QR Menu in Saudi Arabia: How to Choose One, Set It Up and Print It for Your Tables
17 min read
To get a QR menu in Saudi Arabia, pick a provider that writes Arabic properly, shows prices in riyals with VAT included and lets you add calories to every item, then build the menu, print its QR code on table cards and test it on a phone. Guests open it in their phone's browser; nobody downloads an app.
This guide is for owners and managers of restaurants and cafés in the Kingdom who want a QR menu and are deciding how and with whom. It covers what Saudi guests expect, what the rules mean for a digital menu (in brief, with a link to the full checklist), the questions to ask any provider, a step-by-step setup, and how to print and place the codes so they scan the first time.
What guests in Saudi Arabia expect from a QR menu
Almost every guest who sits down in a Saudi restaurant has a phone that can open your menu. The Communications, Space and Technology Commission's Saudi Internet Report 2024 puts internet penetration at 99%, with mobile phones accounting for 99.4% of internet use. A QR menu is not a novelty for this audience. What decides whether they like it is the detail.
| Expectation | What it means for your menu |
|---|---|
| Arabic first | The menu opens in Arabic, reads right to left, and the Arabic is written for Saudi diners, not machine-translated |
| English one tap away | Expat staff, visitors and mixed tables switch language without a second menu or a second code |
| The price is the price | Prices in riyals that already include VAT, so the bill matches the menu |
| Calories on every item | Guests are used to seeing calories since the SFDA rules; a missing number looks careless |
| Fast on mobile data | The page opens quickly on 4G or 5G, without a PDF to download and zoom |
| No app, no sign-up | Point the camera, tap the link, read the menu |
On an iPhone, scanning is two steps in Apple's own guide: open the Camera, hold the phone over the code and tap the link that appears. Anything that adds a step, such as an app to install, a form to fill in or a PDF to download, loses guests at the table.
The Arabic matters more than most providers admit. A menu that shows «شاورما دجاج» with broken letter joins, English punctuation on the wrong side, or a dish name translated word for word tells a Saudi guest that the restaurant did not check. Our guide to writing a bilingual Arabic and English menu covers dish names, descriptions and Saudi wording in detail.
What Saudi rules mean for a QR menu, in brief
A QR menu is a website, and Saudi menu rules already cover websites. The SFDA's calorie guide for restaurants names restaurant websites and smartphone apps alongside printed menus and menu boards as places to show calories, and the SFDA's July 2025 rules on caffeine, salt and activity labels apply to all menus, physical or online, including online ordering platforms. So the question is not whether the rules apply to your digital menu, but how to show the information on it.
| Rule | On a QR menu |
|---|---|
| Calories per item and per size | A number on each item's line, and a separate item for each size if the calories differ |
| 14 allergens, in Arabic | A short «يحتوي على» line in the Arabic description of each dish that contains one |
| Caffeine on drinks | mg per cup or per 100 ml on each caffeinated drink, with the 400 mg adult daily limit note |
| Salt icon and activity label | The same marker in both languages at the start of the description |
| Prices include VAT | Type the final price the guest pays; Saudi VAT has been 15% since 1 July 2020 |
Each rule, its source and example menu lines you can copy are in our Saudi Arabia menu requirements checklist. Read it before you type your first dish, because adding calories and allergens as you go is much faster than going back over 80 items later.
On prices: the Ministry of Commerce said in 2020 that the shelf price must include VAT and is the final price. That statement was about shops; we found no menu-specific text. The safe practice for a restaurant is the same, and it is also what guests expect: the number on the screen is the number on the bill.
How to choose a QR menu provider in Saudi Arabia
Search results for QR menus in the Kingdom are full of freelancers offering a one-off build and software companies listing dozens of features. Most restaurants need far less than either promises. These are the questions that separate a menu you will keep using from one you will abandon after the first price change.
| Question | Why it matters in Saudi Arabia | A good answer |
|---|---|---|
| Does each dish have its own Arabic and English name and description? | One code has to serve Saudi families and English-speaking guests at the same time | Yes, per dish, with a one-tap language switch and true right-to-left layout |
| Can I add calories, allergens and caffeine to every item? | Saudi rules cover online menus too | Dedicated fields, or a description field in both languages where the lines fit |
| Do guests need an app or an account? | Every extra step loses guests at the table | No. The menu opens in the phone's browser |
| How fast can I change a price or hide a sold-out dish? | Supplier prices and stock change weekly | From your phone, live on the next scan, without calling anyone |
| Does the QR code stay the same when I edit the menu? | Reprinting 30 table cards for one price change defeats the point | Yes. The code points to your page, and the page changes |
| Are prices shown in SAR with two decimals? | Guests read riyals, not dollars | Your currency, formatted the way it is written |
| What does it cost per month, and is VAT included? | 15% VAT changes the real price of a subscription | A published price you can check before you sign up |
| Can guests book a table from the same page? | Saves a second tool and a second link | Optional bookings with confirmations to the guest |
A web page, not a PDF
Many cheap offers are a PDF behind a QR code. It works, but a PDF is hard to read on a phone, cannot be searched, cannot hide a sold-out dish, and needs a new file for every change. A real QR menu is a mobile page with categories, photos and search. If you already have a designed printed menu you like, keep it as a button on the page, not as the page itself.
