Riyadh’s Ramadan tents are a big draw

RIYADH: Hotels in the capital have made special arrangements by setting up Ramadan tents, where diners can visit to begin and break their fast with special suhoor and iftar meals during the ongoing fasting month.
As the Ramadan tent is a popular phenomenon in the Kingdom and other Arab countries, Arab News explored the special Ramadan delicacies available at these tents.
Muhammad Asghar Mubarak, a restaurant manager at Al Faisaliah Hotel, told Arab News that sharing Iftar at hotels is widely popular among Saudi families as well as expatriates, which encouraged the hotel to come up with a special Ramadan tent.
"The splendid Arabesque surroundings of Fawanees welcomes 1,500 to 1,600 guests daily to break the fast and relax in comfort and style," he said.
"With a feast for the senses at every turn, Fawanees at Al Faisaliah offers a spectacular setting for iftar, unrivaled personalized service and a range of gourmet cuisines that know no match in the city," he added.
"We are honored to have established a tradition that resonates with our Riyadh community as strongly as Fawanees does," Mubarak said.
With wonderful settings, extensive iftar and suhoor menus, prayer areas and children’s entertainment options, family and friends are guaranteed one of the finest Ramadan experience at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Moreover, the Ritz-Carlton has also come up with a Ramadan tent with various programs to attract guests daily.
"As the sun sets, the special tents in the ballrooms open up for guests to enjoy a memorable iftar," said Merhan El Massry, assistant media director at the Ritz-Carlton.
The buffet features a wide selection of traditional Saudi Arabian fare as well as Lebanese, Egyptian, Indian, Asian and global cuisine with a number of live cooking stations offering guests an exciting and festive ambiance.
People can also enjoy iftar with their families, relatives and friends and socialize with others at the Ramadan tents at Al-Nakheel Restaurant at Four Points Sheraton, the Marriott Hotel and the Inter-Continental.
The iftar menus created by these hotels’ celebrated chefs cater to every culinary taste and preference, and the diners can break their fasts with a wide range of Arabian, Asian and Mediterranean meals, juices, soups, desserts, chocolates and traditional dishes such as ouzi, chicken and beef shawarma, grilled meat, kunafa and katayef, as well as international culinary treats that include Japanese sushi.
Other choices include the finest traditional Arabian fare — lentil soup and a wide range of tagines, whole hammour fillet, Sayadia with onion and pine nuts, and Saudi Arabia’s celebrated lamb kabsa, jareesh, mataziz, gorssan and marqouq.
Live cooking stations have also been set up to offer the fresh and finest dishes, alongside a buffet selection.