Left Photo: Tim Hortons Middle East CEO Hesham Almekkawi (left), AG Café Chairman Nilesh Ved (centre) and Canadian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jean-Philippe Linteau (right). Right photo: Tim Hortons, Roshn Front | Photo credit:
Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons has reached its 300 stores in the Middle East with a new outlet at Riyadh’s Roshn Front shopping centre, Saudi Arabia.
Dubai-based AG Café – a joint venture between UAE-based retail conglomerate Apparel Group and investment company Gateway Partners – first brought Tim Hortons to the Middle East in 2011 with a store in Dubai, UAE.
The franchisee now operates the brand across six markets in the region, with 162 stores in Saudi Arabia, 86 in the UAE, 24 in Qatar, 11 in Kuwait, nine in Bahrain and eight in Oman.
In a press release, Tim Hortons Middle East said there are ‘countless opportunities to grow and thrive’ in the region. An attractive investment environment across the Middle East, particularly in the form of business incentives and state-of-the-art infrastructure, provides a springboard for further expansion, the coffee chain added – although its previous target to reach 500 stores across the Middle East by 2025 may take longer to deliver than planned.
“By taking advantage of the brand’s popularity, our strategic development will ensure that Tim Hortons’ iconic coffee is accessible to customers across the Middle East,” said Hesham Almekkawi, CEO, Tim Hortons Middle East.
The unveiling of the Tim Hortons’ latest Saudi store was attended by Almekkawi, AG Café Chairman Nilesh Ved and the Canadian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jean-Philippe Linteau.
“Seeing it [Tim Hortons] thrive in Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC makes me very proud. The opening of the 300th store in the Kingdom reflects the strong economic ties and mutual appreciation between our countries,” he said.
AG Café also operates 36 Tim Hortons stores in India, with the Restaurant Brands International (RBI)-owned coffee chain operates more than 5,800 stores globally.
