ALULA — Five young Saudi chefs, who have graduated from the prestigious Ferrandi Paris, have begun their career in culinary arts by joining one of the giant resort operating companies in AlUla. This would give them the opportunity to blend what they have learned from Ferrandi School, the internationally acclaimed culinary and hospitality management institution in France, with the special dishes of AlUla. They joined duty after their active participation in the second season of the Winter at Tantora Festival, specifically in the Awna Restaurant that created a series of dining experiences with the historic Hegra or Al-Hijr area, the first Saudi site to be registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. They offered an excellent culinary experience by providing a wide range of eastern and western dishes that they have mastered from Ferrandi School. The young chefs had participated in the opening of the Desert X AlUla, the first-ever contemporary art exhibition in Saudi Arabia. They also took part in the first Hegra Conference of Nobel Laureates 2020 held in AlUla last January, in which 18 Nobel Prize winners attended, in addition to a group of political and community leaders and intellectuals from 32 countries from around the world. The journey of AlUla students started after receiving their training from Ferrandi School as part of a training program in modern culinary education. Twenty-four young men and women from AlUla had been chosen for the training in the first phase of the culinary program and they participated in a specially designed four-month course. During this course they learned culinary arts at the hands of senior lecturers and experts from Ferrandi. The program was instrumental in creating innovative job opportunities based on personal and professional development initiatives. The new chefs shared the joy of their families on their professional accomplishment, and related how they were able to provide special meals for their families during the last Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr. They thanked the Royal Commission for AlUla for providing them this opportunity to participate in such a global program while enabling them to scale ladders of professional excellence in the field of cooking. Noura Najdi, one of the chefs, expressed her happiness over her ability to do cook daily for her family and serve a wide variety of dishes. She pins hope on obtaining higher qualifications in cooking during the coming years, making her a thorough professional in the field of culinary arts. As for chef Samar Al-Balawi, she talked about her journey with the culinary arts program and how she enjoyed learning to prepare new dishes. She saw in it a different culture, which broadens one's perceptions as a person and as a chef. "I enjoy the real pleasure when I sustain my passion along with my curiosity to learn more in the field of culinary arts. My present goal is to work and develop myself continuously, wishing to own and operate a successful restaurant in the future," Samar added.
