It was the most talked about opening of the year; a new restaurant had arrived in Abu Dhabi.
Its name and the taste of its secret blend of 11 herbs and spices was on everyone’s lips: Kentucky Fried Chicken.
The arrival of Colonel Sanders and KFC in 1975 was part of the dawn of fast food in the Emirates and, as with all successful food establishments, location was key.
A circular building was built, strategically placed in a new park and over the road from the then international airport.
October 1975 even saw Abu Dhabi’s KFC represent the emirate in a feature on the Middle East for National Geographic magazine. An iconic photo by Winfield Parks portrayed the restaurant and its customers in a brightly lit interior dramatically framed against the night in a style that recalled Edward Hopper's famous Nighthawks painting.
A key part of a wider trend
Half a century on, the Old Airport Park branch is still serving customers. But it has been joined by many others across the UAE.
There are now more than 150 branches of KFC in the UAE and the brand, according to a YouGov survey this year, is the one people consider above all others when ordering fast food, beating the likes of Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway and even McDonald's.
Kentucky Fried Chicken was not quite the first fast food chain to arrive in the UAE. In the early days it shared the Airport Park location with Wimpy, an American burger chain that had already started a downtown location in Abu Dhabi and another branch in Dubai.
The franchise, owned by a Kuwaiti company, was operating by 1973, offering a distinctively non-fast food environment in which burgers were served at a table and eaten with a knife and fork.
Wimpy – named after a character from the Popeye cartoons – eventually disappeared from the UAE but was revived three years ago, with its Dubai Mall outlet showcasing a robot chef called Flippy.
The YouGov report, which collected data from the end of last year, focuses on fast food outlets in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
It examines the eating habits of “frequenters” or those who visit fast food outlets, varying between several times a week to several times a day. They represent around a third of the population and, in the UAE, are overwhelmingly male – nearly 80 per cent.
A changing environment
The number of different brands operating in the UAE is constantly changing.
McDonald's arrived in 1994, at the Al Ghurair Centre in Dubai, and now operates 210 restaurants across the Emirates, according to company data.
Other leaders include Subway and Hardee's, along with local brands such as Salt, Drip Burger, and BonBird. Albaik, a Saudi Arabian chain focusing on chicken, arrived in 2021 and now has 23 branches.
Fast food offerings also mirror the diversity of the UAE population. Jollibee is from the Philippines, while Nando’s is originally South African, as is Debonairs Pizza and Steers. Oporto, despite its Portuguese theme, originates from Australia.
The market, which operates on a franchise system with local ownership, is dominated by US brands. Shake Shack, Five Guys, Denny’s, Applebee’s, and Johnny Rockets are just a few.
When it comes to who is eating what, the YouGov survey found that Millennials and Generation Z preferred KFC while the older Generation X went for McDonald's. Almost a third were driven to try new tastes by social media and a much smaller per cent by a desire to eat healthier.
Indeed, whether fast food is good for you is a very low priority for its “frequenters”.
According to YouGov’s findings, 52 per cent have “learnt to accept that healthy eating and running just aren't for them”. Nearly half admit they don’t look after their health as much as they could and, as for sleep, 55 per cent say they can survive on very little.
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
ARGYLLE
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
FIXTURES
All games 6pm UAE on Sunday:
Arsenal v Watford
Burnley v Brighton
Chelsea v Wolves
Crystal Palace v Tottenham
Everton v Bournemouth
Leicester v Man United
Man City v Norwich
Newcastle v Liverpool
Southampton v Sheffield United
West Ham v Aston Villa
The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
FORSPOKEN
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