Saudi Arabia Full- Service Restaurants Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Saudi Arabia Full- Service Restaurants Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Saudi Arabia's full-service restaurant market is expected to register a CAGR of 5.43% during the forecast period.

• Celebrity chef culture is everywhere these days. People are obsessed with big-name restaurants and world-class luxury dining; Saudi Arabia is no exception. Eating out and shopping are preferred choices for a large segment of the Saudi population. Full-service restaurants benefit enormously from this, especially as these outlets have become the preferred destination for families spending time together and holding social gatherings.
• The country’s consumers, including a high number of ex-pats and tourists, are leaning toward western-style casual dining, especially European and American cuisines. Consequently, US casual dining restaurants, such as TGI Fridays, Bloomin Brands Inc, Brinker International Inc., and Fuddruckers Restaurants, are very popular and located in all the major cities of Saudi Arabia. ​Independent full-service channels dominate the full-service restaurant segment, providing dine-in services with an extensive menu.​
• Chained consumer food service is also gaining popularity in Saudi Arabia due to numerous factors, such as loyalty and incentive schemes, promotions, outlet familiarity, cleanliness, and chains providing standardized offerings according to the highest standards of regulations.
• During Ramadan, to attract consumers, full-service restaurants, including Hyatt Regency Tent and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, compete with local restaurants to provide a better culinary experience. This initiative by the players in the market has increased sales growth during the festive season in the country.

• The high levels of disposable income prevailing among the Saudi population, coupled with the harsh climatic conditions in the country and the relatively limited range of other pastimes and leisure activities, make eating out and shopping the entertainment choice for a large segment of the Saudi population.
• The United States continues to hold a significant share of the Saudi Arabia chain full-service restaurants market, and it has maintained its dominance of the western style fine and casual dining market. The United States fine-dining restaurants, such as Chili’s, Applebee’s, Sizzler, and On The Boarder, are very popular and located in all major Saudi Arabian cities. Saudi families frequently visit these restaurants, and they are considered a form of entertainment.
• The full-service restaurants provide dine-in service and an extensive menu and are more expensive than fast food chains. The launch of such restaurants in Saudi Arabia evidences the popularity of American-style food outlets. Saudi Arabia is following other Gulf nations in embracing the gourmet culture, with chefs running restaurants in the Kingdom and many more making their entry with pop-up outlets and concept restaurants.
• Several options for upscale dining and premium food are already available in Saudi Arabia, including Asian fusion powerhouse Nozomi, Turkish meat haven Sultan’s Steakhouse, and landmark restaurant, The Globe. Thus, the rise in demand for gourmet dining experiences among the residents and the rising expat population in Saudi Arabia is acting as a market-driving factor for full-service restaurants in the country.

• With Saudi Arabia’s focus on expanding its tourism sector and a growing ex-pat community, there is a huge fine dining experience serving up phenomenal gastronomic experiences to consumers. According to the World Migration Report 2022 published by the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), Saudi Arabia has drawn a 13.5 million ex-pat population.
• From Mediterranean feasts to jeweled dishes from the Far East, the country has award-winning restaurants to curb all the culinary cravings of consumers under different demographics. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is moving toward becoming a world-class global tourism hub, backed by competitive advantages that attract international travelers looking for new experiences. Thus, this creates a massive opportunity for full-service restaurants in the country, as they provide fine culinary experiences with a good ambiance.
• The premiumization in the dining experiences resulted in an increasing number of global premium-chained full-service restaurants/pop-up restaurants in the country. For instance, in 2022, Coya, a renowned Peruvian restaurant, opened up in the Sulaimaniya district, Riyadh, following highly acclaimed pop-ups in Saudi Arabia. It is positioned as one of Coya’s biggest and most beautiful restaurants globally. The award-winning Peruvian restaurant promises to offer signature dishes and ambiance in one of the biggest Coya restaurants yet.
• Furthermore, The Entertainer is a mobile application that runs buy-one-get-one-free offers for restaurants, travel, leisure attractions, spas, gyms, and places of entertainment. It is very popular in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, where users can benefit from the selected restaurants on their application. Such evolving factors and the expansion of various global and regional players proactively drive the studied market.

The Saudi Arabia full-service restaurant market is fragmented with the presence of many domestic brands as well as international brands, where consumers have shown an inclination towards western-based food over the recent past. Al Faisaliah Group, Brinker International Inc, Dine Brands Global, Inc., TGI Fridays Inc., and Fuddruckers Restaurants are some major players operating in the market studied.

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
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