Online food ordering in Saudi Arabia

One of the main issues that expatriates face in Saudi Arabia is the language. Almost all well educated Saudis are fluent English speakers however when it comes to visiting restaurants and ordering food, language can become a real barrier. At this article I am going to introduce 2 online food ordering services that are currently active in Saudi Arabia. With these online food ordering services one can see English restaurant menus and place an order to be delivered to home address (without the need to speak to the restaurant). The payment would need to be made as cash to the person who delivers the order.

http://www.6alabat.com is probably the most popular online food ordering service in Saudi Arabia. It’s active in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar. The orders can be placed either directly from their website or their iPhone or Android applications. I used to order frequently from their Android application which I think is easier to navigate than their website. 6alabat has agreement with 20-30 popular restaurants in Saudi Arabia including Arabic, international and some fast food restaurants.

http://saudi.otlob.com/home.aspx is an online food ordering service currently active in Riyadh and Jeddah. I tried to order from their website once but eventually the restaurant did not deliver.Otlob also has agreement with 20-30 popular restaurants in Saudi Arabia.

Authentic Saudi Arabia food

Living as an expatriate in Saudi Arabia for 2 years and having many business trips to Saudi Arabia provided me with a good exposure to Saudi Arabia food. Overall I must say I like it. Contemporary Saudi Arabia food scene is heavily influenced by Lebanese, Turkish cuisine and Western fast food chains.   Saudis like … Continue reading

Recommended places to taste Saudi Arabia food

Unfortunately authentic Saudi Arabia food is only prepared at homes and is very difficult to find outside. One exception is kabsa which is served commonly at many restaurants. In order to taste kabsa just visit a restaurant where people eat on the floor and order your kabsa. Another exception is a restaurant called Najd Village … Continue reading

Origins of Saudi Arabia food

The following factors have shaped the Saudi Arabia food scene that exists today: Nomadic Bedouin culture: Key ingredients of Saudi cuisine are meat, chicken, rice, grains and spices as one would expect from a culture with nomadic roots Old spice routes: Saudi Arabia has traded heavily with Asian countries such as India,Iran,  Sri Lanka, Pakistan … Continue reading

Saudi Arabia fast food

Fast food is very popular in Saudi Arabia, unfortunately so is the diabetes and obesity that comes with it. Poor man’s Saudi Arabia food is falafel which is commonly found at many restaurants and dedicated falafel outlets.  Falafel is a deep-fried ball made from ground chickpeas and fava beans. It’s vegetarian and in general it’s a … Continue reading