The survey says: To tip or not to tip in the UAE?

In some countries giving a gratuity to the person who has performed a service for you is not an option. So what about the UAE?

To tip or not to tip? Klaus Vedfelt

To tip or not to tip? In some countries giving a gratuity to the person who has performed a service for you is not an option. A waiter, valet or taxi driver in the United States would expect a tip of 15 or 20 per cent. In parts of South East Asia, tipping is neither expected nor encouraged. So what about the UAE?

With our mix of cultures, different people follow different rules. Some people consider the fact that a service charge is included in the bill at restaurants as a sign that tipping is unnecessary. Others believe that a few extra dirhams extra on top of the bill is warranted if the waiter has provided exceptional service or gone out of their way to please. As there is no hard and fast rule, we thought we would ask TaskSpotting users what they think.

TaskSpotting describes itself as the region’s only advocate marketing platform and pitches our questions to its app community who typically engage with brands to create content, spread awareness and share feedback.

Of the 5,000 respondents, only 57 per cent said they thought that tipping was necessary, but 86 per cent said that they do tip. Almost seven in 10 people said they thought that waiters and other service staff were not paid enough.