With Saudi Arabia fast emerging as a true culinary destination, the announcement that Le Cordon Bleu will soon establish a culinary arts and hospitality school in Riyadh is being hailed as an opportunity for enterprising chefs in the Kingdom to elevate their craft to the highest levels.
The recently signed MoU between the Saudi Culinary Arts Commission and Le Cordon Bleu sets out the intent to establish a 2,000 m2 educational institute that will train students using Le Cordon Bleu's renowned curriculum.
Aimed at increasing the diversity and quality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's existing food scene, the new culinary arts school will provide enterprising Saudi chefs with an outlet to further develop their skills and build a truly exceptional sector in Saudi Arabia.
The partnership will also see the development of a curriculum of Saudi cuisine – the first of its kind – that will allow a range of exchange programs for culinary practitioners from around the world.
Saudi Arabia is already home to a thriving food scene – with thousands of independent restaurants and food trucks displaying both the creativity and entrepreneurship of Saudi chefs.
The agreement, a part of the Commission's mandate to develop Saudi talent and encourage those looking to professionalize their skills, is set to bolster this by equipping culinary entrepreneurs with the requisite skills to build on these foundations and grow their businesses.
Led by CEO Mayada Badr, the Culinary Arts Commission is working to elevate and diversify Saudi's culinary offering.
"Saudi chefs are already displaying incredible creativity with limited formal training. The foundation of this culinary school will allow them to hone their fundamental and classical skills; which, when deployed with their existing creativity, will create something truly special", Mayada Badr said.
André Cointreau, President of Le Cordon Bleu, said, "Saudi cuisine is fast establishing itself and the country is attracting attention from those looking to experience a new and exciting culinary landscape.
We are excited to be a part of the transformation currently underway in Saudi Arabia and through our shared values of combining traditional skills with innovation and creativity, we look forward to establishing a joint history with the Saudi culinary arts sector."
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's rich culinary heritage is founded in traditions from each of its 13 regions resulting in a truly diverse culinary landscape.
Today, food and culinary arts continue to be integral to Saudi culture and heritage, but this has, until recently, remained little known in the wider world. As a new generation of talent emerges in the Kingdom, combining traditional recipes and styles with skills learned in some of the world's best-known kitchens, this is rapidly changing.
