Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

Top chefs go head to head at Foodex Saudi

Top chefs go head to head at Foodex Saudi

Chefs from around the world have been feeling the heat this week as they battle it out in a live cookery contest at Foodex Saudi.
The event, titled “Salon Culinaire 2022,” is being held as part of the annual trade exhibition for the food and drinks industry at the Jeddah Center for Forums and Events, which opened on Monday.

The contest is being organized by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies and the Saudi Arabian Chef Association.

The competition started on Tuesday and is open to professionals and amateur chefs, small food business owners and creative housewives.

It will be judged by nine professional chefs from around the world, including WACS President Thomas Gugler, SACA President Yasser Jad and Fabrice Danniel, vice director of culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

Chef Jad is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and has more than 17 years’ experience in quality control and food safety management. He has been a Salon Culinaire judge since 2009 and said the competition provided a platform for Saudi chefs to present their skills to the world.

“A lot of Saudis got good jobs after showing off their talents here,” he told Arab News. “We take the chefs out of their comfort zone and make them challenge themselves in a competitive environment. It is an opportunity to show off their talents and prove they are good.”

While most of the competition is based on creating edible dishes, one element includes making artificial items using colored foam and rubber. There are also tests for fruit, butter and chocolate carving, as well as baking cakes.

Aisha Anani, who owns a Saudi dessert brand called “La Tartelette,” is taking part in the plated desserts category.

She told Arab News that she was passionate about making tarts and food decoration.

“I will be making tres leches cake, pavlova and fruit tart. We are asked to decorate the dishes in the most creative, appealing way we can.”

An award ceremony will be held on Thursday where the best performers in each category will be awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. There are also certificates for those who miss out on the podium.

Foodex Saudi presents the latest innovations in the food and beverage sector and this year features 300 brands from 18 countries. It aims to attract more brands to the Saudi market by targeting investors from all food sectors and trades.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×