McDonald’s set to open 1,000th restaurant

Yousif Abdulghani, MD, McDonald's MEA, was presented recently with a CEO Middle East Award at a gala dinner attended by more than 200 of the region's most prominent businessmen. Abdulghani was recognized for his commitment to the outstanding growth of the McDonald's franchise across the MEA over the past 20 years.
Anil Bhoyrul, editorial director, ITP, said: "Throughout his tenure, Abdulghani exhibited exceptional insight into the rapidly evolving Middle East franchising industry. Contributing to the success of one of the world's largest quick service restaurant brands, Abdulghani has set the stage for good business practice in the region, and raised the bar for the sector at large. This award reflects the passion, hard work and commitment he has put forth over the past two decades."
Abdulghani said: "I am humbled by this recognition, which I truly believe is a testament to the great work and focus of all our stakeholders; namely our DL partners, our corporate staff, and our suppliers, who build the brand and allow us to grow organically. While global brands like McDonald's may enter the market with a long history of successful operations on an international level, our ultimate success relies on local talent, and a solid understanding of what is taking place on the ground with local stakeholders."
Abdulghani was singled out from peers across the franchising industry, and was recognized based on his outstanding success, innovation and ethics across Middle Eastern business. The award also publicly acknowledges the vital contribution made by both Abdulghani and McDonald's to the vibrancy of business across the region.
"We opened our first restaurant in Riyadh in 1993, and are now well on track to opening our 1,000th restaurant in the region later this year," he added.