Media coverage: Abdul's BBQ

When 16-year-old Abdulla Al-Janahi discovered that he had an innate passion for cooking, he decided to channel all his energy towards improving his culinary skills- and that's what led him to eventually launch his own F&B brand, Abdul's BBQ (@abduls.bbq), which serves Texas-style smoked briskets. As for why briskets, well, Al-Janahi has a very personal reason for that. "I always wanted to cook something like brisket, which is well-cooked and tender, because I'm not a fan of rare, cooked meat!" Al-Janahi says. "Kids, in general, are not fans of bloody meat or steak!"

Al-Janahi thus launched Abdul's BBQ as a drive-through F&B concept in December 2022 -when he was just 15 years old- in Dubai’s Al Quoz area. Having carried out intensive research into the science behind the dish, Al-Janahi says he was thrilled by the cultural implications of him -an Emirati teenager- trying to master the art of an American style of cooking. "We all know that brisket is a Texas-style dish, but imagine a young Emirati kid cooking brisket of authentic quality- or maybe even better!" he says. "This gives a message to our young generation that if others can do it, then why shouldn't we? It also shows that the F&B landscape in the UAE is very dynamic and diversified in terms of a multicultural society, but I believe Abdul's BBQ stands out from the competition, because of its quality."

Indeed, a focus on quality has meant that Abdul's BBQ uses beef that has a marbling grade of seven and above, which means that particular beef cut will be comparatively more tender, packed with flavors, and juicier. "I'm proud to be the first in the industry here to serve this product,” Al-Janahi says. “My goal is to create the best crust that surrounds my brisket, and serve it with homemade sauces and sides."

As for the road ahead, the teenager now hopes to build on his business' momentum to eventually launch a food truck as well in the near future. "I can now see myself in a place I will be proud of, and make my family and supporters proud too," Al-Janahi says. "I want to own a restaurant that serves a product every weekend that makes you want to wait for it the entire week!"

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