{"id":71062,"date":"2026-08-27T20:26:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T20:26:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/?p=71062"},"modified":"2026-08-27T20:26:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T20:26:29","slug":"alshaya-group-expands-chipotles-middle-east-presence-with-first-saudi-arabia-opening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/2026\/08\/27\/alshaya-group-expands-chipotles-middle-east-presence-with-first-saudi-arabia-opening\/","title":{"rendered":"Alshaya Group Expands Chipotle\u2019s Middle East Presence with First Saudi Arabia Opening"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Alshaya Group Expands Chipotle\u2019s Middle East Presence with First Saudi Arabia Opening<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Riyadh \u2013 KSA, 27 August 2026<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Alshaya Group, the leading international retail franchise operator in the region announced the official opening of the first Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) restaurant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">The launch marks a major milestone in Chipotle\u2019s continued expansion across the Middle East, bringing the brand\u2019s responsibly sourced, classically cooked real food to guests in Saudi Arabia\u00a0\u00a0for the first time.<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-71065 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f48902cee07159ffbdfaf8c35cb23169-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"901\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f48902cee07159ffbdfaf8c35cb23169-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f48902cee07159ffbdfaf8c35cb23169-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f48902cee07159ffbdfaf8c35cb23169-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f48902cee07159ffbdfaf8c35cb23169-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f48902cee07159ffbdfaf8c35cb23169-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f48902cee07159ffbdfaf8c35cb23169-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f48902cee07159ffbdfaf8c35cb23169-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f48902cee07159ffbdfaf8c35cb23169.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 901px) 100vw, 901px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Located at Sidra, a popular dining destination in the heart of the Kingdom\u2019s capital located next to Granada Mall, the first Chipotle restaurant in Saudi Arabia welcomes guests in Riyadh with the brand\u2019s signature menu of burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and salads, all made with real ingredients and prepared fresh in an open kitchen. Guests can personalise their meals with a choice of proteins, rice, beans, salsas, toppings, and Chipotle\u2019s famous guacamole, bringing the brand\u2019s distinctive made-to-order experience to Saudi Arabia for the first time.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Nate Lawton, Chief Business Development Officer at Chipotle, said: \u201cOpening our first restaurant in Saudi Arabia is an exciting step in Chipotle\u2019s international growth journey. Riyadh is a vibrant, fast-growing city with a dynamic dining scene, and we are proud to introduce guests here to our responsibly sourced, classically cooked real food. Together with Alshaya Group, we look forward to building a strong connection with Saudi guests and creating the same distinctive Chipotle experience that our fans around the world know and love.\u201d<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">John Hadden, CEO at Alshaya Group, said: \u201cWe are delighted to celebrate Chipotle\u2019s official arrival in Saudi Arabia with the opening of its first restaurant in Riyadh. This launch reflects our commitment to bringing world-leading brands and exceptional dining experiences to our customers across the region. We know there has been strong anticipation for Chipotle in KSA, and we are excited for guests to enjoy its fresh, flavourful, real-ingredient menu for the very first time.\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-71064 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9e87360dc7d1efbf0a77b076e5103b4f-300x168.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"901\" height=\"505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9e87360dc7d1efbf0a77b076e5103b4f-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9e87360dc7d1efbf0a77b076e5103b4f-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9e87360dc7d1efbf0a77b076e5103b4f-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9e87360dc7d1efbf0a77b076e5103b4f-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9e87360dc7d1efbf0a77b076e5103b4f-2048x1150.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9e87360dc7d1efbf0a77b076e5103b4f-696x391.jpg 696w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9e87360dc7d1efbf0a77b076e5103b4f-1068x600.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9e87360dc7d1efbf0a77b076e5103b4f-748x420.jpg 748w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 901px) 100vw, 901px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">The Saudi Arabia launch builds on Chipotle\u2019s growing presence in the region through its partnership with Alshaya Group. Since entering the Middle East in 2024, Chipotle now has 17 restaurants across the GCC, including seven each in the UAE and Kuwait, two in Qatar, and its first location in Saudi Arabia, bringing its distinctive fast-casual dining experience to more guests across the region. This momentum is set to continue in 2027, with Chipotle planning to launch in Bahrain and further expand in Saudi Arabia with a new location in Jeddah.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Chipotle\u2019s existing international portfolio of owned and operated restaurants includes locations across Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, as well as partner locations in the Middle East and Mexico. In North America, the Company continues to pursue significant long-term growth, supported by its commitment to responsibly sourced ingredients, culinary innovation, and digital convenience.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">ENDS<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>About Alshaya Group<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Alshaya Group is a dynamic family-owned business, first established in Kuwait in 1890. With a consistent record of growth and innovation, Alshaya Group is one of the world\u2019s leading brand franchise operators, offering an unparalleled choice of over 50 well-loved, international brands to customers.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Alshaya Group\u2019s portfolio extends across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), T\u00fcrkiye and Europe, with over 3,500 stores, cafes, restaurants, and leisure destinations, major logistics and food production operations, as well as over 125 online and digital businesses including one of the region\u2019s biggest retail loyalty programmes, Aura.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Operating in multiple sectors including Fashion, Food, Health &amp; Beauty, Pharmacy, and Hospitality &amp; Entertainment, over 50,000 Alshaya colleagues are united by a commitment to authentically deliver great customer service and brand experiences.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">From flagship stores and restaurants in prestige malls, through to local coffee shops, drive-thrus and online, Alshaya Group brings customers the experiences they want with the brands they love, in the ways they choose \u2013 including Starbucks, American Eagle, Foot Locker, Victoria\u2019s Secret, H&amp;M, Bath &amp; Body Works, Charlotte Tilbury,\u202fRaising Cane\u2019s, Shake Shack, Chipotle, Primark, and Ulta Beauty.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Learn more about Alshaya Group at\u202fhttps:\/\/www.alshaya.com\/<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>About Chipotle<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. There are over 4,200 restaurants as of June 30, 2026, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Middle East and it is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants in the United States, Canada and Europe.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">With nearly 140,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. For more information or to place an order online, visit\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.chipotle.com\/\">www.Chipotle.com<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alshaya Group Expands Chipotle\u2019s Middle East Presence with First Saudi Arabia Opening Riyadh \u2013 KSA, 27 August 2026\u00a0\u2014 Alshaya Group, the leading international retail franchise operator in the region announced the official opening of the first Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) restaurant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. The launch marks a major [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":71067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[29],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71062"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71062"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71069,"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71062\/revisions\/71069"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hashtagdubai.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}