“We are pleased to announce that Dubai has joined the Michelin guide family. Our team of inspectors are already on the ground to make the first selection of restaurants, which will be unveiled in June,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of Michelin guides, in a press release.

Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, is the 36th destination in the world and the first in the Middle East for the inspectors of the famous red guide, whose mission is to unearth "the best of gastronomy".

With more than 7.2 million tourists welcomed last year and a population made up of some 90% expatriates, the wealthy Gulf state has "thousands of restaurants serving a variety of cuisines, from gourmet cuisine to street food ", underlined for his part Issam Kazim, of the public body Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing.

Dubai establishments, some of which have been opened by world-renowned chefs, will be tested and evaluated according to the criteria applied by the guide in other countries in Europe, Asia and North America.

They could win the prestigious one, two or three stars which reward excellent cuisine, or the Bib Gourmand awarded to good little tables.

Created in 1900 by brothers André and Edouard Michelin for motorists, the Michelin guide is a reference for food lovers around the world.

© 2022 AFP