Chipotle Mexican Grill has officially entered Saudi Arabia, opening its first restaurant in the Kingdom at Sidra in Riyadh in partnership with Alshaya Group, marking the latest step in the fast-casual brand’s accelerating expansion across the Middle East.
The Riyadh opening, located at Sidra next to Granada Mall, takes Chipotle’s Middle East footprint to 17 restaurants across four Gulf markets. The company previously operated 16 restaurants in the region; seven in the United Arab Emirates, seven in Kuwait and two in Qatar, following its Middle East entry in 2024.
The new Saudi restaurant gives local customers access to Chipotle’s made-to-order menu of burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas and salads. Orders are prepared in an open kitchen using what the company describes as responsibly sourced, classically cooked ingredients, with customers able to customise meals with proteins, rice, beans, salsas and toppings, as well as Chipotle’s hand-mashed guacamole.
The Sidra location is positioned in one of Riyadh’s prominent dining and leisure destinations, next to Granada Mall. Alshaya said the restaurant can be accessed via Exit 9 on Imam Abdullah Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz Road.
The Saudi launch builds on a development partnership that has been central to Chipotle’s international expansion. In July 2023, Chipotle signed its first-ever development agreement for the Middle East with Alshaya Group, initially targeting restaurants in Dubai and Kuwait. The first restaurants opened in 2024, with the partnership subsequently expanding Chipotle’s presence across the Gulf.
Nate Lawton, Chief Business Development Officer at Chipotle, said the Saudi expansion advances the company’s international growth strategy and creates an opportunity to serve what he described as one of the Middle East’s most dynamic consumer markets. He added that Riyadh’s position as a major shopping and leisure destination made it an appropriate market in which to introduce the brand.
For Alshaya, the opening represents another addition to its extensive food and beverage portfolio and strengthens its role as Chipotle’s regional growth partner. Jeff Kellen, President of the Hospitality division at Alshaya Group, said Chipotle had “surpassed all expectations” since launching in the region and had become one of the group’s most loved brands. He added that the company was looking forward to meeting the expectations of Saudi consumers who had been anticipating the brand’s arrival.
The partnership is also expanding beyond Saudi Arabia. The latest reports indicate that Alshaya and Chipotle are planning a second Saudi Arabian location in Jeddah in 2027, alongside Chipotle’s planned entry into Bahrain. That would extend the partnership’s footprint to five Gulf markets.
Chipotle’s Saudi launch comes as the company pursues a broader international growth strategy. Globally, Chipotle now operates more than 4,200 restaurants, including more than 80 company-owned locations in Canada, 21 in the UK, six in France and two in Germany. It also entered Mexico in July 2026 through a partnership with Latin American restaurant operator Alsea, opening its first restaurant in Nuevo León.
The company expects to open between 350 and 370 new restaurants globally in 2026 as part of its “Recipe for Growth” strategy. In North America, the longer-term plan includes a target of 7,000 restaurants across the United States and Canada. Chipotle has also said its business development team is evaluating additional international opportunities through partnerships, joint ventures and development agreements.
The Saudi opening therefore represents more than a single-market launch for Chipotle. It adds another major Gulf market to a franchise-led international rollout that began with Alshaya in 2024 and gives the brand a platform for further expansion in the Kingdom, with Jeddah already identified as the next Saudi market.
For Alshaya, meanwhile, the deal reinforces its position as one of the region’s largest international franchise operators, using its local market infrastructure to bring global restaurant brands into high-growth Middle Eastern markets. The Riyadh opening demonstrates how the partnership has moved from Chipotle’s initial UAE and Kuwait launches to a broader GCC expansion strategy encompassing Saudi Arabia and the markets still to come.
