Muscat – The first Omani-Saudi Franchise Exhibition opened on Tuesday at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, bringing together more than 100 brands from Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and India. The opening ceremony was held under the patronage of H E Sultan bin Salim al Habsi, Minister of Finance, who toured the exhibition. The event provides a platform for entrepreneurs and investors to expand operations through franchise agreements and commercial partnerships, highlighting the growing role of franchising in strengthening Gulf economic integration. During the exhibition, 17 franchise agreements were signed. OCCI also inked a memorandum of cooperation with Development Bank to launch a financing programme for entrepreneurs seeking franchise opportunities through its Commercial Excellence Centre.