Kingdom’s youngest chef on course to conquer culinary world

Karim Mohammed Altoobli is the youngest among those who are going to benefit from the Youth Entrepreneurial Development Initiative. The 15-year-old culinary talent, who dreams of having own Michelin starred restaurant, was given an exception for being considered for the one-year programme.

The programme aims to enhance entrepreneurial aspirations among youth while guiding them towards success. Speaking to Tribune, Karim said, “My passion for cooking began when I was eight years old. My grandmother who cooked for the family with so much love and happiness inspired me.

“Initially, I began learning by working on grandmother’s recipes. I found myself pulled towards the culinary world, and participated in several culinary workshops at the Collina Institute by a French chef. “I entered several competitions, including the Ritz Carlton competition, where I was kindly allowed to participate with a dish that was judged by top chefs despite being too young to compete with other participants.

I also participated in the Lulu Hypermarket’s cooking contest and managed to reach the pre-final stage.” “I achieved all this success with the support of my mother, who further encouraged me to start my small project which was selling some of my dishes via Instagram.