Ever since Al Baik announced that it would be opening branches in the UAE, it has thrown foodies into something of a frenzy. Its first branch – launched in The Dubai Mall in June – has been known to attract queues so long that pictures of them have gone viral, and there are no signs of them abating either.
So it made sense when Al Baik opened its second UAE branch, at the Expo 2020 Dubai site on October 1, that it attracted some of the longest lines found at the global fair on the day.
For those planning to make a trip, the Expo 2020 branch doesn’t have any dishes that are exclusive to it, but rather a limited selection from the original Al Baik menu. So expect dishes such as their falafel, the only vegetarian offering at the moment; the chicken nuggets meal, the most popular option; the value shrimp meal (Dh27 for 10 pieces) and the jumbo shrimp meal.
The meal options come with fries and sauces, which can also be bought separately if you have a hankering for extra helpings of the garlic or nugget sauces.
The menu at Al Baik Expo 2020 is constantly updated, with more dishes being added; new to the list seems to be the corn in a cup (Dh7.50) and a double Baik sandwich (Dh9.50) with options between regular and spicy.
How does Al Baik Expo 2020 compare to Al Baik at The Dubai Mall?
The Dubai Mall branch offers a wider selection, with all the Expo 2020 offerings as well as options such as the chicken fillet sandwich (Dh6.50), hummus (Dh4.50) and vanilla ice cream (Dh2).
However, the prices on the Expo 2020 menu are slightly elevated.
The brand’s most famous offering, the nugget meal, is priced at Dh15 at The Dubai Mall but goes for Dh18 at Expo 2020; the shrimp meal is Dh22 at The Dubai Mall and Dh27 at Expo; and the double Baik which is Dh7.50 at The Dubai Mall is priced at Dh9.50 at Expo.
According to calculations, that's about a 20 to 25 per cent increase in prices at the Expo 2020 site when compared to The Dubai Mall. The bottom line is that you can expect to shell out around Dh2 to Dh5 more for the same dishes at Expo 2020, although with Al Baik’s prices, this still puts it very much in the budget category.
How does Al Baik in the UAE compare to Saudi Arabia?
Al Baik opened its first store in Jeddah in 1974 and it’s certainly come a long way since then. A meal of four sizeable chicken pieces, along with a bun and fries, was initially priced at 10 Saudi riyals (Dh9), making it a satisfying and affordable meal for those on a tight budget. Today, the same meal goes for SAR13 with VAT (Dh12.7).
The Saudi branches have a more extensive menu too, with a variety of sandwich options, fish fillet and desserts, which we hope will land in the UAE soon enough.
There’s also a difference in price: Al Baik’s beloved chicken nuggets meal goes for SAR13 (Dh12.7) in Saudi Arabia as opposed to The Dubai Mall Dh15 price tag and Dh18 Expo 2020 price.
The shrimp meal goes for SAR19 (Dh18.6) in Saudi Arabia and Dh22 at Dubai Mall at Dh27 at Expo.
The jumbo shrimp meal is priced at SAR26.5 for eight pieces (Dh25.9); it is available at Dh31 at The Dubai Mall and Dh38 at Expo 2020.
Overall, it’s about a 20 per cent jump in prices between Saudi Arabia and at The Dubai Mall.
There might be a difference in terms of pricing and offerings, but the flavours and memories associated with the brand ensure that it still has a solid fan following. And judging by the lines gathering outside both the UAE branches, it looks like the appeal of Al Baik isn’t waning any time soon.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
'Lost in Space'
Creators: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Irwin Allen
Stars: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins
Rating: 4/5
Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m
6.30pm: Liwa Oaisi Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
The National selections: 5pm: Flit Al Maury, 5.30pm: Sadah, 6pm: RB Seqondtonone, 6.30pm: RB Money To Burn, 7pm: SS Jalmood, 7.30pm: Dalaalaat
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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