PizzaExpress is betting that diners breaking fast this Ramadan want saffron moonlight risotto alongside their dates. The UK-born Italian chain rolled out its Iftar programme across 12 UAE locations this week, pricing set menus at AED 79 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi—a calculated pitch in a market where hotel Iftars routinely hit triple digits.
The gamble centres on fusion. Dates and cinnamon Iftar churros. Baked doughballs drizzled with dates caramel. Sunset chicken fajita pizza.
Called “Season to Gather, a Table to Share,” the campaign runs throughout Ramadan 2026 at PizzaExpress outlets from JLT to Fujairah, with service starting at sunset. The three-course format—one starter, one main, one dessert—leans into shared plates rather than individual presentation, a nod to Iftar’s communal rhythm.
Menus vary by location. At the chain’s core restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, diners choose between golden Iftar stuffed dates or Noor lentil and carrot soup to start. Mains span creamy Cajun chicken pasta, watermelon and feta salads, and pizzas including meat lovers feast or paneer tikka. The meal closes with either the dates churros or the new dates caramel doughballs.
PizzaExpress Live venues in JLT, Bay Square, and Al Reem Island—where the brand layers in music programming—charge AED 89 for the same structure. Those 10 extra dirhams buy atmosphere: live performances and what the company calls “a vibrant destination” for food and music enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, City Centre Fujairah operates differently. The AED 89 price point there unlocks a buffet spread rather than a set menu, with lentil and carrot soup, bread baskets anchored by Dough Balls, fattoush and tabbouleh salads, roasted chicken in mushroom sauce, Pasta Contadina, and pizzas including Margherita, Pepperoni, and Arabizza. Um Ali and assorted pastries handle dessert.
Children under five eat free across all locations. Kids aged five to twelve pay AED 49 at the Fujairah buffet.
The corporate angle gets its own push. PizzaExpress is targeting team Iftars and client gatherings with the same three-course set menu format, positioning the offering as “effortless” planning for companies navigating Ramadan entertaining.
It’s a crowded field. UAE restaurants and hotels flood the market with Iftar offerings each Ramadan, from traditional Arabic spreads to contemporary fusion experiments. PizzaExpress enters that fray with an Italian passport and a 61-year history that began in London’s Soho in 1965, when founder Peter Boizot opened the first location.
Today the brand operates nearly 360 pizzerias across the UK, with international outposts including UAE and Hong Kong. Franchise operations stretch across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The menu balances classics—American Hot, Sloppy Giuseppe—with vegan, gluten-free, and lighter options.
In the UAE, PizzaExpress runs as an omnichannel operation: dine-in, delivery, and retail products stocked in supermarkets. The company holds what it describes as leading positions in chilled pizza, salad dressings, and pizza dough retail segments.
Whether diners breaking fast want Italian comfort over traditional Arabic dishes remains the question. At AED 79, PizzaExpress is pricing below many hotel competitors while banking on its signature black-and-white stripes and those much-loved Dough Balls to pull families and corporate groups through the door.
The test runs through Ramadan 2026. Service continues from sunset till late across all participating locations.
For the brand, it’s a calculated play: meet the cultural moment without abandoning the Italian identity that’s defined it since 1965. Saffron risotto and dates caramel sitting on the same menu. Pizza and Um Ali sharing table space in Fujairah.
By the time the crescent moon signals Eid, PizzaExpress will know whether UAE diners wanted their Iftar with a side of Margherita.
