Dubai’s Shawarma Makes The SWITCH and Locals Are Eating It Up

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Did you know that the humble shawarma, the Middle East’s undisputed king of street food, is getting a plant-based makeover in Dubai? No, this isn’t some hipster café gimmick. It’s coming from Malak Al Tawouk, one of the region’s most beloved Lebanese fast food chains, in collaboration with local plant-based disruptors Switch Foods.

Yes, we’re talking plant-based chicken shawarma in Dubai. In 2025.

Source: © Ver2exe | Dreamstime.com - PB Chicken Shawarma depiction

This isn’t the first time meat has been swapped for mushrooms or soy, but it might be the first time shawarma lovers in the Gulf have paused mid-bite and said, “Wait, this isn’t chicken?” The new meat-free version is 100% plant-based and halal-compliant, carefully crafted to mimic the texture, flavour and sheer juiciness of traditional marinated poultry. From the spice rub to the char marks, the cultural detail is all there. The only thing missing? The chicken.

And it’s working. According to Switch Foods, early sales have exceeded expectations, especially among younger Emiratis, Indian expats, and wellness-curious tourists who want all the flavour of Dubai’s famed street food, without the animal bit.

Plant-based in the Middle East is no small feat. Cultural and religious sensitivities make innovation a delicate dance, and the word “vegan” doesn’t always land well on the tongue of tradition. That’s why the team at Switch didn’t go in waving the V-word. Instead, they focused on function, flavour, and faith, creating a shawarma aligned with halal values, tastes like home, and still ticks the environmental box.

Source: PFN Ai Archives - Malak Al Tawouk - Various

It’s a small win in a region where meat still reigns, but where food tech is beginning to sizzle—from cultured camel milk to algae-based baklava.

Dubai isn’t just launching another alt-protein product. It’s rethinking the cultural script. In a city where malls have ski slopes and Lamborghinis are cop cars, the idea of a futuristic shawarma might seem par for the course. But it signals something deeper - a shift in what luxury, health, and heritage mean in the age of food security and culinary reinvention.

Could this spark a broader halal APT (A Protein Thing) boom across the GCC? Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait - all eyes are now watching.

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