Salam Dakkak

Dubai

Pioneering Palestinian chef building community through food

Salam Dakkak is one of the most successful female chefs in the Middle East, recognised for her contribution to Arabic cuisine and community-minded approach.

Born in Palestine, Dakkak was raised in Jordan before moving to Saudi Arabia as a young woman. Here, she dreamed of becoming a chef and taught Arabic cuisine at a cooking studio. Life, however, had other plans. After meeting her husband and starting a family, Dakkak relocated to the US, and then the UAE, where she still lives.

In 2017, her culinary dreams reignited. Dakkak opened her debut restaurant, Bait Maryam, in Dubai' s residential Jumeirah Lake Towers district, serving Arabic dishes steeped in nostalgia. Bait Maryam, named after and inspired by Dakka's mother, Maryam, filled what the chef saw as a gap in Dubai's dining scene: an authentic, homegrown Arabic restaurant. In 2024, she opened her second restaurant, Sufret Maryam, meaning 'Maryam's dining table'.

Dakkak is fiercely proud of her heritage and introducing her native country's cuisine to the world, describing her cuisine as Palestinian, with influences from Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. In a city defined by expat culture, Dakkak sees how the taste of nostalgia can create a sanctuary for diners, where they feel at home, no matter where they are from. Her community-minded approach is, in part, inspired by her earlier life: the first job she held in Saudi Arabia was as a social worker at a prison, where she helped rehabilitate inmates.

In August 2020, when an explosion devastated the Lebanese capital of Beirut, Dakkak announced via social media that Bait Maryam would donate the day's sales to help those affected. Her plea spread far and wide, with the restaurant's online ordering platforms crashing under the weight of Dakkak's community, such is the chef's influence.

As one of just a small group of female chefs to have widespread success in the region, Dakkak leans into her position as a role model. She recognises the importance of visibility and representation, using her success to inspire younger female chefs to follow their culinary dreams. She credits much of this to her consistent focus on genuine connection with people beyond borders, as well as a focus on family – her daughter, Nada Darraj, is a key part of restaurant operations.

It is Dakkak's commitment to connection through food and creation of communities across borders that make this influential chef a worthy winner of the Sevenrooms Icon Award, as part of Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants 2026.

Contact