Plates for Peace: Volume I: Flavors of Influence: Saudi Arabia’s Culinary Diplomacy Unveiled
About the Series: Plates for Peace explores the intersection of cuisine and diplomacy, where meals become messages and chefs become cultural envoys. This series highlights how nations use food not only as a symbol of hospitality but as a bridge for cross-cultural understanding, soft power, and reconciliation. It is a meditation on how a shared table can accomplish what treaties alone cannot: the cultivation of empathy, respect, and lasting connection.
Article | Plates for Peace
By: Nora Alzahid
In the realm of diplomacy, food often speaks louder than words. A shared meal can forge bonds, soften tensions, and open cultural doors that politics alone cannot. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has begun to recognize the strategic value of its rich and diverse culinary heritage, not just as a cultural artifact, but as a powerful instrument of soft power. From majlis hospitality to global food expos, the Kingdom is weaving its identity into every grain of rice and every cup of gahwa offered across borders.
More Than a Meal: The Philosophy of Saudi Hospitality
At the heart of Saudi culinary diplomacy lies the deeply rooted principle of karam (generosity) a value ingrained in the Bedouin tradition and still palpable in every majlis today. Offering guests food and coffee isn’t just tradition; it’s a declaration of peace, openness, and mutual respect. Saudi coffee, now listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, symbolizes not only hospitality but also the country’s commitment to preserving and sharing its cultural essence with the world.
By institutionalizing such rituals at embassies, cultural events, and high-level diplomatic gatherings, Saudi Arabia turns customary hospitality into a cultural signature, a ritual performance of goodwill and identity.
Echoes of the Desert: How Bedouin Hospitality Shaped Saudi Diplomacy
In Bedouin tradition, hospitality was not an option; it was a sacred duty etched into the rhythms of desert life. To welcome a traveler with food, water, and rest was to uphold one’s honor and humanity, even in times of scarcity. Guests were offered shelter and nourishment without question, protected by an unspoken covenant of generosity. For three days, no inquiries were made; only after comfort was ensured could conversation begin. Sharing a meal created a bond rooted in trust and respect. This ethos, born in the sands, lives on in Saudi Arabia’s approach to food and diplomacy today. Offering a plate remains an act of peace, reverence, and timeless connection.
Food as a Blessing: Reverence and Responsibility in Saudi Culture
In Saudi Arabia, food is far more than nourishment; it is a sacred trust, a divine blessing known as ni‘mah (النعمة) that carries deep spiritual and cultural meaning. Guided by Islamic teachings and generations of tradition, Saudis are raised to treat food with reverence, gratitude, and restraint. Meals begin with Bismillah and end with Alhamdulillah, grounding the act of eating in a cycle of remembrance and humility. Even the smallest crumbs are handled with care, as wasting food is considered a disregard for God’s generosity.
This profound cultural ethic has inspired national efforts to protect and extend the value of food beyond the table. One of the most impactful is Eta’am, the Saudi Food Bank, which collects surplus food from homes, hotels, and events and redistributes it to those in need. In doing so, Eta’am transforms excess into compassion and waste into dignity. It reflects a uniquely Saudi approach to social responsibility, where feeding others is not simply charitable but a form of moral leadership. In today’s interconnected world, this tradition sends a powerful message that peace, respect, and solidarity often begin with something as simple and sacred as sharing a meal.
Breaking Bread, Building Bonds: The Saudi Way
In Saudi Arabia, food is more than sustenance. It is a story, a gesture, and an invitation. Each dish carries the spirit of the land, and every table set is an open door. Through food, the Kingdom speaks a universal language of generosity, identity, and diplomacy.
At the heart of this tradition lies a cherished cultural value, captured in the phrase (العيش والملح), meaning bread and salt. While the expression is known across the Arab world, it holds a special place in Saudi life, where hospitality is not a ritual but a moral duty. Even the simplest shared meal is sacred, forging bonds that last beyond the moment.
To say “baynina ‘aysh wa milh” (بيننا عيش وملح) is to affirm a shared trust. It signals loyalty, respect, and a connection that endures. Whether in a desert majlis, a royal banquet, or a diplomatic event abroad, this spirit shapes the heart of Saudi culinary diplomacy.
Through every gathering, every offering, and every flavor, Saudi Arabia extends more than a taste of its culture. It offers warmth, welcome, and a place at the table for lasting connection.
