Finding amazing restaurants in Saudi Arabia is about to get a whole lot easier.
Rabat – Michelin is expanding into the MENA region with the announcement of a new Saudi Arabia edition of its famous rankings in 2026.
The new guide will focus on major cities – Riyadh and Jeddah – but are also hoping to explore the Saudi cuisine further afield in cities like Khobar, AlUla and elsewhere.
The restaurants successfully selected for the inaugural Saudi guide will be unveiled toward the end of 2025.
According to Michelin, its inspectors “are already in the field” and working hard, “meticulously exploring the Kingdom’s vibrant culinary scene”.
These inspectors are anonymous to ensure the integrity of the service and follow strict guidelines when making their selections.
These categories include quality of ingredients, mastery of technique, personality of the chef in the cuisine, value for money, and consistency between visits all of which ensure an unbiased and extraordinary culinary experience.
Most commonly known for its star system, not all the restaurants in the new guide will have Michelin Stars, however, don’t let that dissuade you from trying them out. Michelin has been a renowned and trusted source of culinary advice for over a century.
MICHELIN stars are highly coveted and bring fame and glory to restaurants.
One star means “a very good restaurant in its category,” while two stars stands for “excellent cooking, worth a detour.”
On the other hand, three stars denote an exceptional gastronomic experience categorised as “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
The Michelin Guide is now one of the most prestigious culinary ranking systems in the world but it has humble roots, beginning its guide book journey in France in the 1900s.
Originally the Michelin tire company created the free guidebook to encourage motorists to travel the roads with advice on fuel stops, mechanics, maps and lodging in 1900. By 1920, they realised that people valued their advice and monetised their guidebooks as a separate branch of the company.
In 1931 the three star ranking system was introduced. Up until 1974, the guidebook only covered France, but it has come to include the world over. The 2000s brought global expansion of its star system but it wasn’t until 2006 that Michelin released its first countrywide guide outside of Europe.
Now in 2025, Michelin is continuing to expand its guide with the recent launch of guides for Austria and Québec as well as a regional recommendation for America’s Southern states and North Eastern cities.
