Turkish Restaurant and Café Franchises in Saudi Arabia: A Guide

Red Dragon Office·Updated 2026-10-11

Turkish food culture already has a natural audience in Saudi Arabia. Kebab and grill houses, baklava and künefe, Turkish coffee and tea, simit bakeries, breakfast concepts and Turkish ice cream are familiar to Saudi consumers, many of whom have travelled to Türkiye. Turkish fashion and home brands are also present in Saudi malls. With entertainment, tourism and a young population driving out-of-home spending, more Turkish brands are asking how to enter the Kingdom through franchising.

This article covers the franchise and food-service route specifically. For general market entry, company structures and banking, see our guide for Turkish companies entering Saudi Arabia. For food product exports to Saudi distributors, see Turkish food, textile and furniture exports.

Which Turkish concepts work in Saudi Arabia

• Casual dining and grill: kebab, pide, lahmacun and Anatolian home-style cooking, suited to families and large groups.
• Dessert and bakery: baklava, künefe, Turkish delight, simit and patisserie, strong for gifting and Ramadan and Eid seasons.
• Cafés and Turkish coffee: Saudi Arabia has a vibrant coffee culture, and Turkish coffee and breakfast concepts can stand out in a crowded specialty market.
• Quick-service and delivery: wraps, döner and street food designed for delivery apps and food courts.
• Retail franchises: modest fashion, menswear, childrenswear, home textiles and cosmetics.

Local adaptation matters: portion sizes, family seating, spice levels, prayer-time operations, late-night opening hours and strong delivery integration are often decisive.

Franchise registration under the Saudi Franchise Law

Saudi Arabia issued a dedicated Franchise Law in 2019, with implementing regulations, under the Ministry of Commerce. In broad terms, the franchisor must give the prospective franchisee a disclosure document before signing or receiving payment, and both the disclosure document and the franchise agreement must be registered with the Ministry through its electronic platform. Documents must be in Arabic or accompanied by a certified Arabic translation. The law also sets out minimum contract terms and gives the franchisee remedies if disclosure and registration duties are breached. The authorities update procedures, so check the current requirements before you sign (see our franchise registration service).

Typical documents include the franchisor's corporate details, trademark registrations, a description of the franchise system, fees and royalties, training and support, territory, term, renewal and termination conditions, and recent financial information. Registering your trademark with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) before launch is strongly recommended, because the franchise is built on that mark.

Register your trademarks in Saudi Arabia in Arabic and Latin script, in the right classes for restaurants, cafés and packaged products, before you start discussions with partners. See our trademark guide.

Master franchise or your own entity

Most Turkish brands start with a master franchise partner who knows real estate, licensing and staffing. Choose carefully: check financial strength, existing brands, outlet track record and development plans, and agree on clear opening targets. If you set up your own company, foreign ownership in food service is possible through a MISA licence, subject to the conditions that apply to the activity (see MISA licence guide).

Municipal licences through Balady

Every outlet needs a commercial registration with the correct activity and a municipal licence issued through the Balady platform of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing. Requirements usually cover:

• Location and zoning approval, building permit and lease registration through the Ejar system
• Fit-out meeting municipal health requirements for kitchens, storage, ventilation and waste
• Civil defence safety approval (Salamah) for fire safety
• Health certificates for food handlers, issued through Balady after medical checks and training
• Signage approval, including Arabic text on the shopfront

Malls and landlords often have their own design approvals, so build them into the timeline.

SFDA rules and the halal supply chain

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) regulates imported food, food factories and warehouses. If your concept depends on ingredients from Türkiye, such as baklava, künefe dough, spices, coffee or sauces, the products must meet SFDA import, labelling and registration rules, including Arabic labelling and shelf-life requirements. See our SFDA food registration service.

Meat, poultry and products containing animal ingredients face strict halal rules: they normally must come from SFDA-approved establishments and carry a halal certificate from a body recognised by SFDA. Check the current list of approved Turkish plants and halal certifiers before planning your supply chain, and see our halal certification page. Many brands combine imported signature items with locally sourced meat, dairy and produce.

Location strategy: Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province

• Riyadh: the largest market, with new mixed-use districts, Boulevard and entertainment zones, and strong corporate demand. Rents in prime areas are high.
• Jeddah: a cosmopolitan food scene, waterfront and mall locations, and seasonal visitors linked to Umrah.
• Eastern Province (Dammam, Khobar, Dhahran): affluent families, a large expatriate base and links to Bahrain (see Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam).

Delivery apps are a major channel in every city. Many brands test demand with a cloud kitchen or a food court unit before committing to a flagship.

Saudization in food and beverage

Restaurants and cafés fall under Nitaqat, and the Ministry of Human Resources has issued localisation decisions for food service, especially in malls, with specific roles and percentages that change over time. Plan for Saudi staff in management, cashier and front-of-house roles, and budget for training. Chefs with specialist Turkish skills can usually be recruited on work visas within your quota. See our Saudization guide and payroll service for GOSI and Mudad.

How RDO helps Turkish franchise brands

RDO handles the administrative steps: preparing the franchise disclosure document and agreement filing with the Ministry of Commerce, coordinating trademark registration, setting up your Saudi entity or supporting your master franchisee, following up on Balady, Salamah and health certificates, and coordinating SFDA and halal requirements for imported ingredients. We work with Turkish teams in English and arrange certified Arabic translation when the authorities require it. Visit our Türkiye-Saudi business page or message us on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions