Harry Ramsden’s to return to Saudi Arabia

Fish and chips is undoubtedly one of the great British institutions; people from all over the world flock to the UK to get pestered by seagulls while picking at the contents of a newspaper cone. And there can hardly be anywhere better to enjoy this quintessentially British treat than Harry Ramsden’s, whose restaurants can be found the length and breadth of Blighty.”

But, while it’s looking to expand further across the UK, Harry Ramsden’s is also taking its fabulous fish and chips further afield. Suffice to say, the people of Saudi Arabia must be jumping for joy at the news that the brand is set for a triumphant return to the country in the not too distant future. Coming almost ten years after its first foray into the country, the company is taking another crack at the Middle Eastern kingdom, signing a master franchise agreement with the HAAB Group, which helped introduce the Harry Ramsden’s brand to Saudi Arabia a decade ago.

The franchise agreement will initially see three new restaurants open across the country, with the first expected to be unveiled in Jeddah before the end of the year. It also comes hot on the heels of a deal that will see Harry Ramsden’s open five new outlets in Qatar later this year.

“We are delighted to announce the return of Harry Ramsden’s to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Ahmed Alamoudi, CEO of the HAAB Group. “Our group is more familiar than most with the brand, since it was members of our executive board […] who were responsible for initially introducing the concept to Saudi Arabia a number of years ago. We have been most impressed with the successful repositioning of the brand in recent times and know from our own experience that there is a huge appetite for its offering across the kingdom, so we are entering into this new partnership with great confidence.””

Joe Teixeira, CEO of Harry Ramsden’s, added: ‘Given their past experience and intimate knowledge of our brand, the HAAB Group is the perfect partner for us in this venture. I believe the fact that Harry Ramsden’s is now set to return to the kingdom clearly underlines both the popularity and longevity of its appeal. We are absolutely committed to making Harry Ramsden’s much more accessible to the admirers it has and continues to attract, both nationally and internationally.”

Wooden forks at the ready, Saudi Arabia.”