Fitness Franchise The Little Gym International, franchisor of gyms providing curriculum based, non competitive motor skills development programs to children aged 4 months to 12 years old, has entered into a master franchise agreement with an existing franchise owner in Kuwait City, Kuwait, to develop at least 15 and as many as 50 locations in the Middle East over the next decade. Husband and-wife team Adel Al Bader and Khaldah Al Ghanim, who opened their first The Little Gym in Kuwait City in 2003, will continue operating that location and developing more sites throughout Kuwait.

In addition, they will now seek prospective single-and multi-unit franchise owners to develop The Little Gym locations in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Oman, Qatar, Iran, Cyprus, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Iraq and Yemen. They will also assist those who join the franchise in opening and operating their locations, providing business training, site selection and site-design assistance, operational consulting, market adaptation, marketing support, translation assistance and other ongoing services, with support from The Little Gym International. Both individuals have significant business and franchising experience. Mr. Al Bader has a degree in Business Administration and worked in human resources for Kuwait Airways for 14 years and was a branch manager for Quality Tools Franchised Co., a SNAP ON franchisee, for five years. His wife, Khaldah Al-Ghanim, has a degree in English Literature and taught English at Kuwait University until 2000. Both have been full-time franchisees since joining The Little Gym in 2001.

The Little Gym currently has 301 locations in 19 countries worldwide, including 261 in the United States. Widely recognized as the leading developer of motor skills in young children, the chain was recently named the 1st in the children's fitness category for the second consecutive year by Entrepreneur magazine, capping off a year of milestones and accolades that included being named a Hot Retailer by the International Council of Shopping Centers ICSC and one of Inc. magazines 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the United States (September 2007. The company also recently opened its 250th U.S. location, 300th worldwide gym and first site in Manhattan. With a presence in Asia for the past 13 years and a solid foundation throughout Europe, The Little Gym now has a strategic vehicle in place to expand in another key region of the international market. We have already contacted some 20 prospects who previously expressed interest in The Little Gym in Saudi Arabia, Dubai,United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Oman and Cyprus, and we plan to meet with some of them early in 2008.