On a (sausage) roll: you can now buy Greggs products in Abu Dhabi

Certain pop-culture touchpoints define a country. For Britain, football, Oasis, rain and late trains usually get the nod; when it comes to high-street food outlets, few are as feted as much as Greggs. And you can now get a taste of the chain baker – which is famed for its affordable array of sausage rolls, pasties and sandwiches – in Abu Dhabi.

Before the Brits among us drop to our knees, then get up again to run towards said location as fast as our pasty-faded-fitness allows, it sadly isn’t a full store. But you can pick up packs of Greggs-branded products in Souq Planet (formerly Abela) at Etihad Plaza on the outskirts of Khalifa City.

Social-media posts of the products, such as the one pictured on top, have revealed that the range includes Greggs' famed sausage rolls, plus steak bakes and chicken bakes. There is no word yet on whether this range will be expanded, although if it does, we would like to humbly suggest the sausage and baked bean melt. Breakfast of champions, right there.

Our favourite expat foods and where to find them

What you can expect from this year’s Taste of Abu Dhabi festival

____________________

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

Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.

Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.

The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.

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 two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative