Last year, over 7 million Emirates passengers travelled to and from the GCC, Middle East and North Africa. Catering to its growing customer base in the region Emirates offers international travelers a taste of Arab cuisine inspired by the 18 cities that it serves in the GCC, Middle East and North Africa.
Over 100 regionally inspired dishes are served onboard Emirates flights across the world. Popular dishes like Chicken Machbous, Kibbeh bil Laban and an assortment of Arabic mezze regularly appear on menus. Dishes like Warak Enab have also been a mainstay with over 16,000 vine leaves being rolled each day for this popular Arabic starter.
On Emirates’ approach to providing the best dining experience at 40,000 feet, Joost Heymeijer, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Catering said: “We continually try to take high altitude dining to a whole new level, and tapping into the authenticity of the destinations we fly to is a top priority for us. For the Gulf, Middle East and North African regions, this means sourcing local ingredients like fresh bzar spice for Chicken Machbous, for a unique onboard experience that offers a taste of home.”
With over 2,700 Arabic speaking Cabin Crew in the Emirates team, the airline also ensures that there are native speakers on every flight. Traveling families are also treated to regionally-inspired toys, with the current “Fly with Me” range of kids’ giveaways featuring Leila the camel.
