Chipotle Launches First Restaurant in Saudi Arabia

Chipotle Mexican Grill will open its first restaurant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia later this month in partnership with Alshaya Group. Located at Sidra, a dining destination in Riyadh next to the Granada Mall, the restaurant marks Chipotle’s entry into Saudi Arabia and another milestone in the company’s international growth strategy.

“Expanding into the Kingdom advances our international growth strategy and provides a compelling opportunity to serve one of the Middle East’s most dynamic consumer markets,” says Nate Lawton, chief business development officer at Chipotle, in the release.

The opening builds on Chipotle’s continued expansion in partnership with Alshaya Group. Since 2024, Chipotle has opened 16 restaurants across the Middle East, including seven in the United Arab Emirates, seven in Kuwait and two in Qatar.

Chipotle continues to expand its international footprint with more than 80 company-owned restaurants in Canada, 21 in the U.K., six in France and two in Germany. The company recently entered Mexico with its first restaurant in Nuevo León.

Chipotle operates more than 4,200 restaurants worldwide and expects to open between 350 and 370 new restaurants in 2026. It has a target of operating 7,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada.