SUBWAY® Registers Rapid Growth with 11 Outlets in Jordan

Amman-Jordan: 9 December, 2010 - SUBWAY^Ò restaurants in Jordan, part of the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise, today announced it continues to register rapid growth having expanded into a network of 11 outlets since its launch in Jordan in 2007.

Following the opening of its first store in Mecca Mall in Amman, SUBWAY^Ò launched two additional restaurants the same year. In 2008, three more outlets opened in Jordan as a response to the increasing demand for healthy food options for which SUBWAY® has earned a significant reputation in the country.

In 2009, SUBWAY® opened doors to a further three restaurants, which in addition to the two that were launched this year, has taken the total number of stores to 11.

Mohammad Omar, SUBWAY® Development Agent in Jordan, said: “The SUBWAY® concept has received popular acceptance from the Jordanian community due to our relentless focus on the importance of balanced food. Thanks to our initiative to promote a healthy lifestyle with complementary food, our expansion rate in the country has been on an unprecedented fast-track.”

SUBWAY® in Jordan has played a vital role in supporting ongoing awareness campaigns organised by the Jordanian Ministry of Health and other government authorities on the importance of healthy eating habits.

SUBWAY® recently became the largest submarine sandwich franchise in the Arab world with more than 225 restaurants in some of the most important locations. It has 100 stores in the UAE, 46 in Kuwait, 41 in Saudi Arabia, 15 in Qatar, 11 in Jordan, 10 in Bahrain, seven in Oman, four in Egypt and four in Lebanon.

The SUBWAY^Ò brand has been honoured as the number one franchise opportunity in the Entrepreneur magazine's ’Annual Franchise 500^Ò’ listing for 17 of the past 23 years, in addition to being recognized as the number one franchise opportunity for 2010.

About SUBWAY®:

The SUBWAY® restaurant chain is the world's largest submarine sandwich franchise, with more than 33,300 locations in 92 countries.

Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami, and Singapore, the SUBWAY® chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. The SUBWAY® brand was ranked the number one Franchise Opportunity and the number one Global Franchise Opportunity in the 2010 edition of Entrepreneur magazine's ‘Annual Franchise 500®’ survey, an honor that the SUBWAY® chain has received 17 times in the past 23 years.

The SUBWAY® restaurant ventured outside North America when the first outlet opened in Bahrain in December 1984. Since then, the SUBWAY® concept has gone around the world with restaurants opening from Argentina to Zambia.

For more information about the SUBWAY® restaurant chain, please visit www.subway.com.

Subway® Kuwait to Boast 49 Outlets Before End Of 201

Franchisee Marks Opening of Seven New Outlets with Three Earmarked for Coming Months

Kuwait City-Kuwait: 9 December, 2010 - SUBWAY^Ò restaurants in Kuwait, part of the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise, today announced it is gearing up to take the total number of outlets in Kuwait to 49 by the end of the year.

With seven new restaurants opening its doors since the start of the year and three more scheduled to open in the coming months, Kuwait market will be served by Subway® outlets located in some of the most vibrant locations.

Abdul Rahman Almutairi, CEO, Las Palmas Restaurants Company and Subway® Kuwait Development Agent, said: “We are proud to be a pioneering food and beverage brand in Kuwait with the opening of seven outlets in 2010. Our target this year is 10 outlets and we are planning to expand this to an additional 40 locations within the next five years.”

In August 2010, Abdul Rahman Almutairi received the Franchisee of the Year award for multi-unit owners of the chain’s international developed markets. Almutairi was selected from among more than 4,000 international franchisees.

The SUBWAY^Ò brand has been honored as the number one franchise opportunity in the Entrepreneur magazine's ’Annual Franchise 500^Ò’ listing for 17 of the past 23 years.

With more than 33,000 locations in 90 countries including the Middle East, the SUBWAY^Ò restaurant chain is the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise. Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, the SUBWAY^Ò chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. The partnership, which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey — one that made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business.

About SUBWAY®:

The SUBWAY® restaurant chain is the world's largest submarine sandwich franchise, with more than 33,300 locations in 92 countries.

Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami, and Singapore, the SUBWAY® chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. The SUBWAY® brand was ranked the number one Franchise Opportunity and the number one Global Franchise Opportunity in the 2010 edition of Entrepreneur magazine's ‘Annual Franchise 500®’ survey, an honor that the SUBWAY® chain has received 17 times in the past 23 years.

The SUBWAY® restaurant ventured outside North America when the first outlet opened in Bahrain in December 1984. Since then, the SUBWAY® concept has gone around the world with restaurants opening from Argentina to Zambia.

