A joint venture with a Gulf distributor, structured so both sides could grow without losing control. Sample case study.
Practice
Corporate and Commercial
Jurisdiction
Egypt, KSA and UAE
Duration
4 months
Team
Daniel Ward, Hana El-Sayed
Outcome
JV signed and launched
The challenge
A family-owned food manufacturer in Cairo wanted to sell in Saudi Arabia and the UAE through a distributor that also wanted a share of the brand.
The family did not want to give away the recipes or the right to sell in other markets.
Our approach
We separated the brand from the business, then shared only what needed sharing.
01
Protect the brand
Trademarks and recipes stayed with an Egyptian holding company and were licensed to the joint venture.
02
Set the territory
The joint venture covered Saudi Arabia and the UAE only, with clear rules for new markets.
03
Plan the exit
Buy-out terms and a deadlock process were agreed before signing, not after a dispute.
Launched in three markets, with the brand still in the family.
3
markets
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE
4
months
From first meeting to signing
100
%
Of the brand kept by the family
In the client’s words
“We grew without giving away the thing that makes us who we are.”
Second-generation owner · Sample testimonial
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