McDonald’s UAE Opens Its First Restaurant in Al Ruwais City in Abu Dhabi

Press release

Published February 19th, 2018 - 08:20 GMT

The opening of the new McDonald’s restaurants boosts the total number of McDonald’s outlets in the UAE to 164.

McDonald’s UAE is expanding its geographical reach and opened a new restaurant in Al Ruwais City, Western Area, Abu Dhabi, located near Al Ruwais Mall

The new two-storey, stand-alone restaurant in Al Ruwais City, Western Area, covers 2,000 square meters and is fully equipped with interactive technology systems such as self-ordering kiosks, a cutting-edge interior design as well as the famous playland for little ones. It will also have a party hall for birthday celebrations.

The expansion is in line with the 2018 plan to become more accessible to people in all areas across the Emirates.

Commenting on the opening, Walid Fakih, General Manager at McDonald’s UAE said: “We are delighted to open this new store in Al Ruwais City, Western Area. Here at McDonald’s we aim to offer our customers an extraordinary dining experience through world-class services and products and this state of the art new restaurant is testament to this. We are looking forward to giving Al Ruwais residents increased accessibility to our offerings and improving our customers’ culinary experience.”

The opening of the new McDonald’s restaurants boosts the total number of McDonald’s outlets in the UAE to 164, which is in line with McDonald’s global expansion strategy.

Background Information

McDonald’s

In 1917, 15-year-old Ray Kroc lied about his age to join the Red Cross as an ambulance driver, but the war ended before he completed his training. He then worked as a piano player, a paper cup salesman and a Multimixer salesman.

In 1954, he visited a restaurant in San Bernardino, California that had purchased several Multimixers. There he found a small but successful restaurant run by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald, and was stunned by the effectiveness of their operation. They produced a limited menu, concentrating on just a few items – burgers, fries and beverages – which allowed them to focus on quality and quick service.

They were looking for a new franchising agent and Kroc saw an opportunity. In 1955, he founded McDonald’s System, Inc., a predecessor of the McDonald’s Corporation, and six years later bought the exclusive rights to the McDonald’s name and operating system. By 1958, McDonald’s had sold its 100 millionth hamburger