Almost all UAE catering is priced per person, which looks like it makes quotes comparable. It does not, because two caterers quoting AED 60 a head can be selling very different things. What matters is where the line sits between the per-head number and the extras.
What the price bands actually buy
- AED 40 to 50: a vegetarian or limited menu, buffet service, a working spread rather than a showpiece
- AED 60 to 70: the standard full package. Meat mains, a grill selection, bread, dessert, drinks
- AED 80 to 90: a wider main course selection and more premium cuts
- AED 100 to 120: the top package, usually with a whole-animal centrepiece
- Above AED 150: generally hotel or event-company catering, where venue and service are inside the number
Our four packages sit at AED 45, AED 65, AED 85 and AED 110 per person, which maps onto the first four bands. The Premium at AED 110 includes a whole mutton dam pukht ouzi served on rice.
What should already be in the per-head price
In a complete quote: salads and sauces, a soup, the main courses, a grill selection, bread, dessert, and water with soft drinks. If any of those are being added separately, the headline number is not the number.
That is what ours covers across all four packages, drawn from a list of 160 dishes.
What is legitimately charged on top
Live counters and setup, because both need equipment and staff assigned to your date. Ours, listed openly: french fries and nuggets AED 5 per person on the 45, 65 and 85 packages; live BBQ, live tandoor or live jalebi AED 10 each; live puri AED 15; table and chair setup AED 15.
That is the honest structure. A caterer who folds all of it into one figure is either not offering live counters or has priced them in whether you use them or not.
How to compare two quotes properly
Convert both to a total for your actual headcount, with the extras you actually want, and compare those. A per-head figure alone is close to meaningless.
For 100 guests on our Classic at AED 65, that is AED 6,500, plus AED 1,000 if you want a live BBQ counter, so AED 7,500. Now you have something to hold another quote against.
The questions that reveal the difference
- Is service staff included, and how many for my headcount?
- Is transport and setup inside the price or outside it?
- Are chafing dishes, crockery and cutlery included?
- What is the minimum order, and does my event clear it?
- What is the final numbers deadline, and what happens if guests do not turn up?
That last one is worth the most money and is asked the least. Our position, and the industry norm, is that the bill stands at the number you booked. We set out the full deposit and payment terms separately.
Where the floor sits
Outdoor catering has a minimum order of AED 3,000, which is worth checking against your headcount before anything else. At 30 guests only the Premium package clears it, which is why smaller events are usually better booked inside the restaurant.
We cover Sharjah, Dubai and Ajman. Every package, dish and add-on price is on the catering menu.
Four packages, nothing hidden
AED 45 to AED 110 per person across 160 dishes, with every add-on listed at its own price.
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