The Social Development Bank launched the ‘Franchise Go’ Franchise Forum in Riyadh, attended by senior bank officials, partners, entrepreneurs, brand owners, and local and international experts. The forum featured comprehensive sessions on the future of franchising, opportunities and challenges in the sector, and inspiring success stories. Several cooperation agreements were signed with Al Kharj Chamber, Zulfi Chamber, Dan Company, and New Leap Company to support entrepreneurs and small and emerging enterprises, enhance training and financing, develop the franchising environment, and support digital transformation and innovative financial solutions. The forum also included an exhibition allowing participants to connect directly with franchisors and explore successful franchise models.

The exhibition provided professional spaces with training workshops and individual consulting sessions offered by bank experts and consultants from the ‘Dalny Business Center’ over the second and third days to help entrepreneurs prepare operational and marketing plans, enabling them to establish projects based on supported and financed business models. In his inauguration speech, Eng. Moeed Al-Bishi, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at the Social Development Bank, described the forum as a strategic platform to expand economic empowerment opportunities, offering entrepreneurs direct communication with brand owners and access to successful experiences and tested business models that enhance expansion and sustainability. The bank had launched in 2021 a specialized financing track for franchising with funding up to 4 million SAR, flexible repayment periods up to 8 years, and facilitated guarantees, alongside non-financial services including training, qualification, and consulting through the ‘Dalny Business Center’ to enable entrepreneurs to establish sustainable and well-studied business models.

The accompanying exhibition runs for two days (Wednesday and Thursday) as part of the bank’s efforts to consolidate its position as a key enabler of the franchising sector, enhance its role in creating quality jobs, develop less developed regions, and expand the presence of national brands regionally and internationally.