Fried chicken fans, get excited…

The long awaited Al Baik in Abu Dhabi is now open, as of Thursday December 29. Following successful openings in Dubai (there’s now Al Baik branches in The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates), Ajman and Sharjah, you can now tuck into the brand’s signature fried chicken, falafel and shrimp in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wahda Mall.

The first branch in the capital is the largest branch of Al Baik in the UAE, with 9,500 square feet of space dedicated to the capital fast food joint. So, might this be the first Al Baik in the UAE that won’t come with lengthy queues?

Why are we so crazy for Al Baik?

Al Baik first showed up in Dubai during Expo 2020 where it received a very warm welcome, before opening two permanent locations in two of Dubai’s most prominent malls. Dubai Mall opened first in the summer of 2021 followed by Mall of the Emirates, which opened its doors at the end of April. The first outpost in Ajman received a warm welcome when it opened on July 5 inside City Centre Ajman, swiftly followed by the opening of Al Baik’s first outpost at Sharjah’s Al Majaz Waterfront in August and another in City Centre Sharjah in October.

If you’re not familiar with the fried chicken favourite, the brand has operated in Saudi Arabia for almost 50 years, having first opened in Jeddah in 1974. It’s become the region’s most beloved fast-food brand and now has more than 100 branches across the Kingdom.