Dubai Culture has launched the third edition of its Emirati Chefs Grant for Productive Families, a culinary training and mentoring programme for home cooks run with the Community Development Authority (CDA) and the International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA Dubai). Ten participants from productive families will work through a culinary arts empowerment programme designed to push Emirati cuisine beyond the family kitchen, running from 25 July 2026 to 27 February 2027.
A seven-month course in Emirati cuisine and business
The grant sits inside the wider Dubai Cultural Grant programme. Over seven months — the first edition ran three — participants take practical workshops and mentoring sessions from ICCA Dubai experts covering menu development, food safety and public health, nutrition, cost management, branding and the licensing requirements that sit between cooking at home and selling commercially. They also get slots at cultural events and festivals across Dubai through the year.
Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Arts, Design and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, said the programme lets families draw on specialist expertise while reimagining Emirati cuisine:
“Through the Emirati Chefs Grant for Productive Families, Dubai Culture continues to empower families and develop their capabilities to benefit from the expertise of leading specialists. The programme enriches participants’ experiences while encouraging them to reimagine Emirati cuisine through contemporary interpretations that honour its authentic flavours and showcase its richness and diversity.”
From home kitchens to licensed businesses
The third round is the first aimed at productive families — the home-based businesses, often run by women, that the CDA supports — rather than chefs already working in kitchens. The inaugural edition graduated six Emirati chefs with diplomas in culinary arts; the second, launched in November 2025, trained ten Emirati women chefs. The licensing module is the last step before home food can be sold commercially.
The programme runs to 27 February 2027. Dubai Culture has not published a public application window; participants are drawn from productive families, with ICCA Dubai delivering the training.
It joins a wider push to professionalise the UAE’s food trade, from support initiatives like Foodics’ Forward Together, which backs the local F&B industry, to training grants for the people cooking at home.
What is the Emirati Chefs Grant for Productive Families?
A culinary training and mentoring programme for home cooks run by Dubai Culture with the Community Development Authority (CDA) and ICCA Dubai. It is part of the wider Dubai Cultural Grant programme.
How many people take part in the third edition?
Ten participants from productive families. The programme runs from 25 July 2026 to 27 February 2027, with practical workshops and mentoring sessions delivered by ICCA Dubai experts.
What does the grant’s training cover?
Menu development, food safety and public health, nutrition, cost management, visual identity and branding, and licensing requirements, plus participation in cultural events and festivals across Dubai.
Can the public apply for the Emirati Chefs Grant?
No public application window has been announced. Participants are drawn from productive families supported through the programme’s partners.
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