UAE tops Gulf investment enquiries tracked by 7Grounds

The UAE led Gulf markets in a review published by 7Grounds on 21 October 2026 of enquiries from investors seeking franchises and existing businesses. The country attracted 139 enquiries within the sample, a finding worth noting for the franchise sector, particularly given the interest in food and drink, beauty and services. However, the figures measure publicly posted enquiries, not completed deals or the overall size of the market.

UAE leads the markets named

7Grounds tracked a total of 468 publicly posted investment enquiries between 30 September and 21 October 2026. Of these, 314 named at least one Gulf market, representing 67% of all enquiries recorded. The UAE ranked first with 139 enquiries, followed by Saudi Arabia with 88. There were also 68 enquiries targeting the Gulf generally, 47 naming Qatar and 33 naming Kuwait.

This comparison is useful because it tracks the markets investors name when looking for an opportunity, rather than simply recording announcements by brands seeking to expand. For franchisors in the UAE, the findings offer a starting point for understanding expressed interest, while recognising the distinction between an investor's initial intentions and their actual ability to complete an investment.

The figures are not mutually exclusive country totals: the review includes enquiries that may name more than one Gulf market. Country figures therefore cannot be added together and treated as a count of individual investors. Nor should the UAE's leading position in this sample be used to estimate its share of total Gulf investment.

Food and drink, beauty and services lead interest

Among enquiries targeting the UAE, food and drink featured in 68, beauty in 30 and services in 26. Across the Gulf sample, food and drink appeared in half of all enquiries, making it the most prominent area of interest in the review.

The published details offer a more specific picture than these broad categories. Enquiries included café and juice concepts in Dubai and Oman at modest investment levels, as well as quick-service chains in Al Ain. These are examples of stated requirements within the sample, not announcements of confirmed openings or signed franchise agreements.

In beauty, interest was concentrated in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with 30 and 14 enquiries respectively. According to the platform, most of these sought to acquire salons and clinics with established customers. This highlights an important distinction in the type of opportunity sought: investors are not necessarily looking to launch a new brand and may instead prefer to buy an operating business with an existing customer base.

These details underline the importance of assessing both the business category and the proposed route into it. Interest in a café or salon does not automatically imply a preference for franchising. Equally, an enquiry about a quick-service chain does not, on its own, reveal how many outlets an investor wants or the scope of the rights they are seeking.

Buying existing businesses takes precedence over starting a franchise

Of the 314 Gulf-related enquiries, 200 sought to buy existing businesses, representing 64%, compared with 58 seeking a franchise, or 18%. A further 48 sought an equity stake, seven sought a partnership and one sought master franchise rights.

The same pattern appeared in food and drink within the Gulf sample: 99 enquiries targeted existing businesses, compared with 34 seeking franchises. This is the report's most significant comparison for the UAE franchise sector: strong interest in a particular category does not mean investors favour opening new outlets under a franchisor's brand.

However, the Gulf-wide proportions should not be applied to the UAE alone. The 18% figure relates to all Gulf enquiries and does not mean that the same proportion of UAE enquiries sought a franchise. Likewise, the 139 enquiries targeting the UAE are not a count of franchise enquiries; they cover several forms of business investment.

For franchisors, these findings raise a practical question when presenting opportunities: is the offer aimed at an investor who wants to start a business, or a buyer looking for an operation that is already trading? Answering this helps clarify the nature of the opportunity from the outset and avoids presenting expansion offers that do not match the stated requirements.

Stated budgets are a starting point, not a final cost

The most frequently stated budget range in UAE enquiries was US$50,000–US$150,000, appearing in 47 enquiries. According to 7Grounds, this was also the most common range across the Gulf review.

However, an investor's stated budget is neither a confirmed business purchase price nor a validated estimate of the cost of opening a franchise. It also does not, by itself, explain how funds would be allocated between franchise fees, fit-out and operating costs. Its main value is therefore in screening initial interest and assessing whether an opportunity is a suitable match before moving to a detailed financial evaluation.

Practical takeaway: The UAE franchise sector can use this review to focus discussions on the business categories and budgets that feature most prominently, but not as a guarantee of demand. The first step is to establish whether an investor wants a new franchise or an existing business, then match their budget against the full cost of the opportunity.