has already announced an SR3 trillion ($800 billion) plan to double the size of Riyadh in a decade and transform the city into an economic, social, and cultural hub for the region, a statement said. The RCRC, established by a royal decree in August 2019, is a government-owned and operated apex agency responsible for urban, economic, social and cultural development of Riyadh. The RCRC has also the mandate to supervise the strategic plans, policies, programs and implementation of development projects in the Saudi capital city. – TradeArabia News Service

Sumo Sushi & Bento, a home-grown UAE company, has announced that the Apparel Group has signed a franchise agreement to bring forward 20 Sumo Sushi & Bento outlets across the GCC region. Founded by Nilesh Ved, Apparel Group has over 75 global fashion and lifestyle brands in its portfolio. Sumo Sushi & Bento has been a high quality, well priced sushi and Japanese favourite in the UAE for more than 16 years, providing fun and authentic experience for its guests. It now boasts 12 outlets located throughout the emirate, many of which are in prime retail and leisure hubs, with another four located in Bahrain and Oman. It was established in 2000 with just ten team members, and has now grown to 140 employees, while the franchises have over 500 employees. Building on its expansive relationship with various malls, Apparel Group will focus on bringing Sumo Sushi & Bento to its mall locations throughout the GCC, said a statement from the company. The franchise agreement was signed official signed on April 13, in the presence of senior officials of both groups at an exclusive ceremony held in Dubai, UAE. The first restaurant under this agreement is scheduled to open on June 1, in Doha Festival City (Qatar), followed by other shopping malls and retail establishments across the Middle East using the existing network of Apparel Group in the region, it said. Sumo International Inc, operates and franchises a highly lucrative chain of 15 restaurants across UAE, Bahrain and Oman, while Apparel Group has over 75 brands in its portfolio covering four continents, it added. The signing of this franchise agreement is a continuation of Sumo Sushi & Bento’s ambitious growth plans, both nationally and regionally. With more than 17 years’ experience, the company’s strong vision has transformed the brand from its humble beginnings as an original Japanese family friendly restaurant to the largest growing Japanese franchise in the UAE. The brand is currently focussed on mirroring its GCC dominance, overseas in the critically important and competitive US market, it said. Darami Coulter, global marketing and communication manager, Sumo International Inc, said: “We are thrilled to work with Apparel Group and we believe they are the ideal partner to help us drive the expansion of our company in the fast growing GCC markets.” “To be recognised by Apparel Group as a strong brand, performing well with a reputation for quality food and service is very encouraging. Both brands share an affinity for recognising consumer desires and superseding these with a quality offering,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service

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