After months of anticipation and a short delay, Al Baik has finally thrown open the doors to its first Abu Dhabi outpost, in Al Wahda Mall. The fast food chain from Saudi Arabia is best known for its succulent broasted chicken, jumbo shrimp and fish fillet meals.
Residents in the capital can get a taste of these staples as well as falafel sandwiches, chicken nuggets and syrup-laden ice cream from Thursday. Also not to be missed is the brand's famed in-house cocktail sauce.
Al Baik is famously popular in the Mena region: not only are its broasted chicken meals a foodie's delight, but openings are punctuated by long queues.
The Jeddah store was even known to cause mayhem during peak hours, often resulting in crowd control by the police, while The Dubai Mall outlet — which marked its first UAE outlet when it opened in June 2021 — had fans and curious foodies queuing for hours on end.
The appeal of Al Baik
Saudi entrepreneur Zainab Baig recalls standing for hours on end many times for the coveted, succulent chicken meal. “The crisp, salty skin of the chicken and fries dunked into their unique garlic sauce is what differentiates Al Baik from other broasted chicken,” she tells The National. “Since it tends to sell out quickly, the adrenalin rush of fighting crowds and getting your hands on a meal makes it all the more tempting.”
Muzaffar Ismail, an accountant who lives in Canada, remembers how whenever he carried home the familiar packaging of Al Baik, people always approached him. “They had heard so much about this restaurant, they wanted to know where they could buy it.” A meal was an oft-requested item from his trips to Saudi Arabia.
A storied history
Al Baik was founded in Jeddah in 1974 and, for 38 years, operated only in the western province of Saudi Arabia (Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah).
In the 1990s, flagship stores along the Holy Mosque in Makkah and one non-profit outlet at the Mina site during Hajj season served pilgrims. 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 buy for those on a tight budget. Al Baik stores served as an equaliser, where members from all strata of society came together for a delicious meal.
The broasted method of preparation was still a novelty in the 1980s and 1990s, and over time, Al Baik gained the reputation of a meal that pilgrims “must try” when visiting the kingdom for Hajj or Umrah. Because Al Baik didn't have any branches in the capital city of Riyadh or the eastern regions of the country, demand for the fare sparked an ingenious business venture — a "chicken run" where hawkers would make the nine-hour drive from Jeddah to Riyadh, bring back a trunk-load of Al Baik specialities and sell them at inflated prices in the Saudi capital.
The UAE is the brand's third pit stop in the Middle East, after two branches in Bahrain in 2020.
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
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Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
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GAC GS8 Specs
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• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 4:42:34
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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