Saudi Arabia’s food story just got a new kind of global recognition. IGCAT (the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) announced that Jeddah and Taif have been awarded the title World Region of Gastronomy 2027, after meeting criteria tied to sustainable regional development through gastronomy across economic, cultural, social, and environmental domains.
This is not a headline about “the best restaurants.” It is a global recognition of something deeper: a region using food as a driver for culture, community, and sustainable development.
What “World Region of Gastronomy” Really Recognizes
The World Region of Gastronomy Award celebrates regions that embrace culinary heritage as a tool for sustainable development, strengthening connections between food, the environment, hospitality, tourism, culture, and health.
IGCAT’s framework focuses on long-term impact. It highlights how regions:
- Protect and share distinctive food cultures,
- Support local economies and small producers,
- Build education and skills,
- Improve sustainability standards in tourism and food systems.
IGCAT notes that only one World Region of Gastronomy is selected each year, which raises the prestige of the title and encourages deep, sustained engagement.
Why Jeddah and Taif Are Presented as One Region
Jeddah and Taif are presented together because they tell one food story across two landscapes: sea and highlands. Jeddah, the Red Sea gateway, is shaped by trade and pilgrimage, giving it a cuisine known for seafood, spices, and urban hospitality. Taif adds the mountain harvest, its cooler climate and fertile valleys support roses, honey, fruits, dairy, and grains, creating a shared regional identity rooted in movement, seasonality, and generosity.
When IGCAT talks about a “shared gastronomic narrative,” it means the region’s food identity is richer when these places are connected: the sea’s diversity and the mountains’ harvest, global influence and local tradition, both held together by the same Saudi values of generosity, hospitality, and continuity.
How the Title Was Awarded
This title was not granted through popularity or branding alone. Jeddah and Taif received the designation following a field visit by an international jury of IGCAT experts, who met with local stakeholders and assessed commitment to holistic sustainable development standards linking gastronomy with culture, responsible tourism, and economic and social development. That process matters. It signals that IGCAT is looking for readiness and coordination, not just isolated excellence.
The Ecosystem Behind the Win
One of the clearest messages in the announcement is who was involved. The Culinary Arts Commission led a coalition with partners that include King Abdulaziz University, Dar Al-Hekma University, Jeddah Development Authority, and a range of local organizations and companies.
IGCAT’s jury met with over 90 stakeholders and pointed to the region’s “distinctive and complementary gastronomic landscape,” where maritime, mountain, and urban food culture comes together with a deeply rooted rural, agricultural, and heritage-based culinary identity. The jury also praised how Jeddah–Taif balances tradition and heritage with forward-looking innovation and creativity, and approved the region for the World Region of Gastronomy 2027 title. An award ceremony is expected to be scheduled later in the year.
Why This Matters for Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Story
IGCAT’s recognition highlights efforts to preserve culinary heritage, support local biodiversity, empower youth and entrepreneurs in the food sector, and promote sustainable environmental practices. These are not side benefits. They are the heart of what the title is meant to reward.
For Saudi Arabia, that has several cultural implications:
- Food becomes heritage in public view.
It is treated as identity, knowledge, and memory, not only consumption. - Skills and education gain weight.
Training, research, and culinary development become part of a national cultural ecosystem. - Tourism becomes more rooted.
Responsible tourism is tied to authenticity and regional identity, not a copied template. - Saudi regions gain a shared global table.
Membership means collaboration and exchange with other regions on the platform.
Building Continuity After Aseer’s 2024 Milestone
Jeddah–Taif’s recognition also lands in a larger Saudi story. Aseer held the World Region of Gastronomy 2024 title, and IGCAT described Aseer as the first region outside Europe to be officially awarded this distinction. Saudi Arabia is not appearing once on this stage. It is building presence, region by region, through sustained cultural work.
“Through this inclusion in the global platform, Jeddah and Taif will collaborate with their counterparts worldwide to promote sustainable food practices, support local food systems, advance food research and education, and establish gastronomy as an effective means of cultural exchange,”
– Mayada Badr, CEO of the Culinary Arts Commission.
The Road to 2027
2027 is the spotlight, but the real value is what gets built before it. IGCAT’s model pushes long-term planning, bringing stakeholders together to create programs and partnerships that strengthen food systems, skills, and responsible tourism beyond the title year.
Saudi cuisine has always carried stories of sea breezes and mountain harvests, of welcoming guests, of tradition adapted with care. This recognition does not change that truth. It simply gives it a new platform and a wider audience ready to listen.
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