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.
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 4 (Mount 18',Werner 44', Hudson-Odoi 49', Havertz 85')
Morecambe 0
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
