Bin Eid Al Shaabi Restaurant: Nearly half a century of Emirati tradition in Dubai

Starting with modest resources and no prior experience, Al Marri turned a small shop on Naif Street into a landmark that has welcomed generations of citizens, residents and visitors. Over nearly five decades, the restaurant has expanded and contracted, but its owner’s commitment to authentic local taste and personal service has never wavered.

The Humble Beginnings

Before entering the food business, Al Marri worked for a Dubai government agency and tried buying and selling cars, but found that exhausting. In 1978, he owned a shop on Naif Street near the mall, in the Obaid Balawadh building. The property had been rented to a butcher’s shop called Nahash. When the tenant decided to close, Al Marri chose not to re-let the space. Despite limited experience and finances, he ventured into the food trade.

The early menu featured shawarma (meat and chicken), boiled eggs and fried foods. As returns improved, he reinvested profits into equipment and gradually expanded. When a shop became available in the Al Hamriya area, he opened a traditional restaurant there. That location closed due to urban development, but by then Al Marri had found his path.

He considers Bin Eid Al Shaabi to have been among Dubai’s first integrated traditional restaurants, offering a different approach to serving dishes and welcoming customers. The aim was not to compete with home cooking but to complement it, providing a familiar flavour that felt like a meal prepared at home.

An Emirati Identity Preserved

Throughout its history, the restaurant has drawn customers from across the UAE and abroad, including visitors from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and other Arab and international countries. Despite suggestions from Syrian and Iraqi patrons to add new dishes, Al Marri declined, preferring to preserve the restaurant’s authentic Emirati character. For him, serving diverse nationalities was an opportunity to introduce local cuisine, not a reason to abandon identity.

He also mentioned that a cousin had opened a similar restaurant in Saudi Arabia based on the same approach, though he stressed that business is independent and not a branch of Bin Eid Al Shaabi Restaurant.

Customer Relationships Beyond Transactions

Al Marri’s attachment to his customers goes beyond the plate. Traders and community figures from within the UAE and abroad visited regularly, helping spread the restaurant’s reputation, though he prefers not to name prominent guests. The restaurant also developed ties with sport: former and current players and administrators from Al Ahli Club, as well as Al Wasl Club, would visit after matches or order meals for celebrations.

But the relationships he values most are rooted in everyday trust. If a customer complained that food was too cold, too salty or insufficient, Al Marri would promptly send a replacement at his own expense, even if the customer had not asked. “We knew our customers and where they lived,” he said. “If someone complained about the food, we would go and offer them a replacement because we didn’t want them to go to sleep upset with us.” This philosophy reflects a personal responsibility for customer satisfaction built through familiarity and mutual understanding.

Adapting to Change, Holding to Values

Over the years, the restaurant expanded to five branches across Dubai. The coronavirus pandemic forced a reduction in branches, while the rise of food-ordering apps and delivery services transformed how customers reached the restaurant. Al Marri also participated twice at Global Village in Dubai with a mobile cafeteria called Zad Zone, which was well received. He said the initiative was driven more by a desire to take part in a global event than by profit.

Through expansion and contraction, he remains attached to the place where it all began, visiting the Naif market area most days of the week.

Al Marri believes social media is an influential way to introduce restaurants to the public, but he is wary of influencers and advertisers who give excessive praise that may not reflect reality. He warned that exaggerated advertising undermines fair competition and public trust. “I don’t look for cheap ingredients, but for quality, because it’s the basis of restaurant success,” he said. “Those who commit to quality, patience, and customer satisfaction will have a very high chance of success.”

His advice to young entrepreneurs is to have patience and not give up when difficulties arise. Success requires hard work, perseverance and maintaining high standards. Profit, he says, is not his primary concern; quality remains the foundation.

For Al Marri, the restaurant’s longevity is not measured by the number of branches, but by its ability to retain trust from one generation to the next. Nearly half a century on, that trust endures.