Tipping In The UAE - A Complete Guide
Quick Guide
🍽️ Restaurant - 10-15% If No Service Charge
🍹 Bar - Not Expected - Can Round Up
🚕 Taxi - 5-10د.إ
🛎️ Porter/Bellhop - 5-10د.إ
🛏️ Housekeeping - 20-30د.إ/Day
📸 Tour Guide - 0-20% Depending on Quality
🚽 Attendant - 3-10د.إ
Tipping in the United Arab Emirates is a common practice reserved for good service.
Calculate a culturally appropriate tip for the UAE using the calculator below and read on for more detail on tipping in Restaurants, Bars, Taxis, Hotels etc.
UAE Tip Calculator
Good Price For UAE
Tip
$0.00
Total With Tip
$0.00
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Tipping in Restaurants
Whether you’re dining out in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or elsewhere, tip 10-15% for good service. If a service charge (usually 10%) has been added to your bill (more common in high-end restaurants), there’s no need to tip extra.
Aside from the service charge, you may also see a 6% tourist levy.
Tipping in Bars
Not strictly expected but rounding up your bill or leaving a small tip is appreciated.
Tipping Taxi Drivers
A modest tip of 5-10د.إ for your taxi driver is standard, especially given the generally affordable nature of UAE taxi fares. Many passengers prefer to round up the fare to the nearest whole figure whether paying cash or card.
Tipping The Porter/Bellhop
It’s customary to tip the hotel porter 5-10د.إ per bag. Tip on the higher end if you’ve got heavy luggage or multiple suitcases.
Tipping Housekeeping
Whilst not mandatory, tipping housekeeping staff is a thoughtful gesture. A tip of 20-30د.إ per day, left in a visible spot in your hotel room is a good rule of thumb.
Tipping Tour Guides
After a city tour or a desert safari, consider a tip in the region of 0-20%. Feel free to skip the tip if you’re dissatisfied but tip on the higher end of that scale if you had an enjoyable tour (especially if it lasted a full day).
Tipping Bathroom Attendants
In certain upscale venues, there may be a bathroom attendant. Whilst not obligatory, a small tip of 3-10د.إ will be appreciated.
Which Currency To Use
The official currency of the UAE is the Dirham (AED) so stick to that if you can. US Dollars are sometimes accepted as tips but not always.
Cash is widely accepted and credit cards are commonly used in larger establishments.
“Safar salama” (سفر سلامة) - Safe travels! 🇦🇪🌴🕌
