These Are 13 Must-try Heritage Dishes in Saudi Arabia

While most people conjure images of a desert when they think of Saudi Arabia, they may be surprised to know only 38 percent of the country is technically a desert. In fact, there are also oases throughout the Arabian Desert where giant date farms produce more than 1.61 million tons a year from over 34 million date palms. Needless to say, dates are a large part of Saudi cuisine.

In 2023, the Culinary Arts Commission (CAC) officially named the national dishes of Saudi Arabia. The first is jareesh, a grain-based stew, where crushed wheat is cooked slowly in a chicken or lamb broth, spiced with za’atar, garlic, and onion, and served with cooked lamb or chicken. The second national dish is magshoosh, a dessert that’s essentially a Saudi cookie made from whole grain flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and ghee — and topped with honey, dates molasses, or sugar.

Saudi cuisine has a wide range of styles, flavors, customs, and cultural nuances, as each of the nation’s 13 distinct regions (known as emirates) has its own flora, fauna, and landscape — and, in turn, unique produce and cuisine. Mayada Badr, the Culinary Arts Commission CEO, told Travel + Leisure the CAC has scoured each region and identified the heritage dishes that are emblematic in each one.

While these 13 dishes represent a historical heritage of Saudi cuisine, they are not all the country has to offer. Some of the most popular dishes include kabsa, a rice dish with meat and vegetables; mateez, flat Saudi dumplings served in a meat stew; madfoon, a meat and rice dish typically cooked underground; foul (pronounced fool), which is another stew made from fava beans; and of course, mutabbaq, Saudi street food that’s a rolled, fried pastry filled with meat, peppers, and a range of spices.

Muqana

The Al-Baha region in the southwest sits atop a 7,000-foot plateau and is known for muqana, a flatbread made from whole wheat flour and cooked over firewood.

Al-haneeth

In the mountainous Aseer, a large province south of Al-Baha bordering the Red Sea, the regional dish is al-haneeth, which has origins in Yemen. It’s a slow-roasted lamb flavored with cumin, turmeric, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon that is served over rice.

Al-maghsh

Jazan, in the southwest of Saudi Arabia, is a region famous for its tropical fruits. Here, al-maghsh is the regional dish. It’s a slow-cooked lamb stew made with tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, and sometimes okra. The dish is served with rice or bread.

Al-ruqsh

The regional dish of Najran is al-ruqsh, which is served in a hot pot that’s first layered with flatbread, covered in a meaty broth, and then topped with lamb.

Hassawi Rice

The Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, which, as the name suggests is the easternmost province in the country bordering Kuwait and Bahrain, is famous for its hassawi rice. It has distinctive red hues and is prepared with a variety of spices.

Al-mulayhiya

In the Northern Border Region, which is close to Iraq and Jordan. the regional dish is al-mulayhiya. It is made with lamb, dried yogurt, meat broth, pine nuts, and parsley. al-mulayhiya is served with torn flatbread and is similar to mansaf, a classic Jordanian Bedouin dish.

Al-bukayla

In Al-Jouf, which boasts a mild climate and farmable lands, a dessert called al-bukayla reigns supreme. The sweet treat is made by turning dates and flour into a paste and lacing it with ghee.

Al-sayadiah

Next to Al-Jouf is Tabouk where al-sayadiah is the regional dish — and its roots hail from Lebanon. The dish consists of sauteed rice, caramelized onions, tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric topped with white flaky fish.

Madini Rice

Al-Madina, the region that is home to the Islamic holy city of Medina, is famous for its madini rice. It features white rice and marinated lamb cooked with onions, cardamom, mastic, cinnamon, saffron, tomato, and ghee.

Saleeg

Makkah is home to the Islamic holy city of Mecca and the popular coastal city, Jeddah, which is known for its trendy restaurants. Here, the regional dish is saleeg, which is a creamy porridge-like rice that is topped with roasted or boiled chicken marinated with spices. The dish is typically prepared for special occasions.

Keubaibat Hail

In Hail, which is in the center of the country, the regional dish is a Greek-inspired dolma-like treat called keubaibat hail. Grape leaves are wrapped around a mixture of cooked rice, onions, and peppers, and then served in a pot with lamb.

Al-kleja

Also in the center of Saudi Arabia is Al-Qassim, which is famous for a sweet pastry filled with dates, sesame seeds, and spices called al-kleja.

Al-margaouq

In Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, the regional dish is al-margaouq. It’s a hearty stew made of meat, pasta, and vegetables.