From October 4th to 7th, 2023, Hassan Jawad had the privilege of visiting South Korea. The visit was the result of an initial contact made by KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) through LinkedIn in late August. The primary objective of the visit was to explore potential collaborations with Korean franchises looking to expand into the GCC and the global market.
Out of a pool of 40 franchise companies from Asia, Gulf Franchise Group emerged as one of the select few, and remarkably, the sole representative from the GCC/MENA region. As Co-Founder and COO of GFG, Hassan took it upon himself to represent the organization during this significant event.
Over the course of two days, Hassan engaged with various F&B franchises, primarily of Korean origin, and some originating from Southeast Asia and China. The discussions revolved around networking and the exploration of future collaborations and opportunities.
Visiting local F&B franchises, some of which operated hundreds, and even thousands of locations across South Korea, provided Hassan with invaluable insights, offering a unique perspective for any franchise professional. Notably, he was impressed by the promising F&B concepts encompassing tea and coffee, fried chicken, meat, pizza, traditional chains, and more, all of which demonstrated the potential to become global industry leaders.
Gulf Franchise Group extends its sincere gratitude to KOTRA for this unique and unforgettable opportunity. The organization hopes to see such engagements repeated in the future, providing further opportunities to delve into Korean heritage and gain deeper insights into its franchise landscape on the global stage.
By Hassan Jawad
Hassan is a franchise professional whose background in the foodservice industry covers many F&B segments including Coffee and Quick Service Restaurants, Bakery, Pizza and Food Retail. Hassan is a board member and audit committee member in the family business. Hassan has managed operations over 5 markets and responsible for the recruitment of over 2,000 domestic and international professionals.
Hassan Jawad