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A large U-shaped building made of stones discovered in 2011 at the top of a promontory in Dümat al-Jandal (modern Dumat, Saudi Arabia) is interpreted as a vast freestanding open-air Nabataean triclinium. Radiocarbon dating and pottery readings set the main occupation of this triclinium during a relatively short period, between the late first century b.c. and the late first century/early second century a.d. Excavation of the structure reveals pottery dishes and fireplaces regularly distributed throughout the occupation surface. Multidisciplinary studies of the archaeological material (pottery, bone, and plant remains) provide an opportunity to focus on the activities carried out within this type of cultic structure. By comparing the data with that of other studies undertaken in similar Nabataean triclinia found in Petra, Jordan, and Hegra, Saudi Arabia, in particular, this article seeks to give new insights into the question of "ritual meals". Moreover, this discovery of a first typical Nabataean building in Dümat al-Jandal confirms Nabataean control over trade routes north of the Arabian Peninsula at the turn of the Christian era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]