Dubai's Orfali Bros has been named the best restaurant in the Middle East and North Africa region for the third time in a row, at a ceremony held at Erth Hotel in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening.
The Michelin-starred restaurant, run by Syrian brothers Mohamad, Omar and Wassim Orfali, clinched the top spot at the 2025 Mena’s 50 Best Restaurants, which is organised by the 50 Best group.
“I don't know, honestly. I can't describe it. I am just so happy and proud … of my brothers and my team,” said Mohamed Orfali soon after the ceremony. “We're doing some renovations because the kitchen is becoming smaller and the team is getting bigger. From the beginning, when we first won, we promised people we're not going to change anything when it comes to our heart and soul. And this is still the case now. We might be doing all these changes, but we will stay true to who we are.”
Venues from Dubai also took the second and third spots, by way of two Michelin-starred Tresind Studio and ramen restaurant Kinoya. Commenting on the achievement, Tresind Studio's chef, Himanshu Saini, said: “We are proud to have our grounds in a region that celebrates cultural roots and has immense talent that pushes boundaries in every sense. This award is a testament to our team's hard work, creativity and passion.”
Khufu's in Egypt and Ossiano in Dubai make up the top five. Japanese-inspired restaurant 3 Fils, which topped the first Mena list in 2022, was placed at No 14 this year.
Nineteen of the restaurants on the list are in Dubai, including Michelin-starred Row on 45, Smoked Room and 11 Woodfire, while Abu Dhabi also has a strong showing with Niri, Marmellata Bakery and LPM.
Last year, there were 20 restaurants from the UAE among the top 50, a number that rose to 22 this year. Among the other countries listed, Egypt led with seven restaurants; Jordan had six; Saudi Arabia and Morocco had five; Lebanon and Bahrain had two restaurants each and Tunisia had one entry (see full list below).
New restaurants among the top 50 include: Niri and Marmellata Bakery both from Abu Dhabi; Smoked Room, TakaHisa and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal all from Dubai; La Grande Brasserie by Helene Darroze and Le Petit Cornichon both from Marrakesh; and Aseeb from Riyadh.
Among the special awards handed out, Table 3 in Casablanca, Morocco, won the One to Watch award; Carmen Rueda Hernandez of Dubai’s Brix dessert cafe won Mena's Best Pastry Chef; Bahrain’s Tala Bashmi was given the Chef's Choice award and Omar Shihab of Boca Dubai took home the Icon award – Boca was also the Sustainable Restaurant awardee.
Earlier this year, Ossiano at Atlantis The Palm in Dubai received the Art of Hospitality Award, which celebrates restaurants that provide exemplary service. UAE-based Yasmina Hayek of Em Sherif was named Mena's Best Female Chef.
How rankings work
The ranking is based on the recommendations of more than 250 voters, made up of anonymous restaurant experts, including chefs, restaurateurs and well-travelled gourmets from 19 countries across the region.
There is no set criteria for the votes, say the organisers, and “what constitutes best is up to each over to decide. Of course, the quality of food is going to be central, as is the service – but the style of both, the surroundings, atmosphere and indeed the price level are each more or less important for each different individual”.
Referring to the “challenging times in the region”, William Drew, director of content for Mena's 50 Best Restaurants, said: “50 Best is always aimed at bringing people together through food. We firmly believe that gastronomic cross-border collaboration and co-operation can lead to greater mutual cultural understanding.”
Mena’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025
- Orfali Bros, Dubai (best restaurant in the UAE)
- Tresind Studio, Dubai
- Kinoya, Dubai
- Khufu's, Giza (best restaurant in Egypt)
- Ossiano, Dubai
- Fusions by Tala, Manama (best restaurant in Bahrain)
- Jun's, Dubai
- Shams El Balad, Amman (best restaurant in Jordan)
- Em Sherif, Beirut (best restaurant in Lebanon)
- Moonrise, Dubai
- Fakhreldin, Amman
- Boca, Dubai
- Alee, Amman
- 3 Fils, Dubai
- Bait Maryam, Dubai
- Marble, Riyadh (best restaurant in Saudi Arabia)
- Row on 45, Dubai (highest climber)
- Dara Dining by Sara Aqel, Amman (highest new entry)
- Zuma, Dubai
- Sufra, Amman
- Zooba, Cairo
- La Grande Table Marocaine, Marrakesh (best restaurant in Morocco)
- LPM, Dubai
- Kazoku, Cairo
- Gaia, Dubai
- 21 Grams, Dubai
- Sachi, Cairo
- 11 Woodfire, Dubai
- Marmellata Bakery, Abu Dhabi
- Kuuru, Jedah
- Lunch Room, Riyadh
- Sesamo, Marrakesh
- Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Dubai
- Izakaya, Cairo
- Plus61, Marrakesh
- Bar in the Back, Amman
- Mimi Kakushi, Dubai
- LPM, Abu Dhabi
- Aseeb, Riyadh
- Sachi, Giza
- TakaHisa, Dubai
- Baron, Beirut
- Cut by Wolfgang Puck, Manama
- Le Golfe, Tunis (best restaurant in Tunisia)
- Smoked Room, Dubai
- Le Petit Cornichon, Marrakesh
- Reif Kushiyaki, Cairo
- La Grande Brasserie by Helene Darroze, Marrakesh
- Myazu, Riyadh
- Niri, Abu Dhabi
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
The National selections:
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pakistan Test squad
Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ant-Man and the Wasp
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Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
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Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
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Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)
Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.
Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.
Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.
Get your priorities right.
And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.
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5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
