Michelin Guide for Saudi Arabia

As of the 2026 Michelin Guide, there are no restaurants in Saudi Arabia with a Michelin-star rating.[1]

The Michelin Guides have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. They were designed as a guide to tell drivers about eateries they recommended to visit and to subtly sponsor their tires, by encouraging drivers to use their cars more and therefore need to replace the tires as they wore out. Over time, the stars that were given out became more valuable.[2]

Multiple anonymous Michelin inspectors visit the restaurants several times. They rate the restaurants on five criteria: "quality of products", "mastery of flavor and cooking techniques", "the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience", "value for money", and "consistency between inspectors' visits".[2][3] Inspectors have at least ten years of expertise and create a list of popular restaurants supported by media reports, reviews, and diner popularity. If they reach a consensus, Michelin awards restaurants from one to three stars based on its evaluation methodology: one star means "high-quality cooking, worth a stop", two stars signify "excellent cooking, worth a detour", and three stars denote "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey".[4] The stars are not permanent and restaurants are constantly re-evaluated. If the criteria are not met, the restaurant will lose its stars.[2]

The first Michelin Guide for Saudi Arabia, issued as the 2026 list, debuted in December 2025.[1] While no restaurants were awarded stars, several received a Michelin Bib Gourmand or Recommended designation from the guide.[5][6][7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Just Unveiled: Saudi Arabia's First-Ever MICHELIN Guide Selection". Michelin Guide. Michelin Asia. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Buchwald, Elisabeth (10 February 2024). "Michelin Guide history: How did a tire company become an elite restaurant rating guide?". CNN. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  3. ↑ Duffy, Curtis (9 February 2024). "How Restaurants Get Michelin Stars: A Brief History of the Michelin Guide". Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  4. ↑ Dixon, Rachel (24 June 2008). "Q&A: Michelin stars". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  5. ↑ Birch, Kate (16 December 2025). "52 restaurants debut in Saudi Arabia's first Michelin Guide". Connecting Travel. JacobsMedia. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "Michelin Guide Saudi Arabia announces final wave of restaurants". Arab News Pakistan. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  7. ↑ Anwar, Shaheera (16 December 2025). "Saudi Arabia's MICHELIN restaurants and why you need to dine at them". Fact Magazines. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
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