Franchise Tour Asir 2026 highlights investment opportunities and SME growth

The General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha'at) organized an introductory event yesterday as part of the "Franchise Tour Asir 2026," highlighting investment opportunities and support services for the business sector. The event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, business owners, franchise brands, and those interested in the franchise sector.

The meeting aimed to introduce available opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors, and to enhance the ability of small and medium enterprises to benefit from programs and enablers that help develop their businesses, improve efficiency, and boost their capacity for growth and expansion.

Participants were briefed on the range of services Monsha'at offers to support the business sector, including strengthening ownership, facilitating business operations, supporting enterprises, fostering innovation and technology adoption, promoting community culture and education, as well as programs for trade and e-services, consulting and mentoring, business accelerators, a cost calculator, Monsha'at Academy, and enterprise support centers. The event also addressed targets for developing the retail sector, such as raising the contribution of SMEs to 35% of GDP by 2030, facilitating business operations, developing commercial capabilities, encouraging innovation and expansion, and supporting the shift to e-commerce.

The event also discussed the main challenges facing enterprises and entrepreneurs in the Asir region, and launched a survey to identify these challenges and the needs of the local business sector, aiming to improve programs, services, and enablers, and to support enterprise growth and sustainability.

The tour is part of Monsha'at's ongoing efforts to promote a franchise culture, encourage entrepreneurs to seize investment opportunities, and connect enterprises with support services to foster the growth of the SME sector and strengthen its role in economic development.