Saudi ArabiaOctober 14, 2026 · 3 min read

Delivery Apps Fill Your Riyadh Restaurant's Orders. They Also Take a Cut of Each One.

Restaurant owner checking a new order placed on the restaurant's own website

The lunch rush in Riyadh sounds the same in most kitchens now: the tablet chimes, a rider waits at the counter, and the order goes out in a bag. Business looks good. Then the payout statement arrives, and the number is smaller than the noise suggested.

Delivery apps are not the enemy. They bring customers you would never reach on your own. The problem starts when your regulars, people who already know and love your food, keep ordering through the app too. You pay a commission to reach a customer you already have.

How Big Delivery Has Become in Saudi Arabia

A study reported by Argaam found that sales through delivery apps in the Kingdom grew from SAR 2.8 billion in 2018 to SAR 16.2 billion in 2023, and the number of orders rose from 228 million in 2023 to 408 million in 2025. Redseer puts the 2025 market at SAR 24 billion in gross value across more than 60,000 restaurant locations, and notes that restaurant economics came under pressure, especially for independent and small restaurants.

The same Argaam report says the same menu item can cost the customer around 20% to more than 80% more on a delivery app than on the restaurant's own app, and that the General Authority for Competition is reviewing app contracts and practices.

The Commission Math on Your Own Orders

Commission rates are set in private contracts, so check yours. A commercial consultant quoted by Al-Watan said the advertised commission can be around 18%, and that once campaigns and other costs are added, the total can pass 40% in some cases. Here is what those rates mean on an example of 500 orders a month at SAR 100 each:

Total cost to you	Per SAR 100 order	On 500 orders a month
18% (advertised)	SAR 18	SAR 9,000
30% (example)	SAR 30	SAR 15,000
40% (with extras)	SAR 40	SAR 20,000

Put your own contract rate and order count into the same three columns. Now ask a simple question: how many of those 500 orders came from people who have eaten with you before?

Keep more of every order. Start my website

Keep the Apps for New Customers. Move Regulars to Your Site.

The goal is not to leave the apps. It is to stop paying them for customers you already earned. A simple ordering website does that job:

Your full menu on your own page, with photos, prices and a pickup or delivery button. One link you can share anywhere.
Payment people already use. mada, Apple Pay and cards at checkout, so ordering direct is as easy as the app.
A reason to order direct. A pickup discount, a free side or a loyalty stamp that only exists on your site.
The link in every bag. A small card with a QR code to your site turns an app customer into a direct customer next time.
Your site on Google. Add the link to your Google Business Profile, so people searching your name land on your menu, not a third-party listing.

Your Week One Checklist

Pull last month's app statement and write down the real total you paid, not only the commission line.
List your 20 best sellers. That is your first online menu.
Decide pickup only or nearby delivery with your own driver. Pickup is the easiest start.
Print a bag card with the QR code before the site launches.