Ruby Tuesday Announces a New Franchisee for the Development of Restaurants in Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon and Oman

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ruby Tuesday, Inc., a leading casual dining restaurant company, announced its international franchisee, Daliya Al-Wataniya for General Trading and Contracting W.L.L., will open nine Ruby Tuesday restaurants in Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, and Oman over four years and a tenth Ruby Tuesday in the Avenues Mall in Kuwait City. Daliya Al-Wataniya is a subsidiary of Sultan Food Products Company of Kuwait City.

“We are extremely proud to welcome Sultan Food Products to our expanding global franchise community,” said Mark Ingram, President of Franchise for Ruby Tuesday. “National Arabic Company for Restaurant Management (NAC), our development and operating partner in the Middle East, has been instrumental in our growth in this area. We are excited another terrific franchisee has joined us.”

NAC operates three Ruby Tuesdays in Kuwait and will open its fourth restaurant on the Nile River in Cairo. Emad Bu Khamseen, Chairman of NAC, said, “We will soon begin construction of our fifth Ruby Tuesday, to be located on the Gulf Road in Kuwait City. We are also developing our first restaurant training center in Kuwait, which will be named 'The Center for Leadership Excellence' after Ruby Tuesday’s corporate training facility in Maryville, Tennessee. This new training center will support the anticipated growth of Ruby Tuesday in the Middle East.”

Ayman Sultan, Chairman of Sultan Food Products, said, “We are pleased to add Ruby Tuesday to Sultan’s menu of successful enterprises. Our varied businesses in the region, including retail, restaurants, trading, fashion, telecom, security systems, and investments, uniquely position us to undertake this exciting opportunity.”

Ruby Tuesday currently operates in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, with new restaurants expected to open in Dubai, Cairo, the Avenues Mall in Kuwait, and Bahrain in 2008. The company has been expanding its franchise system and continues to seek franchising opportunities.
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