For more information about the SUBWAY® restaurant chain, please visit www.subway.com.

SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor’s Associates Inc.

Middle East Uptake of Organic Products Continue to Rise; Health-Conscious Young Population Keeps Annual Growth Pace at over 20 per cent

 

·         The US$ 300 million regional market’s potential under explored, says organisers of the eighth Middle East Natural and Organic Product Expo (MENOPE2010), that was held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre between December 6-8, 2010

·         Held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment and Water, Dubai Municipality and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement, the expo attracted over 100 exhibitors

 

Dubai, December 9, 2010: The potential of the Middle East’s market for organic products is under explored and the sector has immense growth opportunities with a predominant youth population in the region taking to healthier and more eco-friendly lifestyles, said organizers of the eighth edition of the Middle East Natural and Organic Product Expo 2010 (MENOPE 2010).

Addressing a press conference, organizers of MENOPE 2010 said the regional organic food market currently valued at approximately S$300 million a year was growing at a pace of nearly 20 per cent, mainly driven by the rising affinity of the youth population to embrace healthy and natural lifestyles.

Eng. Nadim Al Fuqaha, Managing Director, Global Links, organizers of MENOPE 2010, said: “The organic products market in the region is at the threshold of growth and the current demand and sales volume reflects the state of European markets between 1985-1990. In comparison to other global markets, even at low volumes, Middle East is still the fastest growing destination for natural and organic foods.”

 

MENOPE 2010 is being held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment and Water and Dubai Municipality. It is supported by International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Korea Health Supplement Association (KHSA), Chamber of Herbal Industries of the Philippines (CHIPI), Department of Agriculture, the Philippines and Malaysian Herbal Association among others.

The participating countries in MENOPE 2010 include strong participation from the UAE, Italy, United States, United Kingdom, India, Germany, Belgium, China and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, among others.

“The Middle East boasts of a highly eco-conscious populace which contributes to the success of the expo here. The expo still remains as the only one that caters to the natural and organic products market in the region. We are positive that the success of the previous years will continue to reflect on the eighth edition of the expo creating a prolific platform for the industry to grow and excel,” Eng. Nadim Al Fuqaha said.

MENOPE 2010 will showcase a variety of products spanning across Herbals and Spices, Food & Beverages, Cereal Products, Supplements, Health Care products, Natural Living, Natural Cosmetics, Healing Products, Natural remedies, Traditional Medicines, Spas, Relaxation facilities, Pet products and Fabrics.

Global Interest

Mr. Joby Mathew Muricken, Project Manager of the event said the appeal of MENOPE as a platform for global organic product companies to engage the Middle East market was evident from the enthusiastic participation of over 100 companies from across the world despite the economic uncertainty. “MENOPE is the only regional exhibition for organic and natural products and in the last eight years, the show has served as a platform for leading companies to enter the Middle East market.” 

Participants at the three-day MENOPE 2010 come from over 25 countries bringing in a wide range of high-quality natural and organic products. The expo will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center from December 6-8, 2010.

MEVEG Congress

One of the significant highlights of this year’s MENOPE is the 1st MEVEG Congress, organised by the Middle East Vegetarian (MEVEG) Group, a not-for-profit focus group supporting vegetarian and vegan lifestyle. MEVEG encourages increased consumption of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and dry fruits in daily diets.

 “The 1st Middle East Veg Congress presents vegetarian living as a choice for health and eco-friendly lifestyle. Environmentally sustainable, socially unifying and personal health enrichment are the cornerstones of a plant-based diet,” said Ms. Sandhya Prakash, Founder-Director, MEVEG.

The aim of the two-day Congress is to bring attention on topics such as sustainable and vegetarian lifestyle for wholesome health, environmental protection with an array of experts speaking at the event, panel discussions and engaging workshops.

DUNKIN' DONUTS OFFERS DELICIOUS CAPPUCCINO DRINK

Dunkin' Donuts, the world’s largest coffee and baked goods chain offers the Hot Cappuccino - for consumers in the UAE.
“Our Special Cappuccino drink offers a delicious new alternative for coffee lovers,” said David Rodgers, Dunkin' Donuts General Manager. “The unique beverage adds to our variety of quality beverages served throughout the UAE.”

"For over a decade now, Dunkin' Donuts has been a dominant brand in the region, with exceptional brand loyalty in the UAE, however it is important for us to constantly innovate and offer new products to consumers,” remarked Mr. Rodgers.

"Despite the difficult times, we haven't felt any significant change between our takeaway or dine-in figures in our outlets. The sales have been steady so far," said Mr. Rodgers.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Saud Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Government of Sharjah Finance Department and proprietor of Continental Foods Est., is the franchisee of Dunkin’ Donuts in the UAE.

