Al Tazaj

Al Tazaj, also known as Taza in the United Arab Emirates, is a Saudi Arabian fast-casual restaurant brand specializing in flame-grilled chicken, fried chicken, meal combinations, side dishes, and beverages. The chain traces its origins to 1989, when it was founded by Abdul Rahman Fakieh in Mecca. It later established its headquarters in Jeddah and became associated with the broader Fakieh Group, whose interests include poultry production and related food businesses. The brand’s core proposition is built around freshly prepared chicken meals served in a quick-service format. Its signature grilled chicken is described as being prepared with a proprietary blend of sauces. The business has also emphasized vertically linked sourcing: chickens are supplied daily from Fakieh Poultry Farms, connecting the restaurant operation with the group’s poultry activities. This supply relationship supports the brand’s positioning around freshness, controlled sourcing, and standardized preparation. Al Tazaj developed primarily in the Saudi market and has been described as having approximately 100 Saudi branches. It also pursued franchising and international expansion. Publicly documented overseas markets have included Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, while outlets previously operated in Morocco, Kuwait, and Qatar. The available reference material identifies seven branches in Jordan and several UAE locations, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman. It also reports that all UAE branches had closed by 2025 following multiple food-safety violations, although the cited material does not provide a detailed regulatory chronology or identify the relevant authorities. Former operations in Casablanca, Kuwait, and Qatar are likewise reported as closed, without a verified explanation for each closure. Al Tazaj occupies a mass-market restaurant position between conventional fast food and casual dining. Its menu is centered on chicken rather than burgers or pizza, and its operating model relies on recognizable menu formats, standardized restaurant service, and expansion through franchising and investment in new markets. The brand has been mentioned in Arab business and marketing coverage, including an older Forbes Arabia-related ranking of Arab brands and reporting about product placement. However, reliable public information is limited concerning current ownership arrangements, store-level financial performance, leadership succession, exact present-day branch counts, and the status of all international operations. Those details are therefore not stated as established facts here.

Al Tazaj was founded in 1989 in Mecca by Abdul Rahman Fakieh. From its beginning, the business was organized around chicken meals prepared for restaurant customers, with flame-grilled chicken becoming its defining product. The brand subsequently developed into a Saudi fast-casual chain and established its headquarters in Jeddah. A distinctive feature of the business is its relationship with Fakieh Poultry Farms. Public descriptions state that Al Tazaj receives fresh chickens daily from the poultry operation and prepares them using a proprietary combination of sauces. This supply connection has allowed the brand to present freshness and sourcing control as part of its restaurant proposition, while also linking the chain to the wider Fakieh Group business ecosystem. The chain’s principal growth market has been Saudi Arabia. Public reference material places its domestic network at approximately 100 branches, although the exact current number and the dates to which that estimate applies are not established in the available material. The operating format combines quick service with grilled and fried chicken meals, accompaniments, and drinks. Its positioning is therefore distinct from both full-service Saudi restaurants and international burger-led fast-food chains. Al Tazaj also sought growth outside Saudi Arabia, using franchising and investment in new international markets. Documented overseas operations have included Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The reference material identifies seven Jordanian branches and UAE locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman. The brand has also previously operated in Casablanca, Kuwait, and Qatar, but those operations are described as closed. The reasons for the Morocco, Kuwait, and Qatar closures are not established by the supplied sources. The UAE business underwent a significant setback. The available reference material states that, by 2025, all UAE branches had closed after multiple food-safety violations. This is a regulatory and reputational development, but the available information does not provide enough detail to reconstruct the underlying inspections, penalties, appeals, or corporate response. It should therefore not be expanded beyond the reported closure and stated reason. The brand has appeared in regional business and marketing coverage. An older press release associated with Forbes Arabia described Al Tazaj as one of the leading Arab brands in a ranking of 40 brands, and an Asharq Al-Awsat interview discussed product placement involving the chain. These references indicate efforts to build regional brand recognition, but they do not establish current brand value, sales, or market share. A reported attempt to open an outlet in Orlando is also referenced in connection with the chain’s international ambitions; the supplied material does not establish whether that operation became a continuing business. Today, Al Tazaj remains identifiable as a Saudi chicken restaurant brand, although the public record supplied for this dossier is incomplete regarding its current store network, management, legal ownership, financial performance, and international status. The most supportable account is that it originated in Mecca, is headquartered in Jeddah, is associated with Fakieh Group, and built its identity around flame-grilled chicken and vertically connected poultry sourcing.

