By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
Do you have to tip in Dubai?
No. Tipping is welcome, never compulsory, and no law sets a figure. The amounts in this guide are common practice, not rules. If service was poor, tip nothing.
Before you reach for your wallet, check whether a charge is already on the bill or in the price.
How much to tip in restaurants, and what is the service charge?
Read the bill. Gulf News reported in 2018 a Department of Economic Development statement. A service charge is illegal unless the restaurant is part of a hotel, where 10 per cent applies under Dubai Municipality rules. Zones such as DIFC can set their own rules. That report is eight years old, so treat the detail as a guide, not as today’s law.
In practice:
- Charge already on the bill: you do not need to add more. Many people round up.
- No charge on the bill: about 10 to 15 per cent is common practice.
- Other lines: bills can also show a municipality fee and VAT. These are not tips.
If you are unsure whether the charge reaches the staff, ask your server.
Hotel porters, housekeeping and valets
Give porters a few dirhams per bag and a little more if the bags are heavy or the walk is long. Leave something for housekeeping at the end of a multi-night stay. Valets expect a small note when they bring the car round. Carry 5, 10 and 20 dirham notes for this.
Hotels also charge a per-night Tourism Dirham fee. It is a fee on your room, not a tip. We have not confirmed its current rate, so check your booking.
Taxi drivers and ride-hailing apps
Rounding up to the next 5 or 10 dirhams is common. For the fare structure itself, see our Dubai taxi fares guide. Whether a tip option exists inside a ride-hailing app depends on the app and its current version, so check the screen after your trip. Our comparison of Uber, Careem and taxis covers how each one works.
How much to tip a chauffeur or private driver
A chauffeur is a salaried professional, so a tip is thanks, not a wage. Reasons people tip include a very late arrival, heavy luggage carried up to a villa, a long hourly booking or a driver who made a change of plan easy.
Tips are not part of an Assure quote. Whether to tip is your decision. Our chauffeur etiquette guide covers the other manners of the back seat, and chauffeur, taxi or Uber compares the options if you are still choosing. Booking a chauffeur service or a car with driver by the hour makes tips easier to judge, since the driver is with you all day.
Tour guides, desert safari drivers and dhow crews
Tip in cash at the end. A shared group tour sees smaller tips than a private full-day trip. Ask whether the price includes a gratuity. Browse our tours for what each one includes.
Cash or card
Cash is the most direct. Card tips can be pooled by the venue. Keep small notes from your first ATM stop.
Tipping a wedding chauffeur
A thank-you at the end of the day is customary, usually in cash and handed over discreetly. Details for the day itself are on our wedding car hire page. For business meetings and dinners, see business etiquette in Dubai.
Photos in this guide
Dubai taxis with red and green roofs waiting at a junction in Bur DubaiFabio Achilli / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The entrance and sign of a Persian restaurant at Madinat Jumeirah in DubaiPersianDutchNetwork / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Taxis and chauffeur cars queuing under the covered forecourt at Dubai International AirportAhmed / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A UAE 1 dirham coin showing a dallah coffee potBearlyHoldingOn / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
