Saudi Arabia
Openings, awards and the people shaping the kingdom’s fast-moving restaurant scene, from Riyadh to Jeddah.
18 stories
Riyadh and Dubai Are Writing the Next Chapter of Middle Eastern Dining
Two cities are shaping the conversation around food in the Middle East — but they are doing it in very different ways.
Riyadh and Dubai Are Writing the Next Chapter of Middle Eastern Dining
Two cities are shaping the conversation around food in the Middle East — but they are doing it in very different ways.
Chipotle Enters Saudi Arabia as Riyadh’s Global Dining Map Expands
The American fast-casual chain opened its first restaurant in the kingdom in August, with Alshaya Group, at Sidra next to Granada Mall.
From Berenjak to Cipriani Dolci: The International Names Choosing Riyadh
London’s Persian grill has settled into VIA Riyadh, and Cipriani Dolci has brought a taste of Venice to the Diplomatic Quarter.
Riyadh’s New Dining Addresses: Nine Openings to Know
From Persian and Anatolian cooking to smash burgers and a skyline brasserie, nine restaurants that opened in the capital between January and September 2026.
Beyond Restaurant Openings: Saudi Arabia Invests in Culinary Skills
A 12-month Culinary Arts Commission programme, and a national selection on the road to the Bocuse d’Or final in Lyon.
Riyadh Season 2026 Opens on 21 October: What It Means for Restaurants
The seventh edition of the entertainment festival is scheduled to begin on 21 October and run for ten weeks. The announced programme says little about food, but last season’s numbers show how much dining sits inside it.
Inside Riyadh’s 2026 Restaurant Awards: Chotto Matte Takes the Spotlight
The Nikkei restaurant in KAFD was named Restaurant of the Year at the What’s On Saudi Arabia Awards, an editors’ pick, on a night that also honoured Liza, Table;To and chef Luca Rossi.
118 Million Orders in One Quarter: Inside Saudi Arabia’s Delivery Boom
The Transport General Authority counted more than 118 million delivery orders in the first quarter of 2026. The figure covers the delivery sector as a whole, not only restaurant food.
Gulf Restaurant Investment: Acquisitions, Expansion and a Changing Market
From Saudi franchise buyouts to a London portfolio worth at least £1 billion bought by an Abu Dhabi group, the past 18 months of Gulf restaurant dealmaking show where capital is heading and what it is paying for.
Why International Restaurant Brands Are Betting on Saudi Arabia
Visitor numbers, a growing food-service market and a deep bench of franchise partners help explain why Chipotle, Berenjak, Manna and others are opening in the kingdom.
The Franchise Pipeline Connecting London, Dubai and Riyadh
London restaurant brands now reach the Gulf through licences, franchises and local partners, and the route no longer runs in one direction: some arrived in Riyadh before Dubai.
Foodics Buys Norma AI as Restaurant Tech Bets on Data
The Riyadh-based restaurant software group has completed its purchase of Norma AI, the Greek analytics start-up whose natural-language tools are already used across more than 10,000 customer branches.
Cloud Kitchens, Virtual Brands and the Next Restaurant Operating Model
Delivery-only kitchens let Gulf operators add brands without adding dining rooms. The model is spreading, but commissions, discovery costs and new regulation show where its limits lie.
Najd Village, Riyadh: The Generous Table of Central Arabia
In floor-seated majlis rooms built to evoke a village, rice, meat, wheat and bread arrive on shared platters: jareesh, matazeez and kabsa among them.
Saudi Kabsa: One Dish, Many Regional Expressions
Najdi and Hijazi kabsa, compared by spice, protein and rice, with a lamb kabsa to cook at home.
Beyond Riyadh and Dubai: The Restaurants Shaping the Wider Gulf
Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Doha, Kuwait City and Oman are building dining reputations of their own, often around a heritage site, a museum, a hotel or a festival.
From Jeddah to Doha: Five Cities Beyond the Main Gulf Headlines
A city-by-city guide to where the Gulf’s newer dining stories are unfolding, from a Red Sea Nikkei kitchen to a pizzeria in Abu Dhabi’s fish-market quarter and a frankincense-scented festival in Salalah.