UAE Restaurants Are Fighting for Attention. Who Gets Seen?

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

This is the Morning Drive, we're talking food now, the UAE's F&B scene entering another busy period, Q4, last period of the year, and Global Food Week has just wrapped in the capital in Abu Dhabi, and the Michelin Guide, or the Michelin Guide, depending how you want to say it, has just unveiled its latest Dubai selection. 122 restaurants now featured, so what's happening beyond the awards, the big openings, and let's talk to someone who sees restaurants and food businesses on the ground. Ahmad Ali is the founder of Emirati Food Geeks, a food geek himself. Nice to see you.

Ahmad Ali (0:37)

Thank you so much for having me. Nice to see you too.

SPEAKER_1 (0:39)

You're very welcome. It's nice that we haven't seen you for months.

Ahmad Ali (0:42)

Yes, I disappeared eating food only.

SPEAKER_1 (0:46)

Yeah, well, that's hopefully going to help us today. Let's start with Global Food Week. It's just wrapped up. The latest Michelin Guide for Dubai is just announced.

In terms of food history in this country, where are we now?

Ahmad Ali (1:01)

I would say we are the capital of food in the Middle East.

I would say we're the capital of food of restaurants in the Middle East. You have the Gulf food happening in Abu Dhabi, just wrapped up. You have the Michelin Guide just wrapped up in Dubai. So that shows the trust in the UAE, not just Dubai, not just Abu Dhabi. The entire UAE, there is a trust after the geopolitical situations that happen. UAE is resilient and sovereign. They own the food industry, I would say, in the Middle East. All of these big international companies now are opening up in Dubai. Specifically, you see the Gulf week in Abu Dhabi. It was a big hit. All of the chefs, all of the restaurants were featured there, and it was a busy, busy week. It was packed.

Michelin, on the other hand, in the Atlantis, the Royal, you'll see all the homegrown restaurants winning a second Michelin star, their first Michelin star, like Orfali Bros. Just won their second Michelin star, I presume. They have one of the best burgers, not just in town, maybe in the world. Phil Rosenthal, the guy from Netflix, tried it and he said, I might be having one of the best burger, if not the best burger in the world.

So Dubai and Abu Dhabi are attracting a lot of international chefs to open their own homegrown restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

SPEAKER_1 (2:25)

Okay.

We all have our favorite restaurants. Yes. We all have our favorite dishes in those restaurants. I have a favorite restaurant here. I probably, no, I won't say where it is, but whenever I think about it, I start to salivate.

Ahmad Ali (2:40)

Yeah.

SPEAKER_1 (2:41)

And it's a particular chicken shawarma pizza, which should not be a thing.

Ahmad Ali (2:45)

Chicken shawarma pizza is a thing now.

SPEAKER_1 (2:47)

Well, I know it's become a thing.

Ahmad Ali (2:48)

It's becoming a trend.

SPEAKER_1 (2:49)

It kind of shouldn't be, because it's that fusion idea. Exactly. But this is a taste that works.

Ahmad Ali (2:55)

I mean, you have a chicken fajita pizza, so there's no harm in putting a shawarma in it with extra garlic.

SPEAKER_1 (3:02)

Stop. I know what you're doing at the moment. But we've got to this point here where, okay, if the man from Netflix is publicizing the fact that he's having a burger, it could be the best in the world. It tells you something about the quality of dining.

Let me just mention the Michelin Guide, because this is the thing that puts the spotlight really on the real fine dining, the high-end stuff, right? You spend a lot of time looking at local independent spots. So the Global Guide, is there a disconnect between what the Global Guide celebrates and what everyday residents actually eat for lunch and dinner?

Ahmad Ali (3:44)

See, after the geopolitical situation happened, things changed. People are looking now for comfort food.

They don't want to look for something very fancy food. Just give me my comfort food in a fine dining experience.

SPEAKER_1 (4:00)

People are also not spending as much.

Ahmad Ali (4:02)

Exactly, I was about to say, people are now, the clients or the customers are very smart now in how to spend their money. They go to restaurants where they think that it will satisfy their need. You want good food with good experience. Even though I go to some fine dining restaurants, it's still packed.

Not every fine dining restaurant now is packed.

SPEAKER_1 (4:24)

But we're saving those special occasion experiences with the high-end high-end.