• 2025

  Reported closure of UAE branches

  [1]Al Tazajen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports that all UAE branches had closed by 2025 after multiple food-safety violations.

• 1989

  Founded in Mecca

  [1]Al Tazajen.wikipedia.org

  Abdul Rahman Fakieh founded Al Tazaj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, establishing the brand’s chicken-focused restaurant concept.

• Headquarters established in Jeddah

  [1]Al Tazajen.wikipedia.org

  The chain’s headquarters is identified as being in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

• International franchising and expansion

  [1]Al Tazajen.wikipedia.org

  Al Tazaj expanded beyond Saudi Arabia through franchising and investment in international markets, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

A mass-market Saudi fast-casual restaurant brand focused on flame-grilled and fried chicken, freshness-oriented sourcing, and standardized meal service.

• Main dish

  Flame-grilled chicken

  Flame-grilled chicken is Al Tazaj’s signature product category and the foundation of its identity. Public descriptions associate the preparation with a proprietary blend of sauces and with chickens supplied fresh each day from Fakieh Poultry Farms. It is served as a standalone portion or within standardized meal combinations.

• Main dish

  Fried chicken

  Fried chicken extends the brand’s chicken-focused menu beyond grilling and provides a familiar quick-service alternative. The supplied reference material identifies fried chicken as one of the chain’s principal food categories but does not provide a complete description of recipes, formats, or product launch dates.

• Quick-service meals

  Chicken meal combinations

  Chicken meal combinations package grilled or fried chicken with accompanying sides and beverages. These combinations support the chain’s fast-casual operating model by offering standardized, convenient meals for individual and group consumption.

• Accompaniments

  Side dishes

  Side dishes accompany the chain’s chicken-centered meals and broaden the menu beyond the principal protein. The available sources confirm the category but do not provide a reliable complete list of individual side items.

• Drinks

  Beverages

  Beverages are offered as part of the restaurant’s meal format, commonly alongside chicken and side-dish combinations. Specific beverage brands and product details are not established by the supplied sources.

• 2025

  Reported UAE food-safety violations and closures

  The supplied reference material states that all Al Tazaj branches in the United Arab Emirates had closed by 2025 following multiple food-safety violations. It does not provide sufficient detail about the violations, enforcement bodies, penalties, or the company’s response.

  Source

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• Product placement activity

  Saudi Arabia

  An Asharq Al-Awsat interview is referenced as discussing product placement involving Al Tazaj, indicating the brand used entertainment or media integration as part of its marketing activity.

  Source
• Forbes Arabia Arab-brand recognition

  Arab markets

  A preserved press release is referenced as placing Al Tazaj among the top 40 Arab brands in a Forbes Arabia-related ranking, contributing to regional brand visibility.

  Source

• 2025

  Closure of UAE restaurant networkOther

  Background

  The available reference material attributes the closure of the UAE branches to multiple food-safety violations.

  Action taken

  Al Tazaj’s UAE branches were reported as closed by 2025.

  Aftermath

  The closure removed the brand’s reported UAE presence, although the supplied material does not establish whether the exits were permanent corporate decisions, regulatory orders, or a combination of factors.

  Source

• Pursuit of franchising and international marketsStrategy

  Background

  After developing its Saudi restaurant network, Al Tazaj sought additional growth through franchising and investment outside its home market.

  Action taken

  The brand entered or attempted to enter markets including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Kuwait, Qatar, and reportedly the United States.

  Aftermath

  Jordan and the UAE became documented overseas markets, while the supplied material reports former operations in Morocco, Kuwait, and Qatar. It does not establish the outcome of the reported Orlando initiative.

  Source

• Al Tazaj expands its restaurant footprint beyond Saudi Arabia[1]Al Tazajen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The chain pursued international expansion through franchising and investment, with documented operations in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates and former outlets in several other markets.

1. 1Al Tazajen.wikipedia.org