Meet the Saudi chefs and food bloggers demystifying the kitchen for millions on social media during Ramadan

Hatoon Al-Toukhi, a Saudi chef specializing in Italian cuisine. (Supplied)
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Updated 17 April 2023
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Meet the Saudi chefs and food bloggers demystifying the kitchen for millions on social media during Ramadan

  • Saudi chefs take to social media during Ramadan to share easy, innovative recipes

RIYADH: Social media platforms are a go-to recipe finder for millions of people around the world, including Saudis looking for iftar and sahoor recipes.

Food bloggers have reported a surge in followers during Ramadan, encouraging them to create innovative, easy to cook recipes.

Alaa Alkhathlan has more than 100,000 subscribers on Instagram at @iberryki and over 600,000 on her YouTube channel at @Berry Kitchen where she spreads her passion for cooking and Saudi food.




Fig snack by Alaa Alkathlan @iberryki on instagram. (Supplied)

She said: “Being committed to the things you love makes you inspired. I enjoy creating delicious recipes and inspiring videos that are easy to follow. Anyone who wants to be a good cook must do it repeatedly until they succeed. Sooner or later, they will.”

Yahya Al-Jaber from Jeddah has racked up more than 27,000 followers on his Instagram account @yahya.aljaber.

He said: “I believe that the field of cooking is a beautiful and creative world in which you can navigate and be creative and different, each in its own way.

Watching one recipe can lead to another recipe idea, or one can find inspiration from a snapshot of the three- minute video clip.

Yahya Al-Jaber, Food blogger

“Watching one recipe can lead to another recipe idea, or one can find inspiration from a snapshot of the three-minute video clip. Inspiration is an important and highly effective factor in improving the quality of performance, development, and excellence.”

Al-Jaber grew up watching cooking programs on TV and then trying them out. At first, the results were not always successful, but through trial and error he found a way. During Ramadan, he creates content that is quick and simple to follow.

Afnan Al-Ghamdi has 2.9 million followers on Instagram at @afnan1993.




Fries with dip by Yahya Al-Jaber @yahya.aljaber on instagram. (Supplied)

One of her followers, Sara Ali, said: “She has the most easy and creative way of cooking. Her recipes are so simple yet unique. Every Ramadan it has turned into a ritual for me to constantly follow her and dig in for some new ideas for cooking.”

Fatimah Ahmed, from Jeddah said: “Most of the food bloggers share the food products they use to make the dishes. It gets so easy for us to follow and motivates us to try our hands at creating those recipes.

“They inspire and get us hooked to their pages especially during Ramadan when we are searching for easy and innovative recipes every day.”




Social media has given the opportunity to explain the recipes in the most methodical and quick way. (Supplied)

Ahmed’s favorite food bloggers to follow in Ramadan on Instagram are Wejdan Mohammad (Wejdan_mohammad_1), Hadeel Bokhari (hadeel.bokhari), and Mohammed Inani (Moe_inani).

Another food blogger, Ahmed Saeed, said: “I learn a lot from other food bloggers and chefs around the world. Social media has given the opportunity to explain the recipes in the most methodical and quick way, in turn making it simpler for understanding.”

He practices his recipes several times before presenting them to his followers.




Chef Jouhainah. (Supplied)

Saudi chef Haifa Alshammari, who is based in Al-Khafji, runs a catering business from home via Instagram at @delicious_kfj. With more than 5,500 followers, she said: “I used to watch cooking videos, then decided to make these dishes myself.”

She noted that social media was a useful tool to promote her business as customers could watch her meal preparations.

One of her most popular dishes is pasta with mushroom and chicken. Here is the recipe: Boil the macaroni. In another pot, add butter and chicken breast (cut into small pieces) and leave it on a low heat for seven to 10 minutes.




A dish by Chef Haifa Alshammari. (Supplied)

Add mushrooms, thinly sliced onions and zucchini, carrots, and bell peppers. Stir over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add sliced black olives, cooking cream, a pinch of black pepper, salt, a little Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. Then add the boiled pasta.

Hatoon Al-Toukhi is a Saudi chef with 15 years’ experience in Italian cuisine. Married into an Italian family, she learned how to cook authentic Italian food from her mother-in-law.

She runs workshops in Jeddah teaching Italian cuisine using recipes from her Instagram account.

