Zahra Abdalla: Dubai’s Modern Bedouin Serving Up Middle Eastern Delights

Meet Zahra Abdalla, the Sudanese-Iranian food enthusiast and blogger redrawing the Middle Eastern landscape in Dubai’s dynamic food scene. She describes her lifestyle as “modern Bedouin,” and, indeed, her story does cut across borders. Through experiences in cities like London and Riyadh, she’s learned a lot about other food cultures. This multicultural journey led her all the way to Dubai. She transformed her love of food into a thriving business and shared recipes and stories celebrating the beauty and diversity of Middle Eastern flavours.

Being in Dubai, that multicultural city, Zahra’s approach to cooking will resonate deeply. Her cooking journey began with her blog, and Instagram presence, wherein she shared traditional Middle East recipes alongside creative modern interpretations. Zahra, through dishes infused with Persian and Sudanese influences, blends the flavours of her global travels into the dishes. This recipe, inspired by some of the classics of Persian cuisine, brings spices and ingredients that reflect a melting pot of Middle Eastern, North African, Mediterranean cuisines into food. Zahra has become the buzz for food blogging in Dubai with people wanting to find honest and genuine food experiences with a touch of modernity.

In 2019, Zahra’s passion soared to another level with her cookbook launch, cooking with Zahra. The winning book brought to life all her favourite recipes that not only carry a traditional nature but innovative variations to Middle Eastern cooking, making it more accessible to a broad audience. This simplicity made her cookbook a glowing success, and the beauty of Middle Eastern cuisine was in no way sacrificed. There was comfort and connection through Zahra’s recipes for the readers because she is very thoughtful about sharing stories and memories tied to each dish. She makes the Old Persian classics like stews and fragrant rice dishes approachable yet faithful to their origins.

Zahra has more than her recipes that have made her so famous in Dubai; it’s the way she narrates stories to her audience and brings to life memories that she holds about family food, the experiences of each city, and how far she had to travel for a place to call her own in Dubai. For example, she personally relates every recipe and is able to give stories of the cultural import attached to Middle Eastern meals, which makes her an incredible culinary storyteller. The content she has comes way beyond food as a story to share about cultures, traditions, and even the history attached to any meal, making her become the heartthrob within the Dubai influencer set where her authenticity and warm self are something special.

Recognition is not only through the followers but also from most major media outlets. Middle East publications have hailed her as a connection between traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern cooking. An Iranian blogger from Dubai, this young lady comes from a multicultural background from Sudan. This Sudanese-Iranian food blogger from Dubai represents and stands for the best tapestry of cultures in the best possible manner and has influenced many to find their way back to the roots with pride.

The journey of such a global traveller turning out to be a beloved food influencer shows how powerful food can be in helping people connect, find identities, and express themselves. And Zahra’s cookbook and online content, along with her public appearances, continue to inspire countless people around the world to explore Middle Eastern flavours with a twist. In this manner, she is not only celebrating her heritage but also contributing to the tapestry of the culinary world of Dubai dish by delicious flavour.