Last Updated on October 16, 2022 by Jim Edwards
McDonald’s is one of the leading multinational fast-food chains in the world, with outlets in over 100 countries. Every day, McDonald’s serves around 69 million customers. Since McDonald’s is a food chain present in countries all around the globe, it caters to local tastes and preferences as well.
McDonald’s is extremely popular in Arab countries, where most people are Muslims. Islam does not permit the consumption of pork, which is why you won’t be able to find bacon in any McDonald’s burger in these regions.
To ensure that the menu caters to people’s preferences and provides great comfort food to all, McDonald’s offers great chicken and beef products that are both delicious and halal.
The lip-smacking and scrumptious McDonald’s McArabia is made of grilled chicken, crunchy and fresh vegetables, and a delectable garlic sauce inside a soft Arabic bread.
This chicken wrap is only most commonly available in Muslim-majority countries since it caters to people with a Halal diet. McArabia originated in Saudi Arabia (hence, it has Arabia in its name) and can be found at any of the 163 outlets in the country. It is most common to get McDonald’s in a mall whenever you are in Saudi Arabia.
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Contents
History of McArabia
The first McDonald’s in Saudi Arabia opened in 1993. It wasn’t initially very popular with the customers since they felt like it was a foreign brand. In 2002, McDonald’s faced a sharp decline in profits as Saudi Arabia banned American brands and restaurants and claimed that their ingredients were imported and did not support local vendors.
To combat these claims and appeal to local tastes, McDonald’s launched the McArabia in 2003. The McArabia was the first McDonald’s sandwich made with pita bread that was imported from England initially but was produced by local bakers later on.
The product became famous gradually, and in 2004, McDonald’s launched a Kofta version of McArabia.
What Is Inside a McArabia?
A McArabia is a delicious mix of flavors and textures and is unlike anything you might have tried in a McDonald’s in the USA.
The fascinating thing about this sandwich is that it comes wrapped in Arab bread instead of a regular bun. Inside the bread are two Halal grilled chicken patties that are juicy and wonderfully soft.
To add some much-needed crunch to the sandwich, the restaurant adds fresh tomatoes, onions, and lettuce which complement the succulent chicken brilliantly. The sandwich also has a flavorful garlic mayo sauce inside that adds a rich flavor.
The McArabia is perfect for a late night snack or whenever you are looking for a filling meal with friends. You can enjoy this fantastic chicken sandwich with your favorite soft drink or crispy and salty McDonald’s fries.
What Does a McArabia Taste Like?
McDonald’s McArabia has the local taste and flavors of the region. It has lots of spices in the soft chicken patty, which tastes incredible paired with crunch and fresh vegetables and the creamy mayo sauce.
The Arab flatbread that is used in the sandwich is much thicker and softer than American fast-food flatbreads. It is weighty and easily carries the two chicken patties without falling apart or getting soggy.
If you want to upgrade its taste and make it even more delicious, you can add some of your crispy McDonald’s fries to your McArabia for a mind-blowing flavor.
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Various Types of McArabia
McDonald’s is always trying to surprise its customers with new flavors and innovative creations. Since the original McArabia was launched in 2003, the restaurant has been providing customers with various versions of McArabia and testing whether they like it. To help you learn about all the versions of McArabia McDonald’s has launched up till now, we have curated the following list:
McArabia
The classic McArabia is available in Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Pakistan, the UAE, KSA, and Bahrain. It consists of two grilled chicken patties with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions topped with garlic sauce and wrapped in Arabic bread.
McArabia Grilled Kofta
Another famous version of McArabia was released to appease beef lovers who wanted a juicier and more flavorful version of McArabia. Instead of the original chicken patties, this sandwich consisted of two patties of grilled kofta with the same vegetables, sauce, and bread.
Unfortunately, it was discontinued in its early years but made a comeback in 2014 and 2022 as a limited-time menu item in Malaysia.
McArabia Crispy Chicken
Perfect for people who like an added crunch in their sandwich, the McArabia Crispy Chicken consisted of two crispy chicken patties instead of the original grilled chicken ones but had the same veggies and creamy garlic sauce.
McArabia Veggie
To cater to vegetarians, McDonald’s launched a veggie version of the classic McArabia, replacing the grilled chicken patties with plant-based patties. This sandwich was available around 2014 in Kuwait.
McArabia Saveur Tagine
This version of McArabia was only available in Morocco around 2009 and consisted of onions, cumin, coriander, grilled tomatoes, grilled peppers, and spicy basil sauce inside cumin bread.
Crispy Fish Foldover/McArabia
In Malaysia, McDonald’s markets its McArabia sandwiches as a Foldover. For a brief time in 2020, McDonald’s served a Crispy Fish Foldover in Malaysia that consisted of a large fried crispy fish filet, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and special spicy sauce inside soft pita bread.
McArabia Halloumi
The McArabia Halloumi is a popular breakfast item you can buy from McDonald’s that consists of grilled Halloumi cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and black olives inside pita bread. It is a filling and delicious breakfast menu item that goes well with McDonald’s coffee.
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The Complete Guide to McDonald’s International Menu
McArabia Nutritional Information
The nutritional information for one serving of McDonald’s McArabia Chicken (255 g) has been mentioned below:
| Calories | 553 kCal |
| Total Fats | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Proteins | 29 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.6 g |
| Cholesterol | 98 mg |
| Sodium | 1450 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugars | 4 g |
| Vitamin C | 5 mg |
| Iron | 3 mg |
| Calcium | 56 mg |
McArabia – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is in a McArabia?
A McArabia consists of fresh lettuce, onions, tomatoes, two grilled chicken patties, and garlic mayo sauce inside Arabic bread.
How many calories are there in a McArabia?
There are 554 calories in a single serving of McArabia.
Why was the McArabia made?
The McArabia was introduced in McDonald’s Saudi Arabia since the outlets were going into loss as people had banned American restaurants. To appeal to local preferences, McDonald’s launched the McArabia, a grilled chicken sandwich made with Arabic bread.
McDonald’s McArabia: True to Tradition
McArabia is one of the best things to enjoy with people you cherish most. Savor the new choices of the McArabia from McDonald’s, made with delicious Arabian flavors.
Summary
McArabia is a spectacular and famous item on the McDonald’s menu in Saudi Arabia. The grilled chicken patty consists of local spices that pair wonderfully with the garlic-tinged mayonnaise sauce and soft Arabic bread.
It is one of the most flavorful McDonald’s menu items in the world, and if you ever have the chance to try it, you should try pairing it with McDonald’s crispy fries.
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Image Credit
Robivy64 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
I’m Jim Edwards and I started this website to share my love of Junk Food. We cover new junk food, desserts, snack foods, fast food secret menus, candy (of course!) and other related news. We love trying “secret menus” at restaurants. And we love trying new products too. So, we are trying to have some fun with our hobby and share some useful information with you, our community. Please feel to send us your suggestions and feedback through the contact form. And if you have products you would like us to try, let us know…!