Al Baik's opening at Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi, attracted long queues in December. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Al Baik's opening at Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi, attracted long queues in December. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Al Baik's opening at Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi, attracted long queues in December. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Al Baik's opening at Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi, attracted long queues in December. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Lifestyle

Food

Al Baik to open first drive-through in Dubai

The popular Saudi fried chicken chain is on an expansion spree in the UAE

One Carlo Diaz

April 07, 2023

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Saudi Arabia's popular fast-food chain Al Baik is set to open its first drive-through in the UAE, it announced Friday.

The new outlet will be located in Al Rashidiya, Dubai, at an Eppco petrol station. When it opens, it will become the Saudi fried chicken brand's eighth outpost in the UAE, since its debut at The Dubai Mall in June 2021.

The brand is known for its broasted chicken, as well as a variety of sandwiches, and for attracting large queues.

The new drive-through location will have a soft launch next week, followed by a grand opening towards the end of Ramadan. It will feature limited items on the menu, but will serve fan favourites such as chicken nuggets and sandwiches.

The announcement extends Al Baik's rapid expansion in the UAE. In December, it opened its first outlet in Abu Dhabi to long queues of diners.

  • Excited customers visited Al Baik during its opening day at Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Excited customers visited Al Baik during its opening day at Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • It is the Saudi brand's first outpost in Abu Dhabi
    It is the Saudi brand's first outpost in Abu Dhabi
  • Al Baik is best known for its broasted chicken meals
    Al Baik is best known for its broasted chicken meals
  • The restaurant also serves seafood meals, plus a special cocktail sauce
    The restaurant also serves seafood meals, plus a special cocktail sauce
  • Vegetarians can opt for falafel or falafel sandwiches
    Vegetarians can opt for falafel or falafel sandwiches
  • An Al Baik launch is often punctuated by long queues
    An Al Baik launch is often punctuated by long queues
  • Al Baik’s famous red, yellow and white logo is a bird in a top hat
    Al Baik’s famous red, yellow and white logo is a bird in a top hat
  • The top hat also makes an appearance in the Al Wahda outlet's decor
    The top hat also makes an appearance in the Al Wahda outlet's decor
  • Customers at the Abu Dhabi branch can scan the menu via a QR code
    Customers at the Abu Dhabi branch can scan the menu via a QR code
  • The counters are manned at full capacity for the Abu Dhabi launch
    The counters are manned at full capacity for the Abu Dhabi launch
  • Al Baik is known for its chicken and putting smiles on faces
    Al Baik is known for its chicken and putting smiles on faces
  • The highly anticipated opening attracted scores of diners
    The highly anticipated opening attracted scores of diners

Al Baik was founded in Jeddah in 1974. But for 38 years, the brand only operated in the western province of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah.

Now, it has more than 120 locations across the kingdom, and in 2020, marked its first international foray with two branches in Bahrain.

Al Baik's appeal comes from the broasting method of preparation. Aside from the broasted chicken, the chain also serves the Big Baik sandwich, a chicken fillet breast in rectangular buns, with fillings such as coleslaw, pickles, cheese and spices.

match info

Maratha Arabians 138-2

C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15

Team Abu Dhabi 114-3

L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17

Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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