Alghanim Industries CEO Omar Kutayba Alghanim and Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer and International, the Wendy’s Company, Bob Wright

Kuwait/KSA/UAE: Alghanim Industries, one of the largest private companies in the region, announced yesterday plans to expand the Wendy's(r) brand into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the opening the first restaurant scheduled in spring 2017.

Alghanim Industries acquired the rights to develop Wendy's restaurants across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region in 2015. Since that time, Wendy's in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has undergone major strategic shifts, resulting in improved operations, customer service and product offerings, with plans to launch flagship restaurants soon.

The announcement follows the opening in BurJuman mall last week of Alghanim Industries' 17th Wendy's restaurant. Commenting on the expansion in KSA, Chief Executive Officer of Alghanim Industries, Omar Kutayba Alghanim, said: "We are honored to team with Wendy's to expand this global franchise into the provinces of Saudi Arabia, and we look forward to opening the first restaurant in the spring of 2017. This is an important move for Wendy's, one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world. It is also a watershed moment for Alghanim Industries, which was founded more than a century ago on a simple but enduring notion: quality matters. With this move, Alghanim continues to build on that tradition in the MENA and Saudi Arabia."

Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer and International, The Wendy's Company, Bob Wright said: "We value our relationship with the Alghanim industries' team, whose leadership and experience with leading consumer-focused brands is a tremendous asset. We look forward to our continued partnership as we work closely together to enhance our customers' total restaurant experience, grow Wendy's brand presence and bring new jobs and opportunities to the region."

As one of the largest companies in the region, Alghanim Industries continues to expand its businesses into KSA, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic markets in the GCC. In 2015, the company opened two X-cite stores in Riyadh, and will soon launch a new stone wool factory in Yanbu. Wendy's will be the latest addition to the company's portfolio of businesses in the Kingdom.

On the customer experience and products, VP of Food and Beverage at Alghanim Industries, Phil Broad said: "We look forward to serving Wendy's great-tasting, high quality food to our customers in KSA. In keeping with Wendy's tradition, menu items will be made to order, using the freshest of ingredients; service teams will be trained to the highest international standards, as befits our customers."