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Dubai: Fast food chains are no exception to cashing in on the region's booming growth. Take the story of McDonald's in the UAE.
The international fast food chain sells an average of 24 million sandwiches a year to the UAE population of 5.1 million residents plus tourists.
The chain records over a million transactions every month. Each transaction serves two to three customers on average and two sandwiches are sold per order, according to Rafic Fakih, managing director of Emirates Fast Food Company, the franchisee of McDonald's Emirates.
On an average, every UAE resident eats almost five McDonald's sandwiches annually.
Fakih informed reporters yesterday that there will be 10 new McDonald's outlets launching in the UAE this year. The company has seen 10-20 per cent annually growth in 2007, officials said.
The average cost of a McDonald's restaurant is Dh1.5-Dh2.5 million and the investment in the 10 new branches will be Dh20-Dh25 million, Fakih said.
The chain has seen a 40 per cent increase in prices of supplies, but they are absorbing the costs at the moment. "The price increase from our suppliers doesn't affect us like it does others," Fakih said.
With 52 outlets in UAE, Fakih expects to increase the number to 62-65 by the end of 2008.
"In the next five years, if the regional economic growth continues, we will open between 100-150 new restaurants in the country," Fakih said.
Worldwide, the chain enjoys annual sales of $1.8 million per restaurant.
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