So, now that the first Albaik drive-through location in the UAE is now open, a whole new area of Dubai is finding out what it’s like to have Saudi Arabia’s cult fried chicken phenom in their neighborhood.
One resident who lives near the newly-opened Albaik in Al Rashidiya, located at a popular petrol station in the affluent area, is already feeling the effects.
“So, Mashallah, I was wondering, what’s this traffic about? Why is there so much traffic by this petrol station? is it the end of the month? Are people rushing because of petrol prices? What’s going on?” wondered entrepreneur and founder of TBH and co-founder of Sdara Talib Hashim.
Clear in the background of Hashim’s viral video are cars as far as the eye can see, all queued up to get a taste of the beloved Saudi food.
Watch: Huge lines for Dubai’s newest Albaik
“We’ve never had this kind of traffic in Rashidiya, honestly, unless it’s rush hour to Sharjah,” Hashim continues.
Hashim then pans his camera to the reason that so many people are lining up for who knows how long: The glowing yellow and red sign of Albaik.
“Guess what’s the reason? Yep, the newly-opened Albaik restaurant, right here in Rashidiya,” says Hashim.
Hashim, of course, is of two minds about the situation.
“I wonder, should I be annoyed because I have to fall in this traffic every day from now on?” Hashim says at first, before realizing there’s a huge benefit to this new-found popularity.
“Or should I be happy that, because of Albaik, the value of our properties in Rashidiya are going to go up? Maybe!”
If you want to find it yourself, it’s at the Eppco petrol station in Al Rashidiya, which can be found here on Google Maps. This marks the eighth outlet to open in the UAE in the past two years, with more locations planned for the future.