A research released by KEANE the international strategy and design company, in association with  YouGov, revealed that 53 percent of the 1,000 Saudis polled were likely to invest in a café or restaurant in the Kingdom.  

This entrepreneurialism was matched by 1 in 5 Saudi nationals saying that they would consider a  career in the restaurant sector.  

“We undertook this research to support our work in developing restaurant businesses in the  Kingdom and to get a better understanding of Saudi eating out behavior,” said Stefan Breg, group  strategy director at KEANE.  

The survey also found a move towards healthy eating with over 60 percent saying that media reports on  healthy eating would influence the way they eat out, 61 percent said they would eat less burgers and 41 percent  will eat less meat.  

The growth of coffee shops continues, and the survey revealed that international brands such as  Starbucks and Costa were still popular but notably, local brands such as 12Cups, were also listed as  preferred brands.