Photographer: Kian Kanani 
Set Designer: Yehia Bedier 
Creative Producer: Beya Bou-Harb

One of the first things Mohamed Matar Al Koas Al Falasi does when he arrives on set for this issue’s cover shoot is go around and introduce himself to everyone in the room. Then, he immediately orders a big pistachio cake from a nearby Saddle location to share as a reward once we wrap for the day. It’s a move that both instantly endears him to a group of people meeting him for the first time and also underlines his character perfectly. 

It’s clear that this is someone who relishes creating a sense of community, no matter where he finds himself – bringing people together in the hopes of fostering happy memories is clearly something that gives him immense joy.

“I love food. I’m a foodie,” admits Mohamed later as he sits outside on Kite Beach, eating a meal while the sun sets over the Arabian Gulf. “I will travel for food, and I appreciate quality when it comes to the food I eat and coffee I drink.”

This is why, in 2017, Mohamed decided to launch his first Saddle Truck. He saw a gap in the F&B market for a place that would intentionally cater to specific regional tastes and traditions. A place where familiar staple drinks and food from around the world could be given a local twist, grounding them in his Emirati culture. 

So, he took a concept he had seen during his travels – friendly, convenient food trucks – and decided to elevate it. His aim was to create an establishment that had a casual and inviting atmosphere, but was executed at the highest levels in terms of design, products served, and the staff on hand. 

Mohamed recounts that his vision for Saddle was so strong that he had his very first food truck built from scratch in the UK and then had it flown to the UAE because he couldn’t find exactly what he wanted locally. He admits it wasn’t the most cost-effective way to start his business – even his financial team advised against it initially. “But I took the decision, and we made it in time to open during the season,” he says. “And here we are eight years later, with stores operating in four different countries and with 1,500 employees.”

Following his gut is something the founder strongly believes in. Another perfect example of this is his choice to open a second Saddle location within months of his first branch. “Usually, when you launch a business, you tend to wait a year to see how it performs, to evaluate it. But I was sure it would work,” he remembers.

And work it has. 

The Saddle brand has now expanded globally with 25 locations. Besides its branches in the UAE, it also has outposts in Saudi Arabia, the UK, and France, with the business model evolving into three distinct concepts. 

There’s the Saddle Truck, which counts 14 permanent locations and naturally lends itself to seasonal pop-ups around the UAE. Then, there is Saddle Cafe, which expands on the hospitality and comfort food experiences of the food trucks and takes it international with locations in London and Cannes. 

And in 2022, Mohamed debuted his first Saddle House, a restaurant concept that takes the winning strategy of those first food trucks and expands them even further, creating larger spaces where friends and family can linger longer together around a meal.

As we chat, Mohamed is often interrupted by people passing by who just want to say a quick hello. He greets each and every one with a broad smile that lights up his face and a warm word or two. No doubt it’s this graciousness and his easy, gregarious nature that have helped him win over sceptics when he decided to take his business international. 

Opening a Saddle Cafe in London and Cannes was no small feat, confesses Mohamed. “You know, I feel in Europe people see you differently than how people see you here. The culture is different,” he shares. “Whenever you go to any country, you need to learn their business ethics and the way they work. I need to respect it. But it was not easy, honestly.”

He recounts how, when he opened his Saddle Cafe in London, the owner of a nearby flower shop parked his big delivery van right in front of the location, making it difficult for Mohamed and his team to take a celebratory grand opening photo, and was loath to move it for them. But the founder took the route that seems to be the one he always prefers – the high road. Not long after, the flower shop was inundated with orders from well-wishers wanting to send bouquets to celebrate Saddle’s debut in the UK.

 “A week after we opened, he came over and apologised. He told me that thanks to the cafe, he had the highest sales in his entire life,” says Mohamed with a twinkle in his eye. “I think we teach them about our culture through the way we deal with them on a day-to-day basis. I treat them all with respect, even my competitors – they are my neighbours, and we in the UAE treat our neighbours with hospitality and kindness.” 

When Mohamed launched his Saddle Cafe in Cannes, he faced other unique challenges, including finding himself short-staffed less than a week after opening when six of the nine local employees decided not to show up. “So I ended up working as a barista, and my good friend stepped in to handle the front of house. This one woman who was working for me even convinced her daughter to call in sick at the bank where she worked to come and pitch in,” he recalls with a rueful smile. 

But even as he faced the natural bumps on the road that come with getting any new business off the ground, Mohamed remained positive. 

“We were like four people trying to serve 500 customers. But the thing I will never forget, honestly, was that the same day, I also received a call from HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who wanted to congratulate me on the opening. He said ‘Namoos’ to me, and it made my day.”

Speaking with Mohamed, it quickly becomes clear that he is naturally a very positive person. When he faces hurdles with his businesses, he approaches any issue with a calm understanding that this, too, shall pass. That no matter how bad a day might be, a good one is just around the corner. “This is life – we just need to stay positive,” he says. “I also like to be surrounded by positive people. So, this is what I consciously aim to do.” 

Mohamed credits much of his success to the team of people he has painstakingly built around him. He feels that any achievements he has made are thanks in no small part to the men and women who work hard alongside him and support his vision for Saddle. 

“It’s a team event, running a business. If you want to grow and be successful, you need to hire the right people, create a team that understands your vision and wants to help you make it come true,” he affirms.

When he is not hard at work running a global company, Mohamed’s other passion is travel. He is often globetrotting, learning about other cultures and discovering new vistas, new foods and new people. “I give myself a target every year to discover at least five countries and 10 cities,” he confesses. Next up are Australia and New Zealand and their surrounding islands.

It’s highly likely that Mohamed will spend a good portion of his time seeing the sights from the vantage point of a bicycle. An avid sportsman, cycling is his favourite way to stay fit. In fact, it’s on the back of a bike that he discovered the city of Miami, which will soon be the first outpost for Saddle in the United States. “I love to discover cities by cycling around. You just learn more when you bike than you ever do by walking or driving – and, on top of that, it’s great exercise,” he shares.

But Saddle isn’t Mohamed’s only F&B success story. As someone who likes to live a 360-degree healthy lifestyle, he wanted to also offer his loyal Saddle customers a more on-the-go alternative that focuses on that crucial afternoon snack time. Bite-sized, guilt-free food and healthy juices are the order of the day at Feels, a juice bar concept that Mohamed launched in 2020. 

Feels is focused not only on offering healthy and nutritious products to its customers, but also on building a community of like-minded people who enjoy giving back. The business has already launched initiatives to clean up beaches and help save endangered turtles. Not to mention that each Feels venue is designed with repurposed materials as well as 100 per cent biodegradable tableware and drinkware for customers.

At this point in his career, there is one other thing Mohamed is very intentional about, and that is to pay it forward. He is passionate about helping other up-and-coming regional entrepreneurs to realise their dreams. 

“I believe knowledge should always be shared. What you learn in life is not something you just keep for yourself,” he says. “If I had to learn the hard way on a project, I want to make sure I help those coming up behind me, so they can avoid those same issues.”

Between helping the rest of the world discover the warm hospitality of Emirati culture through Saddle and supporting others as they build their own businesses, Mohamed has proven himself to be a man on a mission.