13584. FAST FOOD FRANCHISING IN THE ARAB MIDDLE EAST. This paper provides an overview and analysis of fast food restaurant franchising in the Arab countries of the Middle East. The report begins with a brief overview and discussion of the franchising in general and fast food franchising in particular. Following this, a brief overview of the Middle Eastern fast food franchise market is presented. The next section examines some of the factors which have encouraged franchise systems to expand in the region as well as some of the potential benefits that franchising can bring to the region. A fourth section looks at some of the known and potential obstacles and/or barriers to franchising in the Arab Middle East. A concluding section focuses on franchising recommendations for the region and includes a directory and brief analysis of high-potential franchise systems for the region. 20 pages, 42 footnotes, 28 bibliographic sources.