Sunday 11 / October / 2026
Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara proudly announces the fifth edition of the Al Baleed Culinary Festival, a month-long celebration of gastronomy taking place throughout November 2026. Salalah’s leading gastronomy festival brings together culinary talent from MICHELIN-recognised venues, acclaimed international chefs and Omani culinary voices from across Minor Hotels in Oman. Supported by key sponsors including the Experience Oman, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Dhofar Municipality, and Amouage; the programme spans seven signature dinner dates, artisan pastry experiences and collaborations between visiting chefs, resort talent and sister properties, creating a journey that moves from global technique to the flavours and traditions of Oman.
At the heart of the 2026 edition are two distinctive culinary names. Chef Osman Sezener, founder and Executive Chef of OD Urla in İzmir, arrives in Salalah from a restaurant awarded both a MICHELIN Star and a MICHELIN Green Star. He is joined by Frankie Wong, winner of the MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award 2025, whose cuisine blends French technique with Japanese and Hong Kong influences. The wider line-up reflects a broader collaboration across the MINOR Hotels group, bringing together culinary talent from sister properties in Oman and beyond. Joining the festival are Chef Marco Van Rutten, Executive Chef of Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam; Chef Mohamed Al Balushi of Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort; Chef Reem Al Rahbi from Tivoli La Vie Muscat; and Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara’s own Omani talents, Chef Ammar Al Harthi and Chef Khalood Abdullah Jamaan Khazana. The programme also welcomes acclaimed pastry artisan Chef Nouel Catis as a special returning guest.
Omani culinary heritage takes centre stage across two special evenings that also form part of the resort’s 10th Anniversary celebrations. On 7 November 2026, Chef Ammar Al Harthi and Chef Khalood Abdullah Jamaan Khazana from Anantara Salalah will present a four-hands traditional Omani dinner at Sakalan, rooted in the flavours, ingredients and cultural stories of Dhofar. The evening will feature live traditional Omani entertainment.
The international programme opens on 12 November 2026 with East Meets Elegance, a six-hands Asian fusion dinner at Mekong bringing together Frankie Wong, and Anantara Salalah’s own Chef Elvis Lai and Chef Raveevan Kahawan. The collaboration will explore the meeting point between French refinement and Asian culinary traditions through a menu created exclusively for the festival. On 13 November 2026, Frankie Wong returns to Mekong for a solo dinner that places his own culinary identity at centre stage. Both evenings will be complemented by live handpan performances, creating an atmospheric setting for the two-night showcase.
Returning following his participation in the 2025 edition, Chef Marco Van Rutten brings European refinement back to Salalah as Executive Chef of Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam, home to The White Room, a restaurant holding one MICHELIN Star. Recently crowned winner of the 2026 Minor Hotels Europe & Americas Chef Masters League, he brings award-winning creativity and signature culinary expertise to this year’s festival. On 19 November 2026, he will join Anantara Salalah’s executive chef Massimiliano Ascione for a four-hands fusion dinner at Mekong, followed by a solo dinner on 20 November 2026. The two evenings reflect the festival’s focus on collaboration across the Anantara family, pairing international experience with the culinary character of Dhofar.
Chef Osman Sezener takes the spotlight on 24 November 2026 with Soul of the Aegean at Mekong. Drawing on the philosophy of OD Urla, his restaurant in İzmir recognised with one MICHELIN Star and a MICHELIN Green Star, the evening will celebrate seasonality, sustainability, local producers and a refined farm-to-table approach. Sezener’s Aegean perspective adds another dimension to the festival’s dialogue between international culinary craftsmanship and the produce-led spirit of Oman.
The festival also welcomes back Chef Nouel Catis, the pastry visionary behind SNAAP and creative mastermind of the viral Dubai Chocolate sensation. Following the phenomenal success of his Anantara Khareef Chocolate collaboration, he returns to Salalah with his signature flair for innovation and bold flavour combinations. From 25 to 28 November 2026, Chef Nouel will present an exclusive Artisan Omani Pastry Stand at Al Mina, reimagining the Sultanate’s local ingredients and traditional flavours through contemporary pastry creations.
On 27 November 2026, Chef Mohamed Al Balushi of Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort and Chef Reem Al Rahbi of Tivoli La Vie Muscat will collaborate on their own four-hands celebration of Omani cuisine. The evening will feature live traditional Omani entertainment.
The 2026 programme places particular emphasis on collaboration across Minor Hotels in Oman, bringing together culinary voices from Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort and Tivoli La Vie Muscat. By pairing visiting international talent with chefs working across the Sultanate, the festival creates a platform for shared learning and creative exchange while keeping Omani identity at the centre of the guest experience.
Festival dinners are priced from OMR 25 to OMR 40 per person, excluding beverages, with full and half-board supplements available for in-house guests. Chef Nouel Catis’ artisan pastry experience is priced at OMR 15 per cake stand. Across the month, guests can choose between collaborative dinners, solo showcases, Omani cultural evenings and pastry-led experiences, allowing the festival to be enjoyed as individual events or as a broader culinary journey through November.
For reservations and more information, please contact Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara at +968 2322 8222 or visit the website at https://www.anantara.com/en/al-baleed-salalah/offers/al-baleed-culinary-festival-2026
