Guide · Abu Dhabi
What's included, and what it comes to, per guest in Abu Dhabi.
Real numbers, not a range. These are the rates our own booking engine charges every visitor, from a head office based here.
Almost no caterer in Abu Dhabi publishes a price. You send an enquiry, wait, and get a PDF whose per-head number has service, transport and margin folded into it in a way you cannot check.
Our head office sits at ADGM on Al Maryah Island, and the rates below are the same figures the booking engine quotes to every visitor, in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, so you can work out what your event costs before you speak to anyone, including us.
Prices and policies on this page are the ones our booking engine uses. Last reviewed .
By experience
What each experience comes to.
A custom menu built dish by dish is priced from what your guests eat: each dish is costed by its kind, prawns above lamb, lamb above chicken, chicken above vegetarian, and a menu lands between AED 80 and AED 400 per head.
Nothing on this page changes between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Same packages, same per-head rates, same booking engine.
| Package | Per head | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | AED 140 | 3 veg + 2 non-veg starters, 2 veg + 1 non-veg mains, 1 rice, 2 salads or sides, 1 dessert, a bread basket, setup and service-ware |
| Premium | AED 180 | 3 veg + 2 non-veg + 1 seafood starters, 2 veg + 1 non-veg + 1 seafood mains, 1 rice, 2 salads or sides, 1 dessert, a bread basket, one live station |
| Luxury | AED 210 | 4 veg + 2 non-veg + 1 seafood starters, 2 veg + 2 non-veg + 1 seafood mains, 1 rice, 3 salads or sides, 2 desserts, a bread basket, two live stations, premium dishes |
On top of the food
The lines people forget.
The catering setup is one flat AED 500 charge across the emirate, so a villa on Saadiyat Island and a ballroom at Emirates Palace price the same way.
| Item | Basis | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Service staff | One waiter per 50 guests at a buffet, at least two; one per 20 when food is carried round | AED 150 per waiter |
| Additional chef | Per chef, per event | AED 350 |
| Catering setup | Flat, per event, any guest count: transport, setup and clearing, chafing dishes, plates and cutlery | AED 500 |
| Live counter | Each one beyond your package: chef and food, up to three dishes | AED 20–35 a guest |
| Soft drinks | Per guest | AED 12 |
| Cleaning crew | Per event | AED 250 |
| Round table (seats 8–10) | Per table | AED 80 |
| Chair, basic / premium | Per chair | AED 20 / AED 30 |
| VAT | On the total | 5% |
By guest count
From twenty guests to five hundred.
On the Classic package at AED 140 per head, every food figure drops by about a fifth: a 200-guest event at Emirates Palace or a similar ballroom lands near AED 30,555 all in. On Luxury at AED 210 the same event rises to roughly AED 45,255, with two live stations already included rather than added.
Note how the catering setup never moves. AED 500 is the same charge at twenty guests as at five hundred, which is why very small events feel proportionally expensive and why the AED 2,500 minimum order exists.
| Guests | Food | Waiters | Staff cost | Catering setup | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | AED 3,600 | 2 | AED 300 | AED 500 | AED 220 | AED 4,620 |
| 30 | AED 5,400 | 2 | AED 300 | AED 500 | AED 310 | AED 6,510 |
| 40 | AED 7,200 | 2 | AED 300 | AED 500 | AED 400 | AED 8,400 |
| 50 | AED 9,000 | 2 | AED 300 | AED 500 | AED 490 | AED 10,290 |
| 60 | AED 10,800 | 2 | AED 300 | AED 500 | AED 580 | AED 12,180 |
| 100 | AED 18,000 | 2 | AED 300 | AED 500 | AED 940 | AED 19,740 |
| 200 | AED 36,000 | 4 | AED 600 | AED 500 | AED 1,855 | AED 38,955 |
| 300 | AED 54,000 | 6 | AED 900 | AED 500 | AED 2,770 | AED 58,170 |
| 500 | AED 90,000 | 10 | AED 1,500 | AED 500 | AED 4,600 | AED 96,600 |
Minimums
The floor.
- Minimum 20 guests.
- Minimum order value AED 2,500.
- Booking confirmed on full payment in advance.