Al-Wifadsh as People-to-People Diplomacy
Recently, the cherished Meccan tradition of al-wifadah (الوفادة) has seen a heartfelt revival, a custom where the people of Makkah open their homes and hearts to pilgrims, offering home-cooked meals not for praise, but for the joy of giving and the hope of divine reward. These moments, rooted in Islamic generosity and centuries of cultural grace, are more than acts of hospitality, they are quiet yet profound expressions of love, faith, and shared humanity. In each dish served to a stranger, there is a story told, a bridge built, and a value embodied. Through this simple yet sacred gesture, pilgrims don’t just taste Saudi cuisine, they experience the Kingdom’s spirit: warm, dignified, and deeply connected to something greater than itself. Traditions like al-wifadah remind us that diplomacy begins with the human heart, and sometimes, with a plate passed hand to hand.
Women, Food, and Public Diplomacy
For generations, women in Saudi Arabia have been the custodians of culinary tradition preserving, innovating, and passing down recipes that define regional identity and family heritage. Today, these women are stepping beyond the home and onto the global stage, emerging as powerful culinary ambassadors in the Kingdom’s broader public diplomacy efforts.
Renowned female chefs are blending tradition with innovation, crafting dishes that honor Saudi heritage while embracing global techniques and audiences. From launching restaurants and catering high-profile diplomatic events to curating Saudi menus at international pop-ups, these women are rewriting the narrative, not only about Saudi cuisine but about Saudi womanhood itself.
Their visibility in the global culinary space helps dismantle outdated stereotypes and introduces a more nuanced, authentic portrait of Saudi society, where women are not only cultural transmitters, but also entrepreneurs, storytellers, and agents of soft power.
In this context, culinary diplomacy becomes more than a cultural gesture, it becomes a platform for women’s empowerment, national pride, and foreign policy expression. Through every dish they serve abroad, these Saudi women are not only feeding curiosity but also forging connections, advancing diplomacy, and reshaping the Kingdom’s image from the inside out.
The Strategic Potential of Culinary Institutes
As the Kingdom aims to position itself as a cultural powerhouse under Vision 2030, there is growing momentum toward institutionalizing culinary diplomacy. The Saudi Culinary Arts Commission, established in 2020, plays a key role in codifying traditional recipes, promoting Saudi cuisine abroad, and training chefs to act as cultural emissaries. Through programs in culinary tourism, chef exchanges, and international collaborations, food becomes a national asset, a tool of economic, cultural, and diplomatic value.
From Kitchen to Embassy: The Future of Saudi Food Diplomacy
Imagine this: a Saudi embassy abroad hosts an open house where locals are invited to taste traditional dishes, sip freshly brewed Saudi coffee, and discover the stories behind every spice and grain. In an era marked by geopolitical complexity, such moments of cultural openness can forge powerful human connections. Plates for Peace, by its very nature, offers an apolitical bridge that transcends headlines and speaks directly to the heart.
Looking ahead, Saudi Arabia has the opportunity to elevate its culinary diplomacy to a more structured and strategic level. This could include the placement of culinary attachés or “gastrodiplomats” in key embassies worldwide, acting as cultural ambassadors through food. Collaborations with chefs across Asia, Africa, and Latin America could foster mutual exchange and enrich the Kingdom’s culinary narrative.
Historic cities like Jeddah, with its Red Sea seafood and cosmopolitan fusion; Makkah and Madinah, where pilgrimage cuisine and prophetic traditions converge; Riyadh, the Najdi heartland of dishes like jareesh and qursan; AlUla, a rising star of culinary tourism with deep Nabatean roots; and the southern regions of Najran and Abha, known for their ancient grains and tribal dishes, each serve as living testaments to Saudi Arabia’s rich and diverse food heritage. These cities are not only cultural anchors but also strategic platforms for gastrodiplomacy. They offer authentic, story-rich dishes that can be showcased on the global stage.
By securing a permanent presence at global food summits and cultural expos, Saudi Arabia can ensure that its cuisines and values remain at the forefront of international cultural dialogue. Through these efforts, the Kingdom’s culinary diplomacy can evolve from a series of symbolic gestures to a sustained global presence. It begins with one dish, one conversation, and one connection at a time.