SALT

SALT was started in Dubai in 2014 by the Emirati entrepreneur Amal Al Marri and her Saudi business partner Deem Al Bassam. It began as a food truck, a silver Airstream caravan, that moved from spot to spot and told its followers where to find it on social media under the hashtag #FindSalt. The idea is widely credited with changing the pop-up food scene in the UAE.

The truck settled on Kite Beach in Umm Suqeim, where the original site still runs with outdoor seating, and SALT grew into a chain with branches across the Emirates, in Saudi Arabia and in Qatar, alongside pop-ups at places such as the Museum of the Future and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. It belongs to The Independent Food Company. The name travelled far enough that in 2024 an unrelated burger shop in London opened under it, and the company had to state publicly that it was not theirs.

The menu has always been short. The core is sliders: small wagyu beef burgers on soft buns, a crispy chicken slider and one coated in Cheetos crumbs, with fries that come plain, fiery or dusted in Cheetos, soft-serve ice cream and shakes. The sliders are small, so an order is usually several of them rather than one big burger.

Branches across the UAE, plus Saudi Arabia and Qatar; the original truck still stands on Kite Beach in Dubai.

• Burgerizzr (Saudi Arabia, since 2009). The Riyadh burger chain that grew to 120 branches on chilled, never-frozen beef. Also built on chicken, beef and cheese.
• Herfy (Saudi Arabia, since 1981). Saudi Arabia’s home-grown burger chain since 1981, with its own bakeries and meat plant. Also built on beef and cheese.
• RocoMamas (South Africa). South Africa’s loud smashburger chain, with ribs, wings and a build-your-own menu. Also built on beef and cheese.
• Wimpy (South Africa, since 1934). An American burger bar named after Popeye’s hamburger-loving friend, now a South African institution. Also built on beef and cheese.