New research from YouGov reveals a shift in how UAE residents approach dining out, as evolving lifestyles reshape one of the nation’s favorite pastimes. According to the UAE Dining Out Report 2025, 31% of UAE diners say they are eating out less frequently than they did a year ago, with this share rising to 37% among GenX and Baby Boomers+ diners.

For most, the reason isn’t rising prices but changing habits. More than half of those dining out less often cite cooking more at home as the primary reason (52%), followed by lifestyle changes (39%) and modest attempts to save money (36%).

High dining costs (34%), rising living expenses (29%), and fewer social occasions (12%) also contribute to diners eating out less often.

Three in four UAE residents (75%) feel that restaurant prices have risen over the past year, with significantly more female diners (82%) saying so compared to males (72%).

Still, the appetite for eating out remains strong, with nearly six in ten residents (59%) dining out at least once a week. However, diners are becoming more selective. The report found that 54% of UAE residents have altered their dining preferences to save money, with 55% seeking discounts or coupons and 49% choosing cheaper restaurants. These behaviours are more common among females.

When it comes to incentives, Buy One, Get One (BOGO) offers are the top motivator, enticing half of UAE diners (50%) to eat out more often, especially female diners (62%). Other key incentives include discounts (46%), loyalty points or rewards (34%), and birthday or anniversary rewards (29%).

Among restaurant brands, KFC leads as the most considered dining option in the UAE, with a consideration score of 38.9%, followed by McDonald’s (35.2%) and Albaik (33.6%).

Pizza Hut (31.2%) and Burger King (26.3%) round out the top five, highlighting the enduring dominance of global fast-food chains in the local dining landscape.

Download the full report here.

Methodology

Insights for this report are drawn from YouGov Surveys: Serviced, conducted between August 11 and September 2, 2025, among 976 respondents in the UAE. UAE diners are defined as those who eat out at restaurants, cafés, pubs, or fast-food outlets less than once a month or more often.

The brand rankings in this report are sourced from YouGov’s always-on brand tracker, YouGov BrandIndex.​ Consideration scores are based on respondents’ answers to “When you are in the market next to purchase food or drink, from which of the following would you consider purchasing?” Filtered by respondents who are likely or very likely to dine out in next 2 weeks. To qualify as a top ranked brand, brands​ must have scores available for at least​ 183 days between October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025.