From Machboos To Legeimat, IKEA UAE Serves The Flavours Of Home

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) As families return from the summer break, Al-Futtaim IKEA is marking the season with a six-day menu inspired by the country's culinary traditions

Published: Thu 3 Sept 2026, 5:42 PM

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September often feels like a homecoming in the UAE. After the summer break, families return, familiar routines begin again and people find themselves catching up with those they may not have seen for several weeks. It is also a time when gathering around the table reclaims its place in everyday life.

This year, Al-Futtaim IKEA is tapping into that feeling with a limited-time Emirati menu available at all IKEA restaurants across the UAE from September 1 to 6. Presented under the theme“UAE is Home”, the menu brings together a selection of traditional dishes that reflect the country's culinary heritage while giving families and friends another reason to sit down, share a meal and reconnect after the summer.

For people who already know and love Emirati food, IKEA UAE offers the chance to return to familiar favourites. For those who may be less familiar with the cuisine, the menu provides an accessible introduction to dishes that are part of local food culture.

A menu made for sharing

At IKEA UAE, the experience can begin with an Emirati Breakfast for Two, priced at Dh39, which includes favourites such as freshly baked Emirati Chebab, traditional Emirati Dango, Foul Medames, Hummus and more.

Served as a spread intended for sharing, the breakfast reflects the wider idea behind the campaign. IKEA UAE is using food as another way to create moments around the table, whether that means a morning meal between two people or a longer catch-up with family and friends.

For those visiting IKEA restaurants later in the day, Lentil Soup, priced at Dh9, is available as a starter, followed by a range of lunch and dinner choices.

Among the mains is Vegetable Salona for Dh15, while Chicken Machboos and Chicken Thareed are both priced at Dh25. The IKEA UAE menu also includes Beef Salona and Foga Samak for Dh29 each, alongside Lamb Shank Mashwi for Dh49.

Guests can end their meal on a sweet note with freshly prepared Legeimat served with date syrup for Dh9.

The range gives visitors plenty of choice. Some may head straight for Machboos or Thareed, while others may use the opportunity to try something they have not ordered before. That mix of familiarity and discovery allows IKEA UAE to welcome both those who already know Emirati cuisine well and those experiencing some of its flavours for the first time.

Familiar dishes, shared experiences

The idea of sharing food sits naturally with“UAE is Home”, a theme centred on belonging, warmth and togetherness.

For people who have grown up with these dishes, names such as Machboos, Salona and Thareed may already be part of the everyday vocabulary of food. For others who have made the UAE their home, the menu offers another opportunity to become more familiar with the country's culinary traditions.

IKEA UAE is placing those experiences at the centre of the restaurant table. Rather than simply introducing a seasonal selection, the menu gives families and friends a reason to spend time together over dishes that reflect the Emirates.

That is particularly relevant as people return from their summer holidays. After weeks of travel and time away, a shared breakfast, lunch or dinner can become an easy way to catch up and settle back into familiar routines.

The initiative also reflects the role IKEA UAE wants its restaurants to play beyond being a place to stop during a store visit. For the six-day campaign, the table becomes a meeting point where people can return to a favourite dish, discover something new or simply spend time together over a meal.

Back around the table

At the heart of IKEA UAE's Emirati menu is a simple idea: food creates opportunities for people to come together.

That sense of connection runs through the“UAE is Home” campaign, from a breakfast designed for two to main courses and desserts that can be enjoyed with family and friends. IKEA UAE is using the limited-time menu to celebrate local culinary traditions while creating another reason for people to gather after the summer break.

Available at all IKEA restaurants across the UAE from September 1 to 6, the menu spans breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Whether diners return to a familiar favourite or discover a new dish, IKEA UAE is inviting them to do what sits at the heart of the campaign: come together around the table.

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