- Final guest count due 72 hours before; charges follow the confirmed count or actual attendance, whichever is higher.
- Quotes valid 14 days.
Where it gets spent
Abu Dhabi venues, in practice.
Villa and compound events on Saadiyat, Yas and Al Reem carry the same flat AED 500 transport charge as a mainland address, but gated communities usually need vehicle access cleared with security in advance, which is worth telling us at booking rather than at the gate.
Hotel ballrooms, from Emirates Palace to Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, generally require outside catering to be confirmed with the venue first. Once that is confirmed, the per-head pricing on this page is what we quote regardless of which hotel.
Common questions
Answers before you ask.
- How much does catering cost per person in Abu Dhabi?
- At Cater Inc., AED 140 per head on the Classic package, AED 180 on Premium and AED 210 on Luxury, the same rates as Dubai. A custom dish-by-dish menu ranges from AED 80 to AED 400 per head. On top, budget AED 150 per waiter (one per 50 guests at a buffet, at least two; one per 20 for passed canapés), AED 500 transport and 5% VAT.
- Is Abu Dhabi catering more expensive than Dubai?
- No. The packages, the per-waiter rate, the transport charge and VAT are identical in both emirates, because both are quoted by the same booking engine from the same head office.
- What is the minimum spend for catering in Abu Dhabi?
- AED 2,500, with a minimum of 20 guests, the same floor as everywhere else we serve.
- How much is catering for 50 people in Abu Dhabi?
- About AED 10,290 all in on Premium: AED 9,000 food at AED 180 per head, AED 300 for two waiters, AED 500 catering setup and AED 490 VAT. That includes one live station, which the Premium package carries.
- How much is catering for 100 people in Abu Dhabi?
- About AED 19,740 all in on Premium: AED 18,000 food, AED 300 for two waiters, AED 500 catering setup and AED 940 VAT. On Classic it is nearer AED 15,540; on Luxury, about AED 22,890.
- How much is catering for 200 people in Abu Dhabi?
- About AED 38,955 all in on Premium: AED 36,000 food, AED 600 for four waiters, AED 500 catering setup and AED 1,855 VAT. This is the most common wedding-reception size we quote in the emirate.
- How much is catering for 500 people in Abu Dhabi?
- About AED 96,600 all in on Premium: AED 90,000 food, AED 1,500 for ten waiters, AED 500 catering setup and AED 4,600 VAT. At this scale plan multiple service zones rather than one buffet line.
- Does transport cost more for island venues like Saadiyat or Yas?
- No. Transport is one flat AED 500 charge across the emirate. Gated island communities often need vehicle access cleared with security beforehand, so tell us the community at booking.
- Is VAT included in catering prices in Abu Dhabi?
- Not in the per-head rate. VAT of 5% applies to the total, and our online quote shows it as a separate line, same as in Dubai.
- Who handles catering enquiries in Abu Dhabi?
- Gaurav Varma, our Chief Executive Officer, looks after Abu Dhabi directly from the head office at ADGM on Al Maryah Island.
Keep reading
Related to this page.
- GuidesWhat catering costs per person in DubaiWhat catering in Dubai includes and costs: AED 140 to 210 a guest, about AED 10,290 for 50 guests and AED 19,740 for 100, with staff, setup and VAT.
- CateringWedding catering in Abu DhabiWedding catering in Abu Dhabi since 1985. Mehndi, sangeet and reception menus from AED 140 per head, for 20 to 3,500 guests. Compose yours online.
- CateringCorporate catering in Abu DhabiCorporate catering in Abu Dhabi from AED 140 per head. Board lunches, launches, conferences and daily office meals from HACCP-certified kitchens since 1985.
- CateringPrivate & home party catering in Abu DhabiPrivate party catering at home in Abu Dhabi. Birthdays, Diwali, majlis dinners and villa parties from 20 guests and AED 140 per head, staff and setup included in the quote.
- GuidesHow much food to order per guestHow many dishes and how much food per guest for a UAE event: course counts by package, live-station ratios, and how to plan a buffet for 50, 200 or 500 people.
Ready when you are
Compose your menu, course by course.
No commitment and no phone call. Choose every course yourself in about two minutes, then send it over and we'll take it from there.