Gordon Ramsay’s culinary academy has officially opened its doors in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, becoming the first branch of the academy to operate outside the United Kingdom. The opening was confirmed on the academy’s official Instagram page this week.
Alkhaleej Training and Education Company signed a ten-year agreement with Gordon Ramsay Holdings International to establish and operate the Gordon Ramsay Culinary Academy in Saudi Arabia, granting Alkhaleej exclusive rights to open and manage academy branches in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.
The contract, valued at SAR 2.81 million, was disclosed on Tadawul, the Saudi stock exchange. Under the terms, the franchisor provides brand rights, operational standards, training, and compliance support.
The Riyadh location sits inside Narjis View Mall. The first Ramsay academy opened in Woking, Surrey, in 2021, with a second branch operating on the 58th floor of 22 Bishopsgate, a City of London skyscraper. Riyadh is now the third location worldwide, and the first outside Britain.
The programme includes diplomas and short courses in classic British cuisine and Asian dishes, along with specialised training in baking and pastry. Diploma courses are accredited by the Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH). The academy caters to all levels, from complete beginners to working kitchen professionals looking to formalise their skills.
The opening comes later than originally planned. When the deal was first announced in August 2025, the first academy was expected to launch before the end of that year. The confirmed opening this June puts the delay at roughly six months, though no official explanation has been given for the timeline shift.
A decade ago, few Saudis would set foot in a restaurant kitchen, as the Kingdom’s restaurants were largely staffed by foreign-born workers. That began to change with a post-Vision 2030 grassroots campaign that helped normalise Saudis taking up service sector jobs. The academy’s arrival feeds directly into that shift, offering structured professional pathways for a generation of Saudis entering the hospitality sector.
Beyond cooking instruction, students will gain training in kitchen management, hospitality operations, and marketing, with the aim of equipping them with both culinary and business skills.
The ten-year renewable agreement also covers future branches in Jeddah and Al Khobar. No opening dates for those locations have been announced yet, but the Riyadh launch will serve as the operational template for the rollout across the Kingdom.
