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Emirati food

Harees

Harees is made from wheat grain, meat and ghee, slow-cooked until they become one. The wheat cooks for hours in lightly salted water, then the meat goes in for at least four more hours. It is eaten all year, but Ramadan and weddings are its season.

Updated October 2026 · Facts checked 22 October 2026

Added to UNESCO's list
20231
Added to UNESCO's list
Minimum cooking time once the meat is added
4 hours2
Minimum cooking time once the meat is added

Harees

At a glance

At a glance
Item Detail
Name in Arabic الهريس
Type Main dish
Main ingredients Wheat, meat (or chicken), ghee
When it is eaten Ramadan, weddings, when honouring guests

Source: UNESCO: Harees dish, know-how, skills and practices; Dubai Culture: Al Harees; Visit Abu Dhabi: Emirati dishes and where to try them1,2,3

How it is made and served

Harees is usually made in big quantities, because cleaning and grinding the grain takes effort. It is served in large shared dishes, traditionally eaten with the thumb and forefinger while sitting on one knee.1

Restaurants build iftar menus around it in Ramadan, and families cook enormous pots.3

A UNESCO-listed tradition

UNESCO added the know-how, skills and practices of harees to its Representative List in 2023, with the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The skills pass from mothers to daughters and through schools, restaurants and hotels, and serving harees is a sign of hospitality and generosity.1

Sources

  1. UNESCO: Harees dish, know-how, skills and practices
  2. Dubai Culture: Al Harees
  3. Visit Abu Dhabi: Emirati dishes and where to try them

Facts checked 22 October 2026. Prepared by Invest-Emirates.ae for general information.

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