The Private Chef Shift in Dubai: Opportunity or Industry Disruption?

Dubai is changing.

And so is the definition of culinary success.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a powerful shift — especially with platforms like UHNW actively connecting chefs to ultra-high-net-worth families across the UAE.

This is not a global trend in the same way.

This is a Dubai phenomenon.

With a significant influx of ultra-high-net-worth individuals relocating to Dubai, the demand for private chefs has grown dramatically. These families are not looking for average cooks.

They want:

• Michelin-trained backgrounds

• Five-star hotel experience

• Fine dining precision

• Cultural adaptability

• Absolute discretion

And here is the reality:

A chef earning AED 5,000–6,000 in some restaurants, working 14–15 hour shifts, is now being offered nearly double — sometimes close to 500% more — to cook exclusively for one family.

One kitchen.

One client.

Full creative focus.

Higher income.

Better work-life structure.

It is understandable why many talented chefs are transitioning from restaurants to private households and yachts.

But this raises an important question for the hospitality industry:

Is this evolution healthy for chefs — or does it risk weakening the backbone of restaurants?

Restaurants invest years in training chefs.

They build discipline, systems, resilience, teamwork.

But if the most talented professionals leave for private roles, restaurants may face:

• Increased salary pressure

• Talent shortages

• Declining culinary standards

• Higher turnover instability

On the other hand, from an individual chef’s perspective:

Is it wrong to choose:

• Financial growth?

• Personal stability?

• Direct appreciation from a single client?

• Freedom from exhausting brigade politics?

As someone who has spent over a decade in professional kitchens, I see both sides.

Private cheffing demands a completely different skill set:

• Emotional intelligence

• Menu personalization

• Nutrition understanding

• Discretion and trust

• Independent execution

It is not “easier.”

It is simply different.

Dubai’s culinary ecosystem is evolving.

The question is not whether private chefs are the future.

The real question is:

Will restaurants adapt fast enough to retain top talent?

Or will we witness a permanent shift where elite chefs become personal culinary curators for the world’s wealthiest families?

I would love to hear thoughts from:

• Recruiters

• Restaurant owners

• Private employers

• Fellow chefs

Is this transformation sustainable