Al-Toukhi said: “I try to offer something unique, having specialized in authentic Italian cuisine.”

She has more than 28,000 followers on Instagram at @hatoonaltoukhi which meant she had to constantly innovate to keep them engaged. “For influencers, Ramadan is our season, a time for innovation of recipes and videos. Through my accounts, I give alternatives to recipes, and I teach recipes that are easy to make.”

On the difference between being a chef on social media or in a restaurant, she said: “It’s different because I choose what I cook on social media. I choose the recipes. And I go authentic.”

For example, she pointed out that the Italian way to make fettuccine alfredo is quite different to the mainstream method. “Italians don’t use cream or add chicken to their pasta,” she explained. Here is her recipe done the Italian way:

For the pasta dough, use two cups of flour, four fresh eggs, and a pinch of salt. Mix the ingredients together and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the dough and shape it to the size of fettuccine in the pasta machine and sprinkle it with a little flour so that it does not stick together.

To make the sauce, use two tablespoons of butter, one cup of grated Parmesan cheese, two cloves of garlic, and one stick of rosemary. Melt the butter, add the garlic and rosemary, and fry them a little until the rosemary turns brown. Remove it from the butter so as not to burn it.

Boil the water, add salt, pasta, and let it boil for two minutes or until it floats on the surface of the water. Remove the pasta from the water and mix it with the butter, keeping aside the boiling water of the pasta to use in the sauce.

Add some salt to the pasta, half the amount of the Parmigiano, and some boiling water and stir the pasta, then add the rest of the cheese and water again until the consistency of the mixture becomes creamy.

Mom-of-three Jouhaina Alhoumaidan studied cooking in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is specialized in French cuisine. She is now working at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Malaysia and runs cooking tutorials on Instagram at @jouhainaalhoumaidan.

She started in 2017 by sharing healthy recipes from home. After that, she decided to study cooking to develop her skills. She believes a cook must follow specific rules when working at a restaurant such as delivering dishes for customers at a specific time and manner. “Working at restaurants is challenging.”

Working on social media was more flexible giving chefs the freedom to be creative, she said.

“I received so much support from people when I started. These people helped me gain more confidence through their trust in my skills. I felt the obligation to give back,” she added.

Alhoumaidan pointed out the need for chefs to continuously experiment with new flavors to improve their style of cooking and techniques.

 

 


KSA, Japan sign MoU to boost judicial ties

Updated 30 sec ago
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KSA, Japan sign MoU to boost judicial ties

  • Ministers discussed ways to strengthen judicial ties between the two countries
  • Walid Al-Samaani reviewed recent developments in Saudi Arabia’s judicial and legal sectors

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Justice Walid Al-Samaani met with his Japanese counterpart Keisuke Suzuki during an official visit to the East Asian country.

The ministers discussed ways to strengthen judicial ties between the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Al-Samaani reviewed recent developments in Saudi Arabia’s judicial and legal sectors, supported by King Salman and overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, particularly regarding specialized legislation aimed at ensuring prompt justice.

He highlighted key advancements, including promoting transparency through audio and video documentation of court sessions — both in-person and virtual — and the publication of judicial rulings.

He also emphasized efforts to activate the preventive justice system by documenting contracts as enforceable instruments, SPA reported.

On the sidelines, Al-Samaani and Suzuki signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in the judicial field, including the exchange of expertise and information, and collaboration in legislation, capacity building, and dispute resolution.


Shoura Council calls for metro systems in major Saudi cities

Updated 15 min 44 sec ago
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Shoura Council calls for metro systems in major Saudi cities

  • Council urged the Public Transport Authority to expand the training programs offered by the Saudi Logistics Academy
  • Council members also emphasized the importance of improving the standards used to evaluate the quality of shuttle transport services for pilgrims

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council has called for studies into developing metro systems in the Kingdom’s major cities, Asharq Al-Awsat has reported.

On Tuesday, the council urged the Public Transport Authority to expand the training programs offered by the Saudi Logistics Academy.

Council members also emphasized the importance of improving the standards used to evaluate the quality of shuttle transport services for pilgrims to ensure efficiency.

They stressed the need to increase the passenger capacity of the Kingdom’s railway network and to raise train speeds to match those of the Haramain High-Speed Railway, which spans the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and offers transport for pilgrims.

