Restaurant India News: Dubai Claims Its Place As The Global Food Capital As Homegrown Chefs Take Centre Stage At Dubai World Cuisine By Gulfood 2026

Dubai’s growing influence in global gastronomy will take centre stage at Dubai World Cuisine, the flagship culinary platform hosted within Dubai World Trade Centre from 26 to 30 January 2026 as part of Gulfood. The programme brings together more than 70 chefs from over 30 nationalities who are actively shaping the city’s food and beverage landscape, offering live cooking demonstrations, industry-facing discussions, and opportunities for commercial collaboration.

Dubai World Cuisine by Gulfood 2026 reflects the city’s shift from being recognised solely as a premium dining destination to becoming a global contributor to culinary trends and concepts. The platform features Michelin-starred chefs alongside homegrown talent, highlighting how Dubai’s multicultural environment has enabled the creation of original dining formats that blend global technique with local context.

The line-up places Dubai-based chefs such as Salam Dakkak, Hattem Mattar, and collectives like Ojina Jeju alongside internationally recognised figures including Nina Métayer, World’s Best Pastry Chef, and Antonio Bachour, one of the most prominent pastry chefs globally. Chefs who have developed their careers in Dubai, including Brando Moros of 11 Woodfire (1 Michelin Star), Daniel Birk of Row on 45 (2 Michelin Stars, 4 Toques), and Solemann Haddad of Moonrise (1 Michelin Star, 3 Toques), demonstrate how the city has become a platform for long-term culinary development rather than short-term concepts.

The participating chef roster reflects the depth and maturity of Dubai’s hospitality ecosystem. Across the programme are recipients of titles such as World’s Best Pastry Chef from World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Gault and Millau Pastry Chef of the Year, Best Female Chef from MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants, and chefs representing restaurants ranked among the top in MENA’s 50 Best. The line-up also includes chefs holding multiple Michelin Stars, Bib Gourmands, and Gault and Millau Toques.

Additional participants for the 2026 edition include Chris Malone of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (1 Michelin Star), Jesús Lobato of Smoked Room (1 Michelin Star), Saverio Sbaragli of Al Muntaha (1 Michelin Star, 4 Toques), and Tristin Farmer of Maison Dali, formerly associated with 3 Michelin Stars. The programme also incorporates chefs and cultural voices such as Grégoire Berger, Kyung Soo Moon, Chef Shaheen, and Dmitriy Vinokurov of Krasota Dubai, reflecting the growing overlap between fine dining, digital influence, and experiential formats.

The 2026 edition will feature seven Michelin-star chefs, 80 masterclasses, workshops, and live demonstrations, along with 10 curated panel discussions and debates. The content spans more than 30 cuisines and formats, covering fine dining, modern pastry, neighbourhood restaurants, coffee culture, mixology, zero-alcohol innovation, and cross-cultural cuisine.

Positioned within Gulfood, the world’s largest food and beverage trade event, Dubai World Cuisine places chefs directly into global industry conversations. The platform reinforces Dubai’s role not only as a hospitality hub but also as a city exporting culinary talent, ideas, and operational models to international markets. Gulfood 2026 will be held from 26 to 30 January across Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai.