Tipping in Abu Dhabi
Tipping cultures and expectations vary greatly across different major cities and popular tourist destinations. How and who to tip in Abu Dhabi will depend on what you’re doing, and how much you’ve enjoyed your experience. Doing what the locals do is usually a good start - read on to find out where a gratuity tip will be expected in Abu Dhabi to avoid any awkward moments when paying restaurant bills or checking out of your hotel.
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Do you tip in Abu Dhabi?
In Abu Dhabi, like many popular travel destinations, tips and gratuities are discretionary and dependent on the service quality you’ve received. Sometimes it’s appropriate to tip simply because it’s customary - for example in a restaurant, hotel or cab.
Elsewhere, tipping might not always be expected but is most certainly appreciated. Read on to find out how to tip like a local when visiting Abu Dhabi.
Tipping in Abu Dhabi in restaurants & bars
Plan to tip around 10-15% in Abu Dhabi restaurants. However, the exact tip amount when eating out in Abu Dhabi depends on the place, occasion, and order size. It’s customary to give your waiter or waitress a slightly higher tip than you would a bartender, as they are likely sharing their tip with the kitchen staff.
In bars and cafes in Abu Dhabi you can round the bill to the next significant amount, or leave a small tip each time you order a drink. If you are in a fancy cocktail bar, where cocktail making is a craft - or have a particularly skilled barista make your cappuccino - you might wish to splash out and leave a bigger tip.
Suggested tip:
100 UAE dirhams meal = suggested tip of 10 or 15 UAE dirhams
10 UAE dirhams for a drink = suggested tip of 1-2 UAE dirhams
Tipping in hotels in Abu Dhabi
If you’re staying in a hotel in Abu Dhabi it’s standard practise to tip between 10-20%. In top end hotels with high service levels you’ll likely want to tip a range of staff, such as maids, bellboys, valets and front desk employees.
Who you tip, and how much, is ultimately at your discretion, and should be based on the levels of service you receive. To help you figure out how to budget and approach hotel tipping, check out our handy cheat sheet for tipping in Abu Dhabi hotels.
| Hotel staff | Suggested Tip | Reasons to tip |
|---|---|---|
House-keeping | 5-10 AED | Housekeepers and maids are among the hardest working hotel staff. It’s common to say thanks for great service with a small daily tip. |
Luggage attendants / Porters | 1 AED / per bag | When you arrive at your hotel in Abu Dhabi you’ll probably need help getting your bags to your room. It’s customary to give a small tip to porters so don’t forget to have some small change when checking in! |
Concierge/ Receptionist | 10-15 AED | If the hotel concierge during your stay in Abu Dhabi offers exceptional service, you may want to tip. Tips aren’t needed if reception staff simply helped ordering a cab or booking dinner reservations. |
Valets | 5-10 AED / each time | If you’re driving, pay a small tip every time a valet retrieves your car from the hotel parking lot. |
Tipping taxi drivers in Abu Dhabi
It’s common to tip 10% in Abu Dhabi for a longer journey, and if you were helped with your luggage. For short journeys the easiest option is to round up the bill to the nearest significant amount in UAE dirhams. Don’t forget, if you’re using local taxis rather than a ride-hailing service such as Uber, you’ll need to agree on the fare before your journey.
Suggested tip:
50 UAE dirhams taxi bill = 5 UAE dirhams tip for a longer journey
7.50 UAE dirhams taxi bill = 0.50 UAE dirhams tip for a short journey
Tipping tour guides in Abu Dhabi
Your tour guide can make or break your experience when travelling - so when you find a great guide in Abu Dhabi do tip them the standard 10%. Tips are equally welcome whether you’re taking a private, multi-day, or walking tour.
If you join a free tour in Abu Dhabi it’s worth tipping too. Tours like these often operate on a ‘pay what you like’ basis. Your tips may be the only income your guide makes.
Sometimes you may be asked to leave a TripAdvisor review if you enjoyed your experience instead of tipping. This might help guides earn commission - and help other travellers have their own great experience in future.
Tipping at a spa in Abu Dhabi
If you need a massage to unwind after your adventures in Abu Dhabi it is appropriate to leave a small tip to the therapist. Budget around 10-15% of the treatment price.
That means that for a massage costing you 100 UAE dirhams, you might consider leaving a tip of 10 UAE dirhams if the service was average, or as you’d expect - or say thanks with a 15% tip if the therapist provided an outstanding treatment.
Suggested tip:
100 UAE dirhams massage bill = 10 UAE dirhams tip to masseuse for a standard treatment
100 UAE dirhams massage bill = 15 UAE dirhams tip to masseuse for an outstanding treatment
Tips for tipping in Abu Dhabi
- Whenever you tip during your trip to Abu Dhabi it is important to use the local currency, that is - UAE dirhams. Otherwise you’ll leave your service providers with cash they can’t use without paying high fees on currency exchange. Prepare some small change in the local currency before leaving the airport if you can, to tip drivers and hotel porters.
Tip in the local currency
- Tipping is a great way to acknowledge and reward great service. If the service charge is not already added to your bill, then tipping is at your discretion - but will always be appreciated. The staff working in restaurants and hotels in Abu Dhabi often have tough jobs for lower end wages - think twice before canceling any gratuity tip request on their payment terminals.
