In Q3 2026, UAE delivery orders rose 8% compared to the same period the previous year, while dine-in orders fell 16%, according to Syrve MENA data. The growth rate slowed from around 11% in July to 5% in September.
Dubai : Delivery orders in the UAE rose 8% year on year in Q3 2026, while dine-in orders fell 16%, highlighting the growing importance of delivery as overall restaurant demand weakened, according to new data from Syrve MENA.
In Q3 2025, delivery accounted for 30% of orders in the UAE. This year, that share has risen to 36%, and delivery now represents 27% of revenue, up from 24%. For restaurants that offer delivery, orders per restaurant rose by 15%. Across all restaurants, including those with and without delivery, orders increased by 20%.
Report Cubes predicts UAE online food delivery will rise from $10.86 billion in 2026 to $22.19 billion by 2034, growing at 9.34% annually.
The average value of a delivery order fell by around 2% and remains roughly one-third lower than the average dine-in order. Although delivery orders grew by 8%, revenue still declined by 4%. In both the delivery and dine-in segments, average order value for most restaurants remained steady, suggesting no major discounts or price increases.
Delivery orders slow down during the summer
In restaurants that offer delivery, daily delivery orders were 2% lower than in the second quarter, although a small number of them increased. Total orders fell by 7% and dine-in orders by 10%, meaning delivery still accounted for a greater share.
Daily delivery orders peaked in June, fell by around 10% in July and August, and then regained about half of that decline in September.
Between early August and late September, weekly revenue was 5% to 9% below 2025 levels, and orders fell by 6% to 12%. Although the average dine-in order value increased by 8% to 11%, most restaurants saw the average ticket change by less than 0.5%, with half increasing and the other half decreasing.
Restaurants that had a higher average ticket size gained more orders, while those with a lower average ticket size lost orders. Average revenue per operating restaurant increased by 7%, but the median restaurant declined by 2%, indicating fewer and smaller restaurants were open.
Weekday patterns remained stable. The number of delivery orders stayed about the same throughout the week, accounting for 35% to 38% of daily orders, as it did last year. Dine-in is more common on weekends, with the average check on a Saturday being roughly 60% higher than on a Monday. Together, Friday and Saturday account for 37% of the weekly revenue.
Daily revenue in September was 16% greater than it was in August, just as happened last year, reflecting the usual start of the business season.
Outlook for Q4: key trends and priorities
In the UAE last year, median revenue increased for restaurants with more than 40% of orders coming through delivery, while those with less than 40% of orders delivered declined by 6-9%.
Last year, 45% of restaurants grew, while 22% lost more than a quarter of their revenue. Currently, 42% of restaurants do not provide delivery, down from 44% last year, with only a few having started offering delivery this year.
“Q3 shows that delivery is taking a bigger share in the UAE because dine-in is shrinking, not because restaurants are cutting prices or offering discounts. Operators who track their channel mix and demand every week, instead of just every quarter, are better able to adapt,” says Alex Ponomarev, CEO, Syrve MENA.
The UAE foodservice market is likely to grow from $68.99 billion in 2026 to $121.93 billion by 2031, an annual growth rate of 12.07%. Cloud kitchens, which only offer delivery, are projected to grow at the fastest rate of 12.28%.
