She prepared a lineup of Khaleeji dishes for guests at the Arab League Summit, she showcased Bahraini cuisine at the British Grand Prix, she’s the owner of a successful restaurant brand, Villa Mamas… she is Roaya Saleh.

The only Bahraini on Forbes’ new list, Saleh is among the 20 Leaders Behind Luxury Dining in the Middle East. This is the first time Forbes has featured luxury dining leaders in an attempt to highlight independent, homegrown restaurants in MENA that are challenging the dominance of international chains.

Saleh established Villa Mamas in Bahrain in 2012 before expanding to Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and London. In 2024, she opened the seafood restaurant dāwa, at Harbour Heights. She has been featured as a guest expert and judge for MasterChef and Top Chef Arabia. She is also the founder of RS Management, which provides consultancy for the hospitality industry.

The Bahraini Chef and restaurateur took to her Instagram to share the news about her feature. “Most of the time spent in a restaurant is measured in minutes, hours, and days. The countless hours of training in the complicated steps of service and the immense effort to serve over 1,000 guests a day, seven days a week, each with individual opinions, to make them feel taken care of and entertained. Yesterday, I celebrated success. I celebrated being listed by Forbes,” she wrote.

Of the 14 nationalities represented in the list, Lebanese restaurateurs lead with five entries, followed by three Indians. The UAE has 12 representations, establishing itself as a hub for fine dining in the region.