Set against many other countries, this positive outlook means we have seen an increase in demand across all sectors, notably from international F&B operators. There has been exponential growth in the region for F&B, with the market set to more than double over the next four years.

There are several factors that should be considered when entering the Middle East market. Firstly, not to expect what you know of the process at home. Brands need to have carried out all due diligence, have relevant licences and partnerships set up, to then be ready to place financial offers within just a couple of weeks. We are seeing many examples of developers expecting and receiving full financial and conceptual bids within 2-4 weeks. Therefore, without the required due diligence, international operators will struggle to work within such tight time frames.

With limited availability and high demand, the more agility brands have with their requirement the better – particularly in some of the prime areas and developments. Whilst we would not expect operators to make compromises that would have a detrimental impact on their brand, if they can adapt to this it would help expedite their entry to the market.