Beyond the veil: Saudi Arabia's surprising love affair with Dunkin' Donuts and US culture

Malay Mail

09-05-2025

Despite its image of religious austerity, Saudi Arabia exhibits a deep and widespread affinity for American culture and brands, from fast food chains like Dunkin' Donuts to entertainment and
This strong cultural and commercial connection persists due to a long-standing strategic alliance built on oil and security, even amidst historical tensions and regional
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 economic diversification plan is further paving the way for increased American corporate presence, reinforcing the already significant US influence on daily life and consumer habits in the Kingdom.
RIYADH, May 10 — During his nine years living in Tennessee, Fahd, a Saudi national, found comfort and consistency at Dunkin' Donuts, where he placed the same order every day.
Now back in Riyadh, Fahd is doing something similar, highlighting Saudi Arabia's love affair with all things American that many find surprising.
'When I came here, thank God, the same café and same order were here too,' said the 31-year-old mechanical engineer, who did not want to give his family name.
'I started living the same lifestyle here as I did in America.'
Saudi Arabia, often known for its religious austerity, is home to Islam's holiest sites and welcomes millions of Muslim pilgrims every year.
It also has — as just one example — more than 600 branches of Dunkin' Donuts, serving roughly 250,000 of its 35 million population each day, according to the franchise.
Despite its image as a cloistered and traditional society, life in Saudi is awash in Western corporate influence, especially from American companies.
Buffalo Wild Wings, Chuck E. Cheese and Starbucks populate Riyadh's sprawl of office parks and shopping centres, while the capital's traffic-clogged streets heave with large American SUVs and pick-up trucks.
Saudis and foreigners sit at Dunkin coffee shop in Riyadh on May 1, 2025. — AFP pic
'Every neighbourhood'
The nations have shared a tight bond since King Abdulaziz bin Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, and US President Franklin Roosevelt shook hands on board a US cruiser in the Suez Canal during the final months of World War II.
In the ensuing decades, the United States has been at the forefront of providing military protection in return for privileged access to Saudi's colossal oil reserves.
The Saudi riyal is pegged to the US dollar, and American leaders have been regular guests, including Donald Trump, who arrives in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the first major overseas trip of his second term.
The relationship has faced rough patches — including the oil embargo in the 1970s, the September 11 attacks carried out by mostly Saudi hijackers, and the murder of US-based dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul in 2018.
But for many Saudis, the ties that bind — including a love of American food, cars and films — remain strong, even amid a regional boycott of US products linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
'The one thing we never disagree on is going to an American restaurant — especially Buffalo Wild Wings,' said Dalal Abdulaziz, 28, adding that chicken wings are among her favourite foods.
'You'll find American restaurants in every neighbourhood here. We eat it weekly, almost like Saudi food.'
Khaled Salman Al-Dosari agrees, saying it is hard to find a single street in Saudi Arabia without an American brand on offer.
'American companies' products have become an inseparable part of our day,' said the 21-year-old student in Riyadh.
Saudis have a meal at a branch of the US restaurant 'Buffalo Wild Wings' in Riyadh on May 1, 2025. — AFP pic
Just like home
While many American companies have been in Saudi Arabia for decades, its Vision 2030 agenda — the oil-rich country's massive economic diversification plan — has paved the way for even more foreign investment.
Live music and cinemas were banned until recent years, but MMA fights and US professional wrestling are now part of the entertainment landscape for Saudi consumers.
'I think many Americans would be surprised at the extent to which American brands are all over Saudi Arabia,' said Andrew Leber of the political science department at Tulane University.
Some observers see similarities in climate and architecture — dry, dusty Riyadh, with its wide concrete boulevards, evokes an Arab Dallas — and even in outlook.
'Texas is close to Riyadh in terms of climate,' said Fahd, the mechanical engineer.
'And its people are conservative like us.'
Meanwhile, the Saudi appetite for US products has benefits for the tens of thousands of Americans working in the kingdom, many in the oil industry.
'It always... reminds me of home and keeps that connection with the places that I've seen since I've been growing up,' said Joshua Dunning, a 36-year-old American business developer at a Saudi tech firm.
'It's always a nice reminder, seeing those places and products here in Saudi.' — AFP