The World Cup apart, there are dozens of cultural occasions, leisure deliberate – after which there’s the meals.
Doha, Qatar – Folks wait patiently in lengthy queues in a barren, dusty space behind a metro station in Doha for a style of delectable fried hen from a widely known Saudi Arabian quick meals chain.
Within the run-up to the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Al Baik rolled in with 4 meals vans, organising store behind the Messila metro station within the capital.
The menu is restricted however the queues are serpentine. It takes 20 minutes to get to the counter the place you'll be able to place your order, and a further half-hour earlier than you will get your fingers on their well-known broasted hen and a facet of fries.
Broasted? That’s hen that has been well-seasoned in secret spices, rolled in batter after which pressure-fried, with the moisture properly locked in.
Although there's not a lot to select from, the purchasers are blissful, their pleasure solely constructing as they strategy the pick-up counters.
The environment is festive. Persons are singing songs and waving flags regardless of the presence of visitors wardens to take care of order and cones to make sure everybody stays in line. Safety guards encourage these ready to be affected person, telling them the meals will probably be value it.
What’s all of the fuss about?
There was nice anticipation since Al Baik posted movies displaying their meals vans leaving for Qatar forward of soccer’s largest worldwide occasion, which kicks off on Sunday.
Residents couldn't look ahead to the vans to reach, discover a appropriate parking spot – which is all the time a problem in Qatar – and open for enterprise.
Doubly keen have been those that had skilled the meals in Saudi Arabia, particularly through the Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages. The Umrah to Islam’s two holiest websites within the cities of Mecca and Medina might be undertaken at any time of the 12 months, the Hajj takes place as soon as yearly.
For others, who had by no means tasted Al Baik’s meals, however solely heard concerning the hype from buddies and colleagues, it was one thing new to savour and stay up for.
“I do not know what it tastes like however I noticed movies on TikTok displaying large crowds so I assumed it should be good,” Mohammad Subair, from India, tells Al Jazeera as he patiently waits for his flip to order.
There is just one merchandise on the menu: A hen nuggets meal. Subair’s spouse and younger son look on as he orders a mixture of spicy and plain meals from one of many six males working behind the quite a few counters.
Fried hen? Verify. What’s subsequent?
Mohammad waits by the barricades as his buddies gather their orders. He's a civil engineer from Sudan, however a soccer fan above all.
He has snapped up tickets for a number of matches, purchased the jerseys of his favorite gamers and attended the check occasion for the FIFA Fan Competition as he ticks off actions on his guidelines. Al Baik is one among them.
He's consuming this well-known hen for the second time, and has an necessary query for the meals firm: “Why did they've to attend till the World Cup to deliver it right here?”
The reply lies partly within the Gulf disaster that started in June 2017 when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt lower all diplomatic and commerce ties with Qatar and imposed an air, land and sea blockade. It lasted three-and-a-half years with the 4 international locations accusing Qatar of supporting “terrorism” and claiming it was too near Iran.
However the borders have now opened to permit Saudi residents to enter Qatar and be part of a match that the entire Arab world now desires to name its personal.
Arab world’s first World Cup
“This (Al Baik’s opening) an indication that this World Cup goes to be helpful for each nation within the Center East,” says Asad Shaikh, who works in IT assist for the match’s organising committee.
He has simply returned from Saudi Arabia after a fast journey to Mecca, the place he first tried Al Baik.
He’s blissful to report that the hen tastes the identical on each side of the border.
As he solutions a video name from his household in India, he pans the digital camera to indicate them the teams of women and men, large and small households cheerfully strolling away with baggage stuffed with hen.
Zayd Al-Jaber, who has been to the chain’s retailers in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, says the queues will not be going any time quickly.
“I've seen the craze for this hen all over the place. Even pilgrims going to Mecca and Medina make a visit to Al Baik part of their itinerary. It appears to be part of their pilgrimage.”
Coming again for seconds
Sara Abed, who's from Palestine however has lived in Qatar all her life, is right here along with her mom, aunt and cousins. After ending their second Al Baik meal in two days, the ladies keep on to talk concerning the World Cup and what it has delivered to Qatar’s residents moreover soccer motion.
“For households who will not be going to the matches, there are nonetheless so many leisure choices to select from,” says Sara’s aunt, Eeman, and the ladies nod in unison.
The one drawback, they are saying, is that Qatar has by no means handled crowds of this magnitude and that's the place it may go haywire for the organisers.
But, regardless of some apprehensions, the final temper amongst residents is one among delight, and a way of possession for an occasion they've helped put collectively ultimately.
The meals vans undoubtedly add to the leisure choices for residents, vacationers and soccer followers as Qatar will get all dressed up for the occasion.
Staff taking a break from their shift say that Al Baik will make its presence everlasting and convey the complete menu in two months. They anticipate the queues to solely get longer.
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