JEDDAH, 16 June 2006 — Indian cuisine is becoming increasingly popular across Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Gulf, according to a businesswoman who runs a chain of restaurants and fast-food outlets here.
“Indian food and snacks are gaining popularity by the day, as they are close to Arabic cuisine,” Abida Al-Hamdani, managing director of Al-Hamdani Group of Catering and Restaurants, told a press conference on the sidelines of the opening of a new Indian Xpress outlet at Tahlia Shopping Mall on Tahlia Street.
Indian Consul General Dr. Ausaf Sayeed opened the new outlet in the presence of invitees who included Anas Saleh Seirafi, architect and director general of Abnia Design Consultants, and Mohammed Baksh, a veteran local artist involved in film production and distribution, and Hussain Ali Al-Hamdani.
“This is the chain’s second outlet, following the success of the first one at Serafi Mega Mall, located at the intersection of Tahlia and Sitteen streets,” Abida said.
“Since Indian cuisine is very much favored by the citizens and expatriates alike, we plan to open the chain’s outlets in other prestigious shopping malls,” said Abida who runs independent restaurants, four of them Indian and one Italian.
“We offer popular dishes for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians,” Abida said.
