Saudi Arabia’s Pursuit of Michelin Stardom

Saudi Arabia has mounted an ambitious push to position its hospitality scene on the global gastronomic map, deploying state-backed agencies and courting blue‑chip chefs to remote destinations such as AlUla. The Royal Commission for AlUla (R.C.U.) and an intergovernmental agency, L’Agence Française pour le Développement d’AlUla (AFALULA), have helped bring Michelin‑awarded chefs including Jason Atherton, Hélène Darroze, Emmanuel Renaut, and Yannick Alléno to the oasis town, where the cumulative number of Michelin stars that have visited is about sixty‑five. The town’s dramatic development—complete with the Guinness World Record–holding Maraya concert hall and roughly one thousand private‑jet landings at AlUla International Airport in 2025—has turned AlUla into a destination for exclusive dining and arts events.

“Fusion, not con fusion,” said Clint Montano, head chef of Joontos, describing the Spanish‑Saudi menu he serves at what many consider AlUla’s best restaurant. Montano also acknowledged the role of the R.C.U.: “We are working for the R.C.U.”

The transformation of AlUla is tied to government-led cultural and tourism efforts. AFALULA, established in 2018 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (M.B.S.) and Emmanuel Macron, connects Saudi funding with mostly French contractors and has helped underwrite everything from high‑end restaurants serving camel and foie gras to major art exhibitions, such as Arduna, which opened with a Picasso loaned from the Centre Pompidou. Local operators and visiting restaurateurs describe logistical challenges—remote supply chains, staffing shortages, and frequent menu changes when deliveries from Riyadh or Jeddah are delayed—but also the privacy and prestige that draw ultra‑wealthy visitors. “Let’s be honest,” Montano said. “This is the new Monaco.”

Dining in AlUla can be showpiece and experiment in equal measure. At the Maraya Social restaurant operated by Jason Atherton, menus listed items such as a $175 tomahawk steak and Dover‑sole meunière, yet service limitations in the remote setting contributed to repeated shortages of key ingredients. Joontos, in contrast, has attracted high‑profile guests including Bill Gates and Kimbal Musk, and aims to blend local Saudi flavors—such as batata harra with black lime—with European techniques.

The broader Saudi dining landscape has evolved markedly since the country opened to nonreligious tourism in 2019 and launched Vision 2030 in 2016. Where once “about a dozen high‑end hotel restaurants” served major cities, the kingdom now fields an expanding roster of international names and domestic successes. Albaik, the broasted‑chicken chain founded in 1974, remains a cultural mainstay and the country’s most resonant restaurant success story; fast‑food staples like KFC are a visible presence in pilgrimage zones, with four outlets beside the Kaaba to serve millions during Hajj.

• High profile chefs on site: Jason Atherton, Hélène Darroze, Emmanuel Renaut, Yannick Alléno
• Local destination operators: Royal Commission for AlUla (R.C.U.), AFALULA
• Notable figures visiting AlUla: Bill Gates, Kimbal Musk
• Notable statistics: roughly sixty‑five Michelin stars present in AlUla over recent years; ~1,000 private jets landed in 2025

Outlook: The kingdom’s strategy marries heritage‑site development and high‑end hospitality to attract global elites and cultural institutions. That approach has generated headline‑grabbing collaborations and rapid infrastructure expansion, but restaurateurs continue to flag operational hurdles—supply chains, staffing, and remoteness—that could shape how sustainably the dining boom scales beyond exclusive enclaves like AlUla. As Saudi Arabia balances glossy culinary diplomacy with day‑to‑day service realities, the next phase will test whether its reinvention can move from spectacle to lasting restaurant culture across the country.