Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, marks the exciting start of the Egyptian-Saudi International Franchise Exhibition, FRANEX 2026! This important event is happening under the patronage of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, who is both the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the SME Development Agency. It will feature an impressive 220 brands from Egypt and various countries worldwide. The exhibition is organized with fantastic support from the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA). It's also a strategic partnership with Monsha'at, which is Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, and is held in collaboration with Franchise International, a leading Saudi national franchise company. This is a big deal because it's the first time this exhibition is being held in Egypt! It brings together specialized institutions from the franchise sector, a large number of local and international brands, and even a selection of outstanding emerging projects from MSMEDA's own clients. The exhibition is scheduled to run for three days, until July 3, 2026, at the Egypt International Exhibition Center on Al Mosheer Axis in Cairo.
220 Brands and Opportunities for Regional and Global Market Expansion
Bassem Rahmy, the CEO of MSMEDA, shared that FRANEX 2026 perfectly fits into the state's vision. This vision aims to strengthen the connection between micro, small, and medium enterprises and various funding options. It also focuses on helping promising projects adopt the franchise system and expand into Arab, African, and global markets. He explained that the exhibition will really boost economic cooperation between Egypt and Saudi Arabia within the franchise sector. Rahmy noted that MSMEDA made sure to gather all the key players in this sector at the exhibition, recognizing franchising as a major tool for projects to grow and expand. He added that the franchise system gives project owners a wonderful chance to learn from successful experiences and business models. At the same time, it allows brand owners to expand into new markets and reach a much wider customer base. Rahmy pointed out that the exhibition features around 220 brands. Most of these are Egyptian, but there are also brands from Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world. We'll also see European franchise bodies and several American brands participating, which will be great for exchanging knowledge and opening doors for Egyptian brands to expand into regional and international markets. He affirmed that MSMEDA was careful to include a diverse range of Egyptian brands from the food, trade, and industrial sectors. This helps these brands understand what foreign markets need and benefit from the services offered by the specialized entities participating in the exhibition.A Regional Platform to Support Investment and Franchising
On her part, Abeer Jaleeh, Chairperson of National Franchises Company (the exhibition organizer in cooperation with MSMEDA), stated that FRANEX 2026 is a specialized regional platform. Its main goal is to support the growth of the franchise sector in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and to boost investment opportunities and joint expansion across Arab markets. She added that the exhibition will help connect brand owners with investors and entrepreneurs. It will also open up exciting new opportunities for companies looking to expand into the Saudi and Gulf markets using the franchise model. Jaleeh clarified that the event will really boost the transfer of expertise and knowledge among everyone participating. This, in turn, will make small and medium-sized enterprises more competitive and increase their ability to expand and reach new markets both within and outside the region.Related editorial

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