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Saudi Arabia’s Next Iconic Brand? Maqloba’s Global Ambition with Abdulrhman Almobarak
In this episode, Ashish Tulsian talks to Abdulrhman Almobarak, founder and chairman of Maqloba, a Saudi QSR rice brand. Abdulrhman shares how he left a stable IT role to build Maqloba, why he refuses to rush into franchising, how the brand cracked basmati at scale, adapts to Gen Z, and its role in shaping Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 food future.
Abdulrhman Khalid Almobarak
CEO & Founder, Maqloba
Abdulrhman Khalid Almobarak is the CEO and Founder of Maqloba, a Saudi QSR rice brand redefining fast-casual dining. An electrical engineer with a Master’s in Engineering and Technology Management, he previously led communications at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and now also serves as an active angel investor and member of the Riyadh Chamber’s F&B Committee.
In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Abdulrhman Almobarak, founder and chairman of Maqloba, the Saudi brand reinventing rice for the QSR world.
Abdulrhman shares how an engineer working in a top hospital saw a simple gap: rice is the main dish in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, yet there was no global rice brand, and even locally, it wasn’t convenient to eat at work. That insight led to Maqloba’s signature “flip” box, turning a traditional rice dish into a modern, desk-friendly experience.
He talks about taking a bank loan, testing Maqloba while still employed, the queues outside his first store, and the moment he decided to quit and go all-in. Abdulrhman also explains why, despite having 12 successful company-owned outlets, he refuses to rush into franchising, given how difficult it is to standardize basmati rice.
The conversation delves into his leadership philosophy, sharing insights with early team members, adapting to Gen Z’s trend-driven behavior, managing phone addiction, and Maqloba’s role in Saudi Arabia’s evolving food scene under Vision 2030.