Saudi women’s catering success attracts major hotel chains

Major Riyadh hotels are looking for female experts in the field of cooking to manage and supervise its kitchens and hospitality departments.
The decision to employ women in key catering departments came following the successful experiment of delegating the management of catering and hospitality to Saudi women.
Sarah Al-Muajil, Ghazeel, Hanan Al-Sbaie and Manal Al-Hassan, who have been successfully running catering establishments and specialize in catering for various occasions, have received offers from a number of hotels to run their hospitality sections.
Speaking to Al-Eqtisadiah, Manal Al-Hassan, CEO of a catering establishment, said major Riyadh hotels had approached them to cater for parties and hospitality, where they could provide traditional meals, as well as Chinese and Arabic cuisines.
She said several hotels and celebration halls in the capital city had already begun collaboration with them.
“The idea was conceived about six months ago and we focused on finding a single place that meets the demands of all clients. We have a problem reconciling various cuisines from different kitchens, since each restaurant specializes in certain dishes. For instance, many Saudi women are experts in making desserts, but not many can provide Arabic and Gulf cuisines. There are a few caterers for special occasions that have set high standards in choosing the menu in relation to quality and taste,” she said.
“Our starting point was high quality food, new and distinctive tastes and high class services. We began with five women and established restaurants and kitchens that specialized in party and special occasion celebrations,” she said, adding: “The reason behind this project is our knowledge of Saudi women’s preferences, for women are more apt to understand taste and demand.”
Manal said she only uses high quality ingredients and is vigilant of even the most minute of details. “We entered into this field because there is an insufficient number of Saudi women in the field. Most people involved in catering are expatriates and only offer commercial services. They don’t consider high quality ingredients or hygiene standards,” she said.
“We hope to open up a large female restaurant in Riyadh to meet the daily needs of women because we have a positive presence in this field. We are looking for Saudi women who are good at cooking and can compete with international chefs in coming up with all kinds of dishes,” she pointed out.
“The main idea is to attract Saudi women to work in catering, since many Saudi families request the services of women who have converted their homes into kitchens. These kitchens are no less competitive than restaurants when it comes to cleanliness, delivery and service, especially during official holidays,” she said.
These cooks observe taste patterns to satisfy consumer preference across the board by providing a variety of meals, and they have excelled in catering to the tastes of each province. Their expertise is not limited to traditional food, as they are equally competent at providing international cuisines and desserts.