Dubai: Hundreds of UAE residents will be treated to free breakfast on March 9, 2015, when a giant restaurant chain celebrates its annual National Breakfast Day.

From 6am to 10am on Monday next week, each of the 73 participating McDonald’s outlets throughout the country will be serving up to 1,000 free Egg McMuffins on a first come, first served basis, the company said in a statement.

The National Breakfast Day campaign is running on its third year and seeks to promote the importance of having a "balanced" and “nourishing” meal every morning.

The restaurants in the UAE are among the more than 6,000 McDonald’s outlets in Asia, Middle East and Africa who will be celebrating the annual event.

Rafic Fakih, managing director and partner at McDonald’s UAE, said they’re anticipating huge crowds to visit their outlets on Monday, but they have mobilized the crew to handle the surge in customer numbers.

“We experience long queues throughout our annual National Breakfast Day at McDonald’s, however, we endeavor to remain prompt and efficient in our service,” Fakih told Gulf News.

No minimum spend is required for customers to avail themselves of the free meal. However, the Egg Mcmuffin does not come with a drink.

Fakih said breakfast is a very important meal of the day and it is important to highlight that message through their National Breakfast Day campaign.

“Breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel after an overnight fast, and nutritionists eagerly stress on breakfast being the most important meal of the day and strongly advise on having a balanced one,” he said.

“With this in mind, McDonald’s Emirates hosts the National Breakfast Day in recognition of the importance of breakfast, highlighting the value of a nourishing morning meal and serving a high-quality breakfast menu daily.”

McDonald's campaign is seen as a marketing stunt to further promote its brand. The company has recently seen its sales in various outlets slowing down, with its overall net income declining by 30 per cent, from $1.5 billion in the third quarter of 2013 to $1.07 billion in the same period last year.

McDonald's Emirates operates 128 restaurants in the UAE, with 64 of them in Dubai.