Dubai Restaurant Rights: Official Food Delivery Platform Rules and Guidelines

The guidelines apply to all online food delivery platforms operating in Dubai, like Talabat, Deliveroo, Noon, Careem, Keeta and Clari etc, along with restaurants and business users that engage with them. They represent a regulatory effort aimed at preventing platform monopolization, ensuring fair pricing, and protecting both restaurant operators and consumers from unfair business practices.

How This Impacts Your Restaurant

The full Dubai government guidelines can be downloaded here.

There are also official FAQ's which can me downloaded here

To help understand how it impacts you, we've summarised of contents of the new guidelines especially from the perspective of a restaurant.

What You Must Pay/Cannot Avoid

Commission Structure

• Commissions are calculated on net order value only, excluding your promotional discounts, payment processing fees, subscription fees, and VAT/government fees you don't retain.
• You remain responsible for costs when you delay order preparation or when incorrect packaging/order errors originate from your restaurant.
• You'll receive detailed monthly statements showing all deductions and calculations.

What You Cannot Be Charged

Prohibited Fee Practices

• No arbitrary higher commissions based solely on your restaurant size, location, or exclusivity status
• No mandatory marketing fees - all promotional fees must be optional and agreed to in advance
• No retroactive advertising fees unless clearly agreed beforehand
• No bundled charges for marketing unless terms were transparent upfront
• No fees for accessing your own business data or exporting it to other systems
• No additional payments required for data portability or continued access to historical data

Protection from Hidden Costs

• All charges must be disclosed when you sign agreements - no surprise fees later
• Platforms cannot pass costs of "free" delivery services to you through indirect methods like inflated commissions
• No financial penalties for being listed on multiple platforms

Price Control Requirements

Mandatory Price Consistency

• Your base menu prices must be identical across all platforms and your direct sales channels (websites, physical location)
• Exception: You can offer legitimate discounts, loyalty rewards, or promotional offers
• Platforms cannot restrict your ability to run channel-specific promotions on your own direct channels

When You Don't Pay (Cost Protection)

Order Issues Coverage

• Platform/system failures: Platform pays, not you
• Delivery delays by delivery personnel: You don't pay unless you manage delivery yourself or caused the delay
• Food damaged during platform-managed delivery: You're not liable
• Temperature-controlled delivery failures: Not your cost if platform fails to provide proper cold-chain logistics

Gratuity Protection

• 100% of customer tips must go to delivery personnel - platforms cannot deduct from gratuities

Financial Rights and Compensation

Exclusive Arrangement Benefits

‍If you agree to exclusivity, you must receive demonstrable fair compensation such as:

• Reduced commission fees reflecting actual cost savings
• Enhanced marketing support
• Guaranteed order volumes
• All benefits must be auditable and tied to concrete efficiencies

Cooling-Off Period Benefits

• Keep the same commission rate during transition periods when leaving exclusive arrangements
• No additional service costs during cooling-off periods

Other Key Platform Guidelines

Consumer Protection Requirements

Platforms must provide complete fee transparency to customers, showing itemized breakdowns of food costs, delivery fees, service charges, and taxes before checkout. Hidden charges after payment are prohibited, and all promotional terms must be clearly disclosed.

Data Protection and Privacy

Platforms cannot collect, use, or share customer personal data for marketing without explicit consent. They must maintain clear privacy policies, allow easy opt-out mechanisms, and provide customers with access to their data. Selling customer data without consent is strictly prohibited.

Operational Fairness Standards

Platforms cannot give preferential treatment to their own brands or affiliated cloud kitchens over independent restaurants unless there are objective operational reasons that are clearly disclosed. Algorithm transparency is required, explaining how rankings and visibility are determined.

Technical Access Requirements

Platforms must provide API access and integration tools to eligible restaurants, third-party logistics providers, and middleware service providers. They cannot impose unfair technical barriers or force restaurants to use platform-proprietary services as a condition of access.

Dispute Resolution Mechanisms

Platforms must establish transparent dispute resolution processes, including access to independent mediation. Consumer complaints about misleading charges must be acknowledged within 3 working days and resolved within 7 working days.

Anti-Competitive Practice Prohibitions

Platforms cannot penalize restaurants for listing on multiple platforms, manipulate consumer choices through biased rankings without transparency, or engage in predatory pricing designed to eliminate competitors. Exclusive arrangements are only permitted under strict conditions with fair compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What are these Guidelines, and what is their objective?

‍A: These Online Food Delivery Platform Guidelines are issued by the Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade (DCCPFT) under Dubai Law No. (5) of 2023. Their objective is to promote fair trade practices, improve transparency between platforms, restaurants, delivery workers, and consumers, and support a balanced, competitive digital food delivery marketplace in Dubai.

Q2: Which businesses do these Guidelines apply to?

‍A: They apply to all online food delivery platforms operating in Dubai, along with the food establishments and other business users (such as third-party logistics providers) that engage with them.

Q3: How much notice must a platform provide before changing its terms?

‍A: At least 30 days' written notice, except in urgent legal or exceptional cases.

Q4: What commission details must platforms disclose?

‍A: Platforms must disclose:

• General and specific commission rate structures
• The methodology for commission calculation
• Marketing and promotional fee structures
• Any technology or service charges, including delivery-related fees and how they are split

Q5: Who bears the cost if a customer cancels an order?

‍A: This depends on the platform's published cancellation policy. The policy must clearly specify when customers can cancel without charge, when cancellation charges apply, and who bears the cost based on the stage of the order and agreed terms.

Q6: Can a platform penalise food establishments for being on multiple platforms?

‍A: No. Penalties, restrictions, or disadvantages for multi-homing are prohibited.

Q7: What is a "Cooling-Off Period"?

‍A: When a food establishment keeps the same commission rate for a transitional period while being free to join other platforms. This can be triggered after an exclusive arrangement has lasted 12 months or more.

Q8: Can platforms impose mandatory marketing fees?

‍A: No. Marketing fees must be optional and agreed in advance.

Q9: Do food establishments have the right to export their data?

‍A: Yes. Platforms must provide a complete, up-to-date export of data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format to allow portability across services.

Q10: Can breaches of the Guidelines be reported?

‍A: Yes, complaints can be submitted to Dubai Corporation of Consumer Protection and Fair Trade at info@dubaidet.ae or visit dubaidet.ae.