Emirates takes you on a Journey Through India

DUBAI, U.A.E., 23rd March 2009 – Emirates is advancing its service on Indian routes with the launch of its unique ‘Journey Through India’ campaign.

Focussing on three crucial elements – inflight food and beverage; inflight product; and cabin crew management – the programme seeks to ensure the airline exceeds the expectations of its Indian passengers through regionalisation of the product on Indian routes.

Initiatives under the ‘Journey Through India’ campaign are featuring on Emirates flights to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calicut, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram.

The menu on all routes and in all classes has been created to meet the regional preferences of Indian travellers. In addition it has been strengthened with a greater presence of Indian dishes, especially vegetarian options, while western dishes continue to be offered to cater to the global tastes of travellers.

In all classes, route specific mini savouries prior to meal service and after meal Indian digestives have been introduced. Advancements in the First and Business class menu include a choice of three hors d’oeuvres including Indian options. In Economy class a bar service has been introduced prior to the meal, which in itself has been boosted with a choice of two Indian and one Western dish. All passengers are served a welcome drink.

Inflight entertainment has also been regionalised and now offers route specific boarding music and reading material. Emirates’ patented and award-winning ice (Information, Communication and Entertainment) system that offers over 600 channels of entertainment is now offered on more Indian routes than previously. Although flying times to/from India are short, flights with or without ‘ice’ now boast an enhanced selection of programmes and music in varied Indian languages.

Cabin crew are an integral part of the Emirates’ experience and the Dubai-based airline has embarked on a massive internal communications programme to improve its crew’s awareness of ‘Destination India’. Over 10,000 of Emirates multi-cultural crew are improving their knowledge of India through route-specific booklets, online training courses and briefings prior to each flight.

Crew have also received a specially-produced DVD titled ‘Journey through India’ containing an introduction to the country, its diverse customs, and guidelines for interaction with passengers from different Indian states.

Terry Daly, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Service Delivery, noted: “India is a diverse and large country that boasts several languages, customs, and cuisines. As we expand our services to and from India, it is equally important that we enhance the quality of our service by adapting it to regional preferences. Initiatives under the ‘Journey Through India’ programme will help sensitise our crew members to cultural differences and enable them to better serve the needs of our varied Indian customers.”

In the second phase of the programme, regional language enabled crew will operate the flights.

Emirates operates 163 flights per week to 10 Indian cities.

DM confirms "Laban Up" is free from contamination

The Food Control Department at Dubai Municipality has confirmed that the product "Laban Up," a brand of Gulf & Safa Dairy LLC, is free from any yeast and mould contamination as it was proved from the tests conducted in the DM's Food and Environment Laboratory, in addition to three other laboratories of the country.

However, Khalid Mohammed Sharif Al Awadhi, Director of Dubai Municipality Food Control Department said that this is not contradicting the result of the test conducted on the product in one of the labs in the country as the specimen taken for that test represents the specimen itself, not all the products.

"There are other aspects that affect the result of the test such as the condition of the surroundings from where the specimen is taken, the temperature level in which the specimen is stored, the condition in which the specimen is transported to the lab, the way the test was conducted, and many other aspects," he pointed out.

Al Awadhi added that on getting the result of a test on a food sample from a food control lab in the country the result will be circulated by the Secretariat of UAE Municipalities to coordinate among the municipalities to conduct confirmation tests on specimens of the same product in order to ward off any doubt or mistake.

"This is also to avoid consequent incorrect measures that may affect the consumer as well as the foodstuff establishment. It is an example of good coordination between the food control bodies in the country for the public welfare," he said.

Al Awadhi said that these kinds of messages are taken up on a routine basis among the testing bodies in the country and there are committees and joint action teams between food control bodies that cooperate among themselves in the health and safety service of the society.

As regards the finding of contamination on the specimen taken for analysis by the lab, he said, it is assumed that the conditions in which the specimen is taken and its transportation to the lab might be unsuitable for storage.

Al Awadhi explained that any increase in bacteria can happen in conditions without air inside the food cans, which may lead to occurrence of the container getting open.

"It may not be noticed by the consumer while buying it. The scientifically known fact is that the enzymes influence the quality of the product, not its safety, in other words, it does not cause food poisoning incidents," he said.

Al Awadhi confirmed that the Food Control Department in Dubai Municipality has not received any complaint about the product in question and reassured the public on the safety of the product.

He also appealed not to spread any messages related to food products before contacting the specialists in the Food Control Department or any other food control authorities in the country for confirming the significance and the extent of credibility of these messages.