Papa Johns And PJP Investments Group Extend Middle East Franchise Partnership Through 2036

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Extended development agreement adds a decade of exclusive rights across four markets, formally welcomes Iraq as a new territory for the Papa Johns brand, and reaffirms one of the strongest franchisee relationships in the Papa Johns global system

Published: Mon 2 Nov 2026, 4:13 PM

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Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) (“Papa Johns”) and PJP Investments Group LLC (“PJP”), the exclusive franchisee of Papa Johns Pizza across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq, today jointly announced the signing of a comprehensive ten-year extension to their Development Agreement, taking their exclusive Middle East partnership through to end of 2036. The extended agreement contemplates opening of more than 400 Papa Johns restaurants across the four markets by the end of 2036 and formally adds Iraq as a new market for the brand.

The renewed development agreement takes the exclusive rights held by PJP through to the end of 2036, adding a full decade of development runway across the region. Under the terms of the extended development agreement, the parties plan to grow the region's Papa Johns footprint from its current 167 restaurants to more than 400 by 2036 across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq. PJP also operates Papa Johns restaurants in India through a joint venture with a plan to open 650 restaurants by 2034.

Iraq becomes the fifth country in PJP's Papa Johns portfolio and represents Papa Johns' formal entry into Iraq, a country with a population of 40 million and a growing consuming class. The first Iraq restaurants are planned to open in the spring of 2027, building to a total of 25 restaurants across the country by 2035.

With approximately 6,000 restaurants across roughly 50 countries and territories, Papa Johns is one of the world's largest pizza brands, distinguished by its“Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.” promise and a system-wide commitment to quality. The Middle East region is a strategic pillar of Papa Johns' international growth agenda, and the extension announced today represents one of the largest international development commitments in the company's history.

“ Papa Johns has built a distinctive position in the international pizza category through a franchise model centered on strong local operators,” said Todd Penegor, President and CEO of Papa Johns.“PJP has been an important partner in growing the brand across the Middle East, and this 10-year extension reflects our shared commitment to long-term growth in the region. Expanding the partnership to include Iraq, alongside the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and India, underscores our confidence in the Middle East as a strategic market for Papa Johns.”

PJP has been one of Papa Johns' exclusive franchisees in the region for more than two decades. Following an initial investment in 2017, Levant Capital fully acquired PJP in 2019, and has since expanded its estate nearly four-fold and established their footprint into Saudi Arabia, Jordan, India and now Iraq. PJP's management team has built proprietary digital assets for the region including its own mobile application, e-commerce platform and loyalty program, and originated product innovations, including the Shawarma pizza and the Croissant pizza, that have since been adopted by other Papa Johns markets internationally. PJP has been recognized twice by Papa Johns as Global Franchisee of the Year, twice as Developer of the Year, has received the Franchise Champion Award, and consistently ranks among the top franchisees in the Papa Johns global network for guest satisfaction scores.

“More than twenty years of partnership with Papa Johns has built what is today one of the most successful international franchise operations in the pizza category,” said Dr. Tapan Vaidya, Group CEO of PJP.“This extension is more than a contractual commitment; it is a shared vision of how a regional operator, and a global brand grow together over the next decade, particularly through operational and consumer shifts reshaping our industry.”

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