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InternationalExpansion Announcement

Sides Signs Master Franchise Deal for 51 Middle East Restaurants

UK chicken brand Sides signs a master franchise agreement with Element F&B (Al Kharafi Group) covering 51 restaurants across six Middle East markets.

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By - FE Bureau

Franchise News Desk

11 September 2026Brand in focus: SidesF&B
Sides signs master franchise deal for 51 Middle East restaurants
Sides signs master franchise deal for 51 Middle East restaurants

51 Restaurants Across Six Markets

UK-based chicken brand Sides has signed a master franchise agreement with Element F&B for Restaurant Management, part of the Al Kharafi Group, to open 51 restaurants across the Middle East.

The agreement will bring Sides to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar and Oman, with the first locations scheduled to open in Egypt and Kuwait later this year. The deal also includes a longer-term pipeline for further regional expansion.

Experienced Regional Partner

Element F&B is owned by Eyad Al-Kharafi and is part of the wider Al Kharafi Group — one of the founding partners of Americana Group, the foodservice company behind KFC, Pizza Hut, Hardee's, Krispy Kreme and TGI Fridays in the region.

The agreement is one of Sides' largest franchise deals to date. The brand opened its first overseas restaurant in Singapore in June 2025 and has announced plans for India, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, including upcoming restaurants in Kuala Lumpur and Riyadh.

MetricDetail
Committed restaurants51
MarketsSaudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, Oman
First openingsEgypt and Kuwait, 2026
Master franchiseeElement F&B (Al Kharafi Group)

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SidesMiddle EastMaster FranchiseQSRAl Kharafiamericana groupSidemenUK hot chicken