Emirates Franchise Association: Annual Growth of Around 15%

Maher Al Alili, vice-chairman of the Emirates Franchise Association, has said that the franchise sector contributes more than AED 100 million to the UAE’s gross domestic product (GDP) and is growing by around 15% annually. Osool Misr quoted these remarks from CNBC Arabia in a report published on 26 September 2026, highlighting the sector’s expansion and investment opportunities in the UAE.

Two figures at the heart of the story

The reported remarks centre on two indicators: a contribution of more than AED 100 million to GDP and annual growth of around 15%. According to the report, this expansion is accompanied by increasing opportunities for individuals and entrepreneurs, support for the labour market and growth in business activity. These figures offer a broad picture of the franchise sector’s role in the UAE economy, without detailing the performance of individual brands or outlets.

It is important to keep these figures tied to their source: they are statements attributed to the association’s vice-chairman, rather than a published statistical dataset with an accompanying measurement methodology in the available source material. Likewise, “more than AED 100 million” indicates a threshold exceeded by the stated contribution, not its precise total value.

The growth figure of around 15% was described as an annual rate. The available material does not specify the base year or measurement period in detail, nor whether the calculation is based on the number of agreements, outlets or the value of business activity. The figure therefore cannot support a specific conclusion about increases in sales or the number of new branded outlets opening in the UAE.

Investment opportunities, but no brand-level details

The report links the franchise sector’s expansion to investment opportunities for individuals and entrepreneurs. This is the story’s main practical angle: it concerns not only an overall economic contribution, but also the sector’s role in creating employment and investment opportunities and supporting business growth, according to the source.

However, the available report does not name brands offering new franchise rights or announce specific openings or agreements. Nor does it break down opportunities by emirate or across restaurants, retail and services. The remarks therefore support a picture of broad expansion, but do not identify the brands or locations driving it.

Readers looking for a specific opportunity should distinguish between news of franchise sector growth and an announcement that franchise rights are available for investment. The former provides a general indicator of activity; the latter requires brand-specific information, contractual terms and details of the rights on offer. The published material does not contain these details, so it should not be treated as a ready-made list of opportunities or a recommendation of any particular brand.

How should the economic contribution be interpreted?

The contribution cited in the remarks relates to GDP. The source does not describe it as total brand sales or the value of franchisees’ investments. Presenting the figure under either of those headings would therefore change its meaning. The most accurate reading is to retain the original description: a contribution of more than AED 100 million to UAE GDP, according to Al Alili.

The available material also contains no time series allowing comparison with previous years, or detailed figures on associated employment. Although support for the labour market is mentioned, no specific job count is given. There is also insufficient detail to calculate an average contribution per brand, outlet or investor.

These limitations do not negate the story’s significance, but they define what can be concluded from it. It reports a publicly stated estimate of the sector’s contribution and direction of growth, while raising follow-up questions about the scope of the data and how it was calculated. Numerical forecasts for future years, or rankings of the emirates by franchise activity, would require additional information not included in the available source material.

What does this mean for investors?

The remarks can serve as a starting point for researching franchise opportunities in the UAE, rather than a substitute for assessing each business. In practice, investors should ask franchisors for information on set-up and operating costs, fees, the performance of comparable outlets and the support provided. These are suggested due diligence steps, not details reported about existing offers.

It is also worth asking franchisors what underpins their financial forecasts, rather than assuming that the reported sector-wide growth rate will translate into the same growth for a new business. The remarks contain no guarantees of returns or profitability estimates, and do not provide enough information to assess the viability of a particular location or agreement.

Practical takeaway: The association’s remarks point to growth in the UAE franchise sector. Use this indicator to begin your research, then base any investment decision on evidence about the brand, location and contract—not on the headline growth rate alone.