General Information » Money » Tipping

Tipping practices are similar at all hotels, bars and restaurants around Dubai. No matter who you tip or how much, the tips are all shared with the other waiters/waitresses, bar workers and managers. So there is little worth in over-tipping a certain individual you are particularly impressed with, as it all goes into a central pot and they could get into trouble if they keep tips for themselves. It is, however, still worth tipping and all tips, even though they are shared, are greatly apreciated.

An increasing number of restaurants now also include a service charge in the prices of their food, although it is not clear whether this ever sees the inside of your waiter's pockets!

It is regular practice to round up your taxi fare as a tip for the driver, who by all accounts has a bit of a miserable time being couped up in a car all day and stuck in traffic.

10% is the usual amount to tip and this covers most services such as waiters, taxi drivers, hotel porters, hairdressers, beauticians and petrol station attendants. It is however entirely up to the individual whether to tip and it is not a fixed expectation like in some countries. See Going Out for more information.