McDonald’s UAE has unveiled its 197th operating restaurant in the Emirates, located in Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai which is operated entirely by an all-female workforce. The milestone launch was made even more memorable as the restaurant is also partially solar powered, continuing McDonald’s UAE’s ongoing mission to have a greener future.
The new venue will serve up the nation’s favourite meals and McCafé offerings 24 hours a day through the seamless efforts of its female led team – a concept that is the first of its kind for the brand in the UAE. Playing a growing role in prioritising gender diversity within the QSR sector, the Umm Suqeim restaurant follows on from the launch of the McDonald’s UAE Women Leadership Network in 2020. The WLN is dedicated to supporting inhouse female team members.
Walid Fakih, CEO at McDonald’s UAE, commented on the launch, “Our people and our planet are at the heart of McDonald’s UAE operations, and the newest restaurant in Umm Suqeim brings innovation, sustainability and inclusivity all together. We take immense pride in empowering women and providing equal opportunities in every aspect of the business. The new restaurant forms part of our commitment to uplift our female talent, showcasing their drive and enthusiasm while also contributing to a greener planet.”
The all-female workforce is complemented by a partially solar paneled power source and electric car charging ports. McDonald’s UAE has long cemented its commitment to offsetting its carbon footprint over the years, as evidenced by the BioDiesel program which has been running since 2011, converting used cooking oil into BioDiesel for McDonald’s trucks.
The latest McDonald’s UAE venue is situated in Umm Suqeim, Dubai and promotes another first, as the branch has also introduced curbside ordering, allowing customers to place orders digitally from designated parking spaces for increased convenience. The restaurant is now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for orders, be it for customers placing these in person, via the McDonald’s UAE App, as well as the Drive Thru.
About McDonald’s UAE:
Operating in the nation since 1994, McDonald’s UAE caters to the local community across more than 190 restaurants, geographically located to service customers in many areas. McDonald’s UAE is committed through its food trust promise, to maintaining the high quality of the products it serves at each restaurant, and across its McCafé offering.
McDonald’s UAE prides itself on being a local member of the community and has been committed to its role as a responsible corporate citizen since its arrival to the nation. Following an active social responsibility agenda, it is a long-standing partner of Emirates Red Crescent supporting its charitable and humanitarian initiatives.
To further contribute to the wellbeing of the communities, creating wider environmental benefits, McDonald’ s UAE and Emirates Environmental Group work in tandem to spread green values and bring to life sustainable initiatives, reducing the nation’s carbon footprint. Driving this is the launch of its biodiesel initiative in July 2011, which sees 100% of McDonald’s UAE’s used cooking oil collected from restaurants and converted into 100% biodiesel, in turn powering the company’s logistics fleet. As a result, the trucks have traveled over 23.6 million km on 100% Biodiesel since the partnership began, saving over 25 million kg CO2e emissions.