Riyadh’s metro network opened in December last year and became fully operational in January.

The Kingdom also has a passenger railway network connecting Riyadh with the Eastern Province and Northern Borders regions.

One of the country’s goals under Vision 2030 is to improve the public transport network with the aims of easing traffic congestion in cities and lowering carbon emissions.


Inaugural Middle East Fortune women’s summit brings together female leaders

Updated 43 min 29 sec ago
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Inaugural Middle East Fortune women’s summit brings together female leaders

  • Vision 2030 goals to increase female workforce participation in spotlight
  • Business, government, investment, tech, policy leaders represented

RIYADH: The first Fortune Most Powerful Women International summit in the Middle East convened in Riyadh this week.

The event brought together a global network of female leaders from business, government, investment, tech and policy sectors.

“As women, we often find ourselves needing to prove our capabilities more when it comes to our careers,” said Dr. Giovanna Carnevali, executive director of master planning at ROSHN Group.

“At the same time, we bring deep passion to our work and put our heart and soul into everything we do. I always say that what truly matters is letting your work speak for you.”

Speaking to Arab News during the event, Carnevali said her career in Saudi Arabia reflected the country’s transformation.

“The experiences I have had here are unique. Living and working in the Kingdom has been a continuous journey of growth, and I am truly grateful for what the country has offered me and to women more broadly,” she said.

From geopolitics and sustainability to artificial intelligence and banking, the forum’s sessions highlighted how Saudi Arabia — and its women — are reshaping the global conversation on leadership.

Lubna Olayan, chair of Saudi Awwal Bank, talked about how Vision 2030 had already surpassed its workforce target for women and called for greater ambitions.

“We need to set a new benchmark,” she told moderator Diane Brady. “In my company, we now have 36 percent women. When we started hiring women in 2001, there was just one.”

Olayan, the first Saudi woman to chair a bank and join a public board, said real progress depended on investment in leadership.

“We need to bring more women into decision-making roles. If the candidates are equal, I’ll back the woman — because we’re still behind,” she added.

Technology was another recurring topic. Prof. Lilac Al-Safadi, CEO of IKONIC Educational Holding, outlined Saudi Arabia’s position as an emerging AI powerhouse.

“The Kingdom has trained more than 60,000 AI professionals and launched the world’s first cognitive city — not just smart, but fully AI-integrated,” she said.

And Ellie Rubenstein, co-founder of Manna Tree and one of the first US food investors to enter the Saudi market, said demand in her sector was shifting fast: “Seven years ago, we were seen as a food security fund. Today, it’s about wellness. The consumers here — especially women — are driving that shift.”

She emphasized the importance of understanding what women wanted: “It’s not just about selling products. Brands need to speak to values — wellness, empowerment, sustainability. Women here are not just shaping their families. They’re shaping their country.”


Saudi FM receives phone call from North Macedonian counterpart

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud. (File/AFP)
Updated 21 May 2025
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Saudi FM receives phone call from North Macedonian counterpart

DUBAI: The Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Faisal bin Farhan recently received a phone call from his North Macedonian counterpart Timcho Mucunski, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The two officials discussed bilateral relations and issues of common interest.


Saudi minister inspects Hajj readiness in Jeddah

Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al-Jasser reviewed the transport and logistics sector’s readiness for the Hajj
Updated 21 May 2025
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Saudi minister inspects Hajj readiness in Jeddah

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al-Jasser reviewed the transport and logistics sector’s readiness for the Hajj season in Jeddah, following earlier inspections in Makkah, Madinah, and the holy sites.

At King Abdulaziz International Airport, he inspected the Hajj and Umrah Terminal Complex and Saudia airline operations, assessing preparations to handle more than 7,000 pilgrim flights and ensure smooth passenger flow.

He also visited the complex’s media center, which supports local and international press coverage by providing a coordinated workspace with essential resources, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Al-Jasser evaluated the center’s technical and staffing readiness and emphasized full media preparedness for the event.

He then toured Jeddah Islamic Port to inspect Saudi Ports Authority operations supporting pilgrims arriving by sea, the SPA reported.

He reviewed arrival and departure halls equipped with 100 passport counters, 300 luggage carts, a health center offering vaccinations and medical services, and specialized equipment for the elderly and those with medical needs.