Alexandria Chamber Sets Up Committee to Support the Franchising Community

Ahmed El-Wakil, President of both the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce and Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, has announced the establishment of a specialist franchising committee within the chamber to support brand owners, investors and entrepreneurs. The announcement came during a meeting hosted by the chamber, details of which were published on 12 October 2026. The committee provides an institutional framework to support the franchising community in Alexandria governorate and connect its members with opportunities for growth and expansion.

Bringing brands and investors together

The new committee aims to help develop Alexandria’s franchising community and provide a framework for collaboration between brand owners and prospective investors. According to El-Wakil, its role will centre on supporting business owners, investors and entrepreneurs, with communication between these groups a key priority.

The announcement coincided with the chamber hosting the first stop on the ‘Egypt Franchise Tour’, organised by Franchise International, part of the National Franchises Group, in partnership with the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce and Alexandria Chamber of Commerce. The tour aims to raise awareness of franchising, support Egyptian brands and connect them with investors across the country’s governorates.

Attendees included franchising consultant and National Franchises Group Chief Executive Abeer Goleih; Yasser El-Manawishi, Treasurer of Alexandria Chamber; board member Ahmed Sakr; and commercial adviser Mohamed El-Sayed, alongside brand owners, investors and entrepreneurs. The meeting combined the committee announcement with discussions about the requirements for expansion, from brand readiness to engagement with investors.

Building on more than 15 years of support

El-Wakil said Alexandria Chamber began promoting and supporting franchising more than 15 years ago. He stressed that the Egyptian market includes brands capable of expanding regionally and globally, highlighting the importance of structured growth in helping successful businesses reach new markets.

He linked franchise expansion to opportunities to attract investment and create jobs, as well as to share technical, management and operational expertise. His comments place the exchange of operational knowledge among the objectives of supporting the franchising community, alongside raising brand awareness and identifying expansion opportunities, rather than simply increasing the number of outlets carrying a brand’s name.

In this context, the committee is intended to bring together local stakeholders involved in expansion, while the tour offers opportunities to connect through the chamber of commerce network. Further tour events are planned in several governorates to broaden awareness of franchising and encourage local brands to engage with investors and entrepreneurs.

According to the tour’s stated objectives, this approach serves both brand owners seeking to expand and investors looking for opportunities based on structured business models and clearly defined operating procedures. The activities announced by the chamber and its partners therefore combine education about franchising with efforts to strengthen connections between the two sides of the franchise relationship.

Planned project to support overseas expansion

Alongside the committee announcement, El-Wakil said Alexandria Chamber was preparing to launch a new project in collaboration with the European Union. It will aim to support entrepreneurs and provide technical assistance to Egyptian brands with the potential to expand into overseas markets, helping them prepare for the requirements of operating outside Egypt.

The scope of this initiative differs from the committee’s stated local role. The committee will support brand owners, investors and entrepreneurs within the governorate, while the project under preparation will focus on equipping brands for international expansion. Both initiatives emphasise business readiness and the ability to turn growth opportunities into expansion underpinned by technical and operational preparation.

According to El-Wakil’s announcement, the EU project remains at the pre-launch stage. The establishment of the franchising committee was a separate announcement made during the meeting. Distinguishing between the two clarifies the chamber’s approach: an institutional framework to support Alexandria’s franchising community, alongside preparations for a partnership aimed at Egyptian brands with the potential to enter overseas markets.

Operational and legal frameworks underpin readiness

During the meeting, Abeer Goleih focused on the requirements for successful expansion, stressing the importance of building a clear operating system for each brand and preparing the operational manuals and legal frameworks needed to protect it. She explained that well-organised working procedures and clear quality standards help preserve brand identity and ensure a consistent customer experience across outlets.

This view links a brand’s growth to its ability to replicate its way of working, not merely its name. Goleih stressed that successful expansion depends on more than brand recognition: it requires operational and legal preparation to maintain product and service quality as the network grows. These requirements relate directly to the committee’s goal of supporting brand owners and prospective investors.

Practical takeaway: For Egyptian brand owners, the announcement highlights the importance of preparing operational manuals and legal frameworks before expanding, and following the chamber’s activities linked to the new committee. For investors, clearly defined operating procedures and quality standards remain a practical starting point when assessing franchise opportunities.