UAE customers are the most generous tippers in the Middle East when it comes to food delivery, research says

Numbers released by talabat say the UAE raised the highest tips since the feature was launched on its platform last year

Customers in the UAE raised the most tips since the feature was launched on the talabat app last year, says the company. Getty Images

Customers in the UAE are the most generous tippers in the Middle East, with one customer tipping as much as Dh112 for a food delivery, according to delivery platform Talabat.

The company, which has introduced a new tipping feature on its app ahead of Ramadan, said UAE customers raised the highest tips, about 36,000 Euros (Dh157,392), since the tipping feature was first launched on its app during coronavirus-imposed lockdowns last year. Qatar came second, with 29,000 Euros, followed by Bahrain with 22,000 Euros.

Talabat customers across the Middle East have tipped their riders more than 100,000 Euros in total since the feature was launched. The highest number of tips, the company said, was received in February this year, totalling 10,000 Euros.

The most generous customer was from the UAE, who tipped a rider Dh112 for a food delivery. Customers were more generous on the weekends, with riders receiving more tips on Fridays and Saturdays compared to the rest of the week, Talabat added.

Talabat introduced rider tipping on its app last year as a response to Covid-19 safety concerns. Initially, customers would add tips after their orders had been completed. The new feature, which will be rolled out this week, will let customers include a tip while they wait for their delivery.

Founded in Kuwait in 2004, Talabat, owned by German food delivery company Delivery Hero, currently operates in eight markets in the Middle East and North Africa, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan.