The ghabga is a Ramadan evening between iftar and suhoor. This is what it takes to host one, at the restaurant, at home or at the office.
The ghabga is a meal and an evening held on Ramadan nights, after the taraweeh prayer and before suhoor. The word comes from ghabuq, the Arabs' evening drink. It began in the Gulf as a gathering of family and neighbours, and has become an occasion companies host for their teams and guests.
When it is held
A ghabga usually starts after taraweeh and runs until before suhoor. Guests arrive after iftar, and the menu is built around that: dishes served at an easy pace, over an evening longer than a usual dinner.
Headcount first
Start with the number of guests; it decides the venue and the shape of the evening. For a family or a small team, a dinner at the restaurant is enough. For a company or a large family, the ghabga belongs at home, at an istiraha or at the office.
A ghabga at Marble
Marble hosts 8 to 24 guests at a private dinner, at a private table or a closed corner of our room at Turki Square, or up to 80 with a full buyout (/en/private-dining). Ramadan hours differ from the rest of the year, so send the date and headcount to the events team and they will confirm what is available before you book.
A ghabga at your venue
For 50 guests and more, we bring our kitchen and smoker to your venue in Riyadh or anywhere in the Kingdom (/en/catering). The chef and team arrive before the guests with the fire lit, and the meat is carved in front of them (/en/live-cooking).
The menu
Every menu is built for its occasion. At its heart are Marble's own dishes: brisket smoked for 10 hours over samar wood, a whole rib smoked for 8 hours, and steak over the fire. Around them we add options for vegetarians and for allergies. Tell us about any allergy in advance; our kitchen handles gluten, dairy, nuts and sesame.
When to book
Ramadan has a fixed number of nights, and ghabga dates cluster within them. Send your request before Ramadan if you can. We send a proposal with the menu, the programme and the cost within 48 hours of the first contact, then adjust it with you. Large events get a tasting at Marble beforehand.
Booking terms
Group booking terms, including the deposit, are on the policies page (/en/policies).
How to begin
Send the date, the headcount and the venue through the events page (/en/catering), or call us on 011 430 0040.
