McDonald’s scraps Big Macs at Soviet prices due to virus

The coronavirus death toll has risen to 170 as a confirmed case in Tibet means it has reached every region in mainland China. (AFP)
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Updated 31 January 2020
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McDonald’s scraps Big Macs at Soviet prices due to virus

  • Russian fast food celebration hampered as growing coronavirus fears limit mass gatherings

MOSCOW: McDonald’s planned to celebrate the arrival of the Big Mac in Russia 30 years ago by offering one of its most popular items virtually for free.

But on Thursday, the US company said it had canceled a celebration of the milestone in Moscow due to fear of the spread of the coronavirus.

“There’s nothing more important for us than the health of our guests and employees,” Marc Carena, general director of McDonald’s in Russia, said in a statement.

He pointed to measures taken by city officials to avoid mass gatherings that could provide fertile ground for the China virus.

Russia does not have any confirmed cases so far, but the Russian government has set up a task force to try and prevent it from taking hold in the country.

The coronavirus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has killed 170 people in China so far.

On Thursday the Russian government said it was closing its border with China and would stop issuing electronic visas to Chinese nationals.

McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in then-Soviet Russia on Jan. 31, 1990 in a move hailed as symbolic of a thaw between the Soviet Union and the West.

Huge crowds queued for hours outside the restaurant in central Moscow to try their first ever Big Mac.

McDonald’s had wanted to repeat the Soviet-era success by selling the Big Mac at its flagship Moscow restaurant at Soviet prices — 3 rubles ($0.05) a piece — and the campaign had been expected to draw a large number of customers.

The company has repeatedly come under pressure in Russia and had to temporarily close its flagship store over alleged hygiene violations following Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.


New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED

Updated 28 January 2026
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New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s New Murabba Development Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has issued a request for information to gauge the market for modular and offsite fit-out solutions for its flagship Mukaab development, MEED reported on Wednesday.

The RFI was released on Jan. 26, with submissions due by Feb. 11. NMDC has also scheduled a market engagement meeting during the first week of February to discuss potential solutions with prospective contractors.

Sources close to the project told MEED that NMDC is “seeking experienced suppliers and contractors to advise on the feasibility, constraints, and execution strategy for using non-load-bearing modular systems for the four corner towers framing the Mukaab structure.” The feedback gathered from these discussions will be incorporated into later design and procurement decisions.

The four towers — two residential (North and South) and two mixed-use (East and West) — are integral to the Mukaab’s architectural layout. Each tower is expected to rise approximately 375 meters and span over 80 stories. Key modular elements under consideration include bathroom pods, kitchen pods, dressing room modules, panelized steel partition systems, and other offsite-manufactured fit-out solutions.

Early works on the Mukaab were completed last year, with NMDC preparing to award the estimated $1 billion contract for the main raft works. This was highlighted in a presentation by NMDC’s chief project delivery officer on Sept. 9, 2025, during the Future Projects Forum in Riyadh.

Earlier this month, US-based Parsons Corp. was awarded a contract by NMDC to provide design and construction technical support. Parsons will act as the lead design consultant for infrastructure, delivering services covering public buildings, infrastructure, landscaping, and the public realm at New Murabba. The firm will also support the development of the project’s downtown experience, which spans 14 million sq. meters of residential, workplace, and entertainment space.

The Parsons contract follows NMDC’s October 2025 agreements with three other US-based engineering firms for design work across the development. New York-headquartered Kohn Pedersen Fox was appointed to lead early design for the first residential community, while Aecom and Jacobs were selected as lead design consultants for the Mukaab district.

In August 2025, NMDC signed a memorandum of understanding with Falcons Creative Group, another US-based firm, to develop the creative vision and immersive experiences for the Mukaab project. Meanwhile, Beijing-based China Harbour Engineering Co. completed the excavation works for the Mukaab, and UAE-headquartered HSSG Foundation Contracting executed the foundation works.