Guide · Restaurants in Dubai

Dubai restaurant websites: direct online ordering vs Talabat

What delivery apps have been reported to charge, what Dubai’s 2025 rules changed, what direct ordering really involves, and how most restaurants combine the two.

By Velozgida Technologies · Updated 9 November 2026

Quick answer

Delivery apps like Talabat bring new customers, but they take a commission on every order. When it was last widely reported, in 2020–2021, UAE restaurants said the apps took about 25–35% of each order. Apps don’t publish current rates. Direct ordering through your own website or WhatsApp avoids that commission but means you handle marketing, payments and delivery. Most Dubai restaurants do best with a hybrid: use apps for discovery, and move repeat customers to direct ordering.

What has been reported about delivery-app commissions in the UAE

Report	What was reported	Source
Restaurants without their own drivers (Apr 2020)	About 25–35% commission; one restaurant paid Talabat 27% of its delivery sales	The National
UAE restaurant operators (Apr 2020)	25–30%, and “up to 35%”	Khaleej Times
Careem switches model (Feb 2021)	0% commission, replaced by a fixed monthly fee; rivals took about 20–35%	Gulf News
noon Food (Mar 2021)	15% commission + 2% payment fee	Rest of World
Industry benchmark (Sep 2021)	About 25–30%	Gulf News

These are the most recent figures reported by major outlets. Talabat, Deliveroo, Careem, noon and Keeta do not publish current UAE commission rates, so ask each platform for your own rate in writing.

Why delivery apps still matter

Delivery apps dominate how Dubai orders food. Restaurant-software provider Syrve estimates, via Gulf News (January 2026), that the UAE online food delivery market was worth about $2.5 billion in 2024, heading to $3.9 billion by 2030, and that around three-quarters of delivery orders go through aggregator apps. Dubai alone has more than 13,000 restaurants and cafés competing for them.

Talabat, the largest player, reported group gross merchandise value of $2.92 billion in Q2 2026 across eight countries, with the UAE its largest market (MENA Startup Digest). Apps give you visibility you would struggle to buy yourself.

What Dubai’s 2025 rules changed for restaurants

In September 2025 Dubai’s consumer protection authority (DCCPFT, part of Dubai Economy and Tourism) issued guidelines for food delivery platforms. As reported by Gulf News and Khaleej Times:

Customers must see a full price breakdown (food, delivery fee, service fee, taxes) before checkout, with no undisclosed fees after payment.
Restaurants should get access to their order data and transparent fee structures, and contracts can’t be changed without notice.
Apps must explain how restaurants are ranked and promoted, and can’t push the cost of subscription perks onto restaurants through inflated commissions or hidden fees.

The guidelines don’t cap commissions, but they make it easier to see what you’re paying. Use that data when you compare channels.

The real cost of an app order: a worked example

Take a AED 100 order. At the 25–30% commission UAE restaurants reported, the app keeps AED 25–30 before your food, packaging and staff costs. On your own website, you pay a card-processing fee and delivery instead, but you also keep the customer’s contact details and can invite them back. That relationship is the real long-term value of direct ordering.

This is simple illustrative arithmetic using reported rates; your own commission, card fees and delivery costs will differ.

What direct ordering actually involves

An ordering website with a mobile-friendly menu, cart and online payment, or a simpler WhatsApp ordering flow for smaller menus.
Delivery: your own riders, or a third-party courier. Any rider in Dubai must follow RTA delivery-bike rules, including safety gear.
Marketing: without an app’s audience, you need your Google Business Profile, Instagram, in-bag flyers and QR codes to bring people to your own channel.
Prices shown with VAT: UAE rules require advertised prices to include 5% VAT. Gulf News reports that adding VAT only at checkout can mean a Dh5,000 fine.

Restaurants have done this together before: in 2020 Gulf News reported restaurant-run platforms such as GoFood in Dubai charging a 2% fee plus 2% card processing and a flat Dh10 delivery, far below aggregator rates at the time.

The hybrid approach most restaurants use

Stay on one or two apps for discovery: new customers find you there.
Make your own site the best place to order: the full menu, better photos, combo deals or loyalty perks you can’t offer on apps.
Turn app customers into direct customers: a card in every bag with a QR code to your site or WhatsApp.
Capture contacts (with consent) so you can invite people back without paying commission again.
Track both channels: compare cost per order and repeat rate, not just volume.

Want your own ordering website?

We build fast, mobile-first restaurant sites with digital menus and ordering, like the café ordering experience in our portfolio. Book a free 20-minute call for a fixed AED quote.

Book a free 20-min call Restaurant & café websites

Frequently asked questions

How much commission does Talabat charge restaurants in Dubai?

Talabat doesn’t publish its commission rates. When major UAE outlets last reported on app commissions in 2020–2021, restaurants said apps took about 25–35% of each order. Ask Talabat for your own rate in writing.

Is direct online ordering cheaper than delivery apps?

Usually per order, because you avoid the app commission and pay card fees and delivery instead. But you take on marketing and delivery yourself, so compare your full cost per order on each channel.

Do Dubai restaurant websites have to show prices with VAT?

Yes. UAE rules require advertised prices to include 5% VAT; Gulf News reports that adding it only at checkout can lead to a Dh5,000 fine.

What did Dubai’s 2025 delivery app rules change?

Apps must show a full fee breakdown before checkout, give restaurants access to order data and transparent fees, explain how restaurants are ranked, and avoid hidden fees. Commissions are not capped.

Should a restaurant leave Talabat?

Most shouldn’t leave entirely: apps bring new customers. A hybrid works better: stay visible on apps and give repeat customers a better reason to order direct.

Sources

Market figures are as published by each source and were checked on 9 November 2026. Sources define categories differently, so treat ranges as a guide rather than a quote.