Intro
Getting served by an actual onboard chef who knows the cultural significance of every dish?
Saudia First Class takes Saudi culinary traditions seriously instead of serving generic Middle Eastern food with fancy presentations.
Their traditional banquet concept means everything arrives together – just like eating in a Saudi home.
Paris Departure
The Extime lounge at Charles de Gaulle caters to several Middle Eastern carriers, so it’s not exclusively Saudia territory.
The 663-square-metre space offers plenty of food options, but I decided to save my appetite for what promised to be an interesting onboard experience.
Wise decision, as it turned out.
First Impressions
Stepping into Saudia’s first class cabin was impressive – 24 private suites with sliding doors and 23-inch screens.
But what caught my attention immediately were the thoughtful welcome touches at my seat.
A small tray held macadamias, lokum (Turkish delight), and Cape gooseberries.
The lokum had that perfect chewy texture with delicate rose flavouring that good Turkish delight delivers.
The crew’s warm greeting included fresh fruit juices and hot towel service.
When the chef appeared to offer Arabic coffee, I knew this would be different from typical airline service.
The coffee was rich and aromatic, with cardamom, served in small cups as tradition dictates.
The amenity kit featured products from Sprekenhus, a Norwegian skincare brand.
The Onboard Chef
Having an actual chef onboard, rather than just cabin crew serving pre-prepared meals, made a real difference.
This guy knew his stuff and took genuine pride in explaining the three dining concepts available in first class.
Instead of just offering “Arabic food,” Saudia has created three distinct approaches:
Saudia Banquet follows traditional Saudi dining customs where everything arrives together, creating a communal-style feast in your private suite.
Contemporary Arabic takes classic dishes and gives them a modern presentation and technique.
Modern European cuisine caters to passengers who want familiar Western dishes.
The chef recommended the traditional Saudi Banquet, and his enthusiasm for showing off real Saudi food convinced me to try something completely new.
The Traditional Saudi Experience
About an hour after takeoff, the butler (yes, there’s a dedicated butler for first class) began setting up my table with ceremonial precision.
What arrived was unlike any airline meal I’d experienced.
The centrepiece was Codfish Sayadiah – a traditional Saudi rice dish where the fish and rice are cooked together, allowing the seafood to infuse the grains with deep, aromatic flavours.
The cod was flaky and perfectly cooked, while the rice underneath had absorbed all the rich fish juices and warming spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaves.
The traditional presentation meant everything arrived simultaneously: warm flatbread with tahini for dipping, genuinely fresh fattoush salad with crisp vegetables and tangy sumac dressing, and silky smooth parsley hummus with a bright, herbal finish that cut through the richness of the main course.
Cultural Details
The attention to sourcing impressed me. The olive oil comes from Al Jouf in Saudi Arabia, one of the region’s largest producers, with a distinctive peppery finish characteristic of high-quality Middle Eastern olive oil.
Even the butter was premium Beurre d’Isigny from Normandy – they weren’t cutting corners.
The traditional Saudi approach changes how airline meals work.
Instead of courses arriving separately, everything appears together, encouraging you to mix and combine flavours as you would in a traditional Saudi home.
It’s communal dining adapted for solo travel.
Sweet Finish
Choosing from five dessert options was tough, but the sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce delivered exactly what you’d hope for.
The cake was soft and sweet, while the butterscotch provided a rich contrast without being overly heavy.
I finished with fresh fruit and a “super green and ginger booster” smoothie that was refreshing without being too healthy-tasting.
Since Saudia is a dry airline, these creative non-alcoholic beverages become more important, and they’ve put effort into developing interesting options.
As the meal service concluded, the crew presented Patchi chocolates as a final touch.
Patchi is a luxury Lebanese chocolate brand that’s been around since 1974, and these were genuinely good quality rather than generic airline sweets.
Behind the Scenes
Spending time in the galley with the chef revealed how seriously Saudia takes its food programme.
He walked me through his plating techniques and explained how traditional Saudi recipes adapt to altitude and airline service constraints.
Watching him arrange those prawns showed genuine culinary pride rather than just reheating pre-made meals.
The chef’s role extends beyond plating – he’s genuinely knowledgeable about Saudi culinary traditions and can explain the cultural significance of dishes to curious passengers.
What Makes This Special
Saudia’s approach sets it apart from other Middle Eastern carriers, which often lean toward international cuisine to appeal to global passengers.
Saudia actually shows you real Saudi food and explains what it means, instead of playing it safe.
The traditional banquet concept works particularly well because it lets you eat as you would in Saudi Arabia – mixing different dishes, using bread to scoop up various items, and creating flavour combinations that wouldn’t occur in typical Western dining sequences.
Conclusion
Saudia has created something unique in first class dining by taking its cultural heritage seriously.
The authentic food makes it memorable beyond just fancy service.
If you want to learn about Saudi culture instead of just getting fancy service, Saudia delivers.
This flight was provided by Saudia for review purposes.
