The Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al-Sheikh, has announced that the highly anticipated entrepreneurship program “Million Riyal Menu” will premiere on April 28th. The show, set to air on MBC Shahid and MBC1 with support from Riyadh Season, is designed to provide a high-stakes platform for aspiring food entrepreneurs to pitch their concepts to prominent investors and secure funding to launch their own restaurants.
Quick Facts
- Program: Saudi edition of “Million Pound Menu”
- Format: 24 contestants across 8 episodes
- Airs: Starting April 28th on MBC Shahid & MBC1
Blending Reality TV with Venture Capital for F&B
“Million Riyal Menu” adapts the successful global format of “Million Pound Menu” for a Saudi audience, creating a competitive environment that merges entertainment with business. Over eight episodes, 24 contestants will be challenged to present their unique restaurant ideas to a panel of leading investors from the Middle East’s food and beverage sector.
The program’s core objective is to identify promising culinary talent and viable business concepts, offering participants a direct path to transform their ideas into operational, successful brands within the Kingdom.
A Global Format with Local Ambition
The production is a significant local and international collaboration. It is being co-produced by Saudi-based BigHouse and IMP, in partnership with Sony Pictures Television. This joint effort underscores a strategic push to develop world-class content within Saudi Arabia, leveraging international expertise to elevate local productions.
First announced in January, the show positions itself as a premier platform for F&B entrepreneurship. It provides contestants not just with exposure but also with critical access to expert feedback and, ultimately, the capital needed to get their ventures off the ground.
About Million Riyal Menu
“Million Riyal Menu” is the official Saudi Arabian version of the internationally acclaimed TV format “Million Pound Menu.” The program functions as a competitive reality show focused on food entrepreneurship, where contestants present their restaurant concepts to a panel of industry investors. The ultimate goal is for participants to secure investment to turn their culinary ideas into tangible and successful restaurant businesses within the Kingdom.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
