MasterChef Arab (Saudi Arabia): Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Network | Saudi Channel One (القناة الأولى السعودية) |
| Produced with | Creative Edge Productions |
| Premiere | 17 February 2014 |
| Finale | 6 May 2014 |
| Format | Pan-Arab competition, filmed in Saudi Arabia |
| Initial Contestants | 100 amateur cooks from across the Arab world |
| Finalists | 20, narrowed down from a 2-episode “camp” selection round |
| Winner | Badr Al-Sheikh (Saudi Arabia) |
| Prize Money | 250,000 Saudi Riyals + a published cookbook |
| Head Judge | Chef Hafez Al-Qahwaji |
Who Won MasterChef Arab Season 1?
Badr Al-Sheikh, a 22-year-old Saudi student at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles, was crowned the winner of the first and only season of MasterChef Arab on 6 May 2014. He took home 250,000 Saudi Riyals, along with having his own recipe book published under his name.
Speaking after his win, Badr called it “a great honor” to be the first-ever MasterChef Arab, noting the title would change the course of his culinary career.
The competition began with a massive pool of 100 amateur Arab cooks, who were narrowed down through a two-episode “camp” selection phase to just 20 kitchen finalists. Throughout the season, contestants were judged on both Mystery Box Challenges (testing creativity with surprise ingredients) and Pressure Tests (testing speed and precision under time constraints).
Notable Season 1 Contestants
Besides winner Badr Al-Sheikh, the season featured a strong lineup of Saudi contestants, including:
- Dania Ajina — business management background
- Reem Hindi — fashion designer
- Alfat Faqih — homemaker
- Ikhlas Jibreen — trained in culinary arts
- Al-Anoud Al-Harbi — actress
- Noha Awad — homemaker
- Afnan Al-Jaadi — business management background
Don’t Confuse It With: Top Chef Arabia (MBC)
A common point of confusion is between MasterChef Arab (a single Saudi-produced season) and Top Chef – مش أي شيف (Top Chef Arabia), a separate, much longer-running pan-Arab cooking competition broadcast on MBC1, which has aired multiple successful seasons and is still often mistaken for a MasterChef edition because of its similar format and Saudi-based judge, Chef Mona Mosly.
Top Chef Arabia winners have included:
- Season 1: Ali Al-Ghazzawi
- Season 2: Mostafa Seif (Egypt)
- Season 4: Sama Jad (Saudi Arabia) — first female winner
- Season 6: Ayman Samhoud (Tunisia)
Top Chef Arabia’s prize has included cash rewards of up to 375,000 Saudi Riyals, along with a car and media features — notably larger than MasterChef Arab’s single-season prize.
MasterChef Arab Judges
- Chef Hafez Al-Qahwaji — head judge, restaurant owner and culinary educator with over 24 years of experience, trained across Paris, Saudi Arabia and India
FAQs
Did MasterChef Saudi Arabia have a Season 2? No — only one season of MasterChef Arab aired, in 2014. The Saudi-based cooking competition that continued with multiple seasons afterward is a different franchise called Top Chef Arabia.
Who won MasterChef Arab? Badr Al-Sheikh, a Saudi student, won the only season in May 2014, taking home 250,000 Saudi Riyals.
Was MasterChef Arab only for Saudi contestants? No — while it was produced and broadcast from Saudi Arabia, it featured amateur cooks from across the Arab world.
What’s the difference between MasterChef Arab and Top Chef Arabia? MasterChef Arab was a single Saudi-produced season (2014). Top Chef Arabia is a separate, ongoing MBC franchise with multiple seasons and a different judging panel, often confused with MasterChef due to its similar pan-Arab cooking-competition format.