Despite the vast range of culinary options in the UAE, there are a couple of conspicuous gaps: the paucity of street food and also the under-representation of Emirati cuisine. Both of these deficits will be addressed simultaneously by an entrepreneurial young Emirati in Abu Dhabi later this month.
Shaikha Al Kaabi established Meylas – the name means “a place that gathers people together” – in a high-tech food truck to spread her national food to a much wider audience at reasonable prices.
As she explained in The National yesterday, she believes there is a hunger for authentic Emirati food and culture, both of which are far richer and more complex than they appear.
“It’s not just hummus and tabbouleh,” she said. “People have the wrong idea.” Anything that pleases the palate while also bolstering local culture has to be a good thing, especially if it introduces a whole new audience to the best of Emirati cuisine.
