9Round has signed a franchise agreement with Saudi Arabia-based Al Munif Holding Company for the development of 100 clubs in seven countries in the Middle East over the next 10 years.
This agreement marks the first expansion in the Middle East for 9Round. The company plans to develop clubs in the Unites Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and Bahrain.
“We are making significant progress expanding the 9Round brand internationally with the right franchise partners and this is further evidence of our momentum,” said Shannon Hudson, the co-founder and CEO of 9Round, in a press release. “This development agreement is our first major expansion in the Middle East and expands our unopened international pipeline to more than 300 clubs.”
The first 9Round club in the Middle East is slated to open in March 2015 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Two others will follow by the end of the year, including one in Dubai.
“We are proud to be associated with the 9Round brand and look forward to developing it in the Middle East,” said Abdullah Al Munif, the founder of Al Munif Holding Company, in the press release. “This is a great addition to our management portfolio, which already includes companies from various sectors such as education, logistics and food distribution, telecommunication, real estates and retail franchise management.”
The company has also signed international agreements in Canada, Mexico and Australia.
9Round was co-founed by Shannon and Heather Hudson in 2008.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
