New issue of Al Franchise examines Saudi brands’ readiness for global expansion

Issue 31 of Al Franchise magazine for 2026, published by Dar Al Imtiaz Al Tijari Publishing, examines Saudi brands’ readiness for international expansion, features an interview with John Hadden, CEO of Alshaya Group, and includes a special report on artificial intelligence. According to the issue’s launch announcement, published on 20 September 2026, it combines franchise sector news with discussion of the requirements for growth and operations, alongside changing consumer expectations.

Saudi brands’ readiness goes beyond domestic success

The issue explores the transition from a successful local brand to a franchise brand capable of competing globally. According to the overview of its contents, the analysis focuses on the replicability of the business model, documented processes, and the development of an operating framework and supply chain capable of supporting expansion across multiple markets. These are the themes the issue presents in its discussion of Saudi brands’ readiness to grow beyond their home market.

This approach places operational requirements at the centre of the expansion debate, rather than focusing solely on geography. The discussion is not limited to establishing a brand outside Saudi Arabia: it also considers the foundations needed to replicate its model and manage operations across several markets. The launch announcement does not provide a numerical assessment of Saudi brands’ readiness or rank them by their capacity to expand.

Among the news covered is Dukhoon’s award of a franchise to open five branches in the United States. The published wording refers to granting a franchise for that purpose; it does not confirm that the five branches have begun trading. The issue therefore pairs news of an international expansion step with an examination of brand readiness, although the announcement provides neither contract details nor an opening timetable.

The Alshaya interview: from market presence to integrated experiences

The issue’s lead feature is an exclusive interview with John Hadden, CEO of Alshaya Group, covering changes in retail and the requirements for growth and sustainability. According to the interview summary, Hadden discusses the group’s shift from expanding its market presence towards creating integrated destinations and experiences that bring together shopping, dining, entertainment and lifestyle, against a backdrop of changing consumer expectations and accelerating digital transformation.

The interview adds another dimension to the issue’s discussion of growth: the customer experience, rather than simply the replicability of the business model. The launch announcement highlights this move towards combining shopping, dining, entertainment and lifestyle. It does not, however, announce new Alshaya openings in Saudi Arabia, provide numerical targets for the group or identify locations for planned destinations.

For readers following Saudi Arabia’s franchise sector, the interview and the examination of brands’ readiness for international expansion can be read as complementary discussions within the same issue. One addresses the operating framework needed to support growth; the other describes a move towards consumer experiences spanning multiple activities. This connection remains an editorial interpretation of the issue’s contents, not an announcement of a partnership or project involving the parties mentioned.

AI: from support tasks to execution

The issue includes a special report on AI in the franchise sector, examining the shift from using it for support tasks to deploying intelligent agents to carry out work in marketing, customer service, recruitment, operations and brand management. The launch announcement presents these areas as subjects for extended discussion in the magazine, without citing results from specific deployments or percentage reductions in costs and gains in productivity.

Alongside this feature is a report on British brands and their role in international expansion through smart franchising models. The issue also includes a report on supplementary education and its shift towards knowledge enrichment, future skills and digital infrastructure. The choice of topics reflects coverage extending into technology and education, alongside food, hospitality and retail.

It is important to distinguish between presenting trends for discussion and demonstrating their adoption by specific brands. The magazine’s launch announcement does not name Saudi brands using intelligent agents or establish how widely these tools are used locally. The feature therefore offers a starting point for following technological change, rather than data on the scale of adoption within Saudi Arabia’s franchise sector.

Linking operations, investment and changing consumers

Alongside these features, the issue includes a report on private financing for start-ups in Saudi Arabia and coverage of the Public Investment Fund’s performance and the development of its investments and partnerships. It also covers the Restaurant and Café Owners Association’s partnership with Resal to strengthen loyalty programmes, and the association’s participation as a strategic partner at the International Coffee and Chocolate Makers Expo, ICCMExpo 2026, in Jeddah.

Al Franchise is a free quarterly magazine edited by Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Arfaj. Its latest issue brings together interviews, reports, news and studies, with a clear emphasis on operations, technology, international expansion and changing consumer behaviour.

Practical takeaway: For Saudi brands considering expansion through franchising, the issue highlights three areas to review: the replicability of the business model, documented processes and the supply chain’s ability to support multiple markets. It also underlines the need to distinguish franchise awards from confirmation that outlets have actually opened.