Tipping in UAE

At a glance

• Restaurants●●○Common10–15%
• Cafés●○○OptionalAED 5, or round up
• Bars●●○CommonAED 10–20 per round, or 10%
• Taxis●○○OptionalRound up
• Hotel porters●●○CommonAED 5–10 per bag
• Housekeeping●○○OptionalAED 5–10 per day
• Tour guides●●○CommonAED 50–100 per person, per day
• Private drivers●●○CommonAED 50–100 per day
• Boat & yacht charters●○○Optional10%, or AED 100–200 for the crew

Card tipping. Card terminals sometimes allow a tip, but cash reaches staff far more reliably. Keep 5 and 10 dirham notes.

• , Dubai bills often show a 10% service charge, 7% municipality fee and 5% VAT. Only the first is even nominally a tip, and it usually goes to the venue.
• , Petrol station attendants, valet parkers and delivery riders are all commonly tipped 5–10 dirhams.

Common questions

Do you tip in UAE?

Tipping is common and appreciated, but not obligatory. Almost everyone serving you in the UAE is a migrant worker on a modest salary sending money home, and tips matter. Service charges appear on many bills but rarely reach staff, so a small cash tip on top is the normal practice among residents.

How much do you tip at a restaurant in UAE?

10–15%. 10–15%, or a cash top-up if service is already added. If there is no service charge, 10–15% is the norm in Dubai and Abu Dhabi restaurants. If a 10% service charge is on the bill, leaving an extra 20–50 dirhams in cash directly with your server is what most residents do, because the service charge usually goes to the venue rather than the staff.

Can you tip by card in UAE?

Card terminals sometimes allow a tip, but cash reaches staff far more reliably. Keep 5 and 10 dirham notes.

Other destinations

• Australia
• Austria
• Croatia
• Egypt