Ownership of the link
Ask what your QR code actually points to. If it points to a generator's short link that you rent, the code can stop working when that subscription ends, and every printed card goes with it. The code should point to your own menu page, and you should be able to see that address.
Ordering and payment are a different purchase
Some systems sell a QR menu as part of table ordering, a POS or payment at the table. Those can be worth it for a busy café, but they are a bigger decision with setup, hardware and per-order costs. If what you need is a menu guests can read and a way to take bookings, buy that first. We compare the two in what an electronic menu costs.
How much a QR menu costs in Saudi Arabia
Prices fall into four groups. We keep the published prices of the main providers, checked on each vendor's page, in our electronic menu prices guide, so here is only the shape of the market and what to watch.
| Option | How you pay | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan from a menu provider | Nothing, usually with limits on items or branches | Item limits, the provider's branding, whether bookings are included |
| Monthly or yearly subscription | A fixed fee per branch | Whether VAT is included, and what happens to your menu if you stop paying |
| One-off build by a freelancer | A single fee for a custom page | Who edits prices later, hosting renewals, and who owns the domain |
| Part of an ordering or POS system | Subscription plus setup, hardware or per-order fees | You pay for ordering even if you only wanted a menu |
Count the costs that are not on the price list: printing table cards, the time it takes you to change a price, and the hours lost if only the freelancer can edit the page. A menu you can change yourself in a minute is cheaper over a year than a cheaper menu you cannot.
AlaMenu has a Free plan with no time limit and no card: one location, up to 10 items per category, and table bookings included. Pro is $4.99 a month for unlimited items and up to two locations, and Premium is $7.99 a month for unlimited locations, WhatsApp confirmations from your own number and no AlaMenu branding on your menu page. Paid plans start with a 14-day trial; the details are on the pricing page.
How to set up a QR menu for your restaurant, step by step
The steps below use AlaMenu, but the order works with any provider. Set aside an afternoon for a menu of 40 to 80 items; most of the time goes into photos and the Arabic descriptions, not the software.
- Gather the facts first. For every item: the final price including VAT, calories for each size, allergens, caffeine for drinks, and meat type and origin. Your supplier sheets and recipe cards are the source.
- Create your account and enter your restaurant's name in Arabic and English, your logo and your colours. Set the currency to SAR.
- Build categories the way guests order, not the way the kitchen prepares: breakfast, mains, grills, sandwiches, hot drinks, cold drinks, desserts. Give each category an image.
- Add each dish with its price, photo, Arabic name and description, and English name and description. Put the compliance line in the description of both languages, in a fixed order: calories · caffeine · allergens. The free menu label generator writes these lines for you.
- Give sizes their own items when their calories or caffeine differ, such as a small, medium and large latte.
- Open the menu on your phone in both languages. Search for a dish in Arabic and in English, check that prices read correctly, and read every Arabic line once out loud.
- Turn on bookings or leave them off. If you take table bookings, set your tables and hours; if not, switch bookings off and the page shows only the menu.
- Download your QR codes from Share & QR in the dashboard and print them (next section).
| Item | Price | Description (AR) | Description (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish latte (M) | SAR 18.00 | 260 سعرة · كافيين 130 ملغ/كوب · يحتوي على: الحليب | 260 kcal · Caffeine 130 mg/cup · Contains: milk |
| Halloumi croissant | SAR 21.00 | 410 سعرة · يحتوي على: الحليب، الغلوتين، البيض | 410 kcal · Contains: milk, gluten, eggs |
| Chicken kabsa | SAR 39.00 | 780 سعرة · يحتوي على: الحليب · دجاج محلي مبرد | 780 kcal · Contains: milk · Local chilled chicken |
Starting from nothing? Our walkthrough of how to create a free QR menu goes through the dashboard screen by screen.
Printing QR codes for your tables
Most scanning problems are printing problems. A code that is too small, too glossy, too close to the edge of the card or printed in low contrast makes guests wave their phones and give up. These rules come from how QR codes work, not from taste.
- Leave a clear margin. The QR standard requires a quiet zone four modules wide on every side (a module is one of the small squares). Do not let a border, a logo or the card's edge cut into it.
- Keep the link short. The more data in a code, the more modules it needs, and the denser it prints. A short menu address gives a code with fewer, larger squares at the same printed size, which phone cameras read more easily.
- Choose sensible error correction. QR codes can be read even when part is damaged; level M (15%) is the usual choice, and Q or H suits places where codes get dirty. On a busy table that gets wiped with wet cloths all day, a higher level can help.
- Dark on light, high contrast. Print a black or very dark code on a white or cream background. For the text around it, aim for at least the 4.5:1 contrast ratio that web accessibility guidelines set for normal text.
- Matte, not gloss. Restaurant lighting reflects off glossy lamination and hides the code. Use matte paper or matte lamination.
- Size for the distance. As a working rule (ours, not a standard), print the code at least 3 cm wide on a table card a guest holds, and much larger on a window or wall that is scanned from a metre or more away.
- Test before you print 40. Print one card, put it on a real table under your evening lighting, and scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone from where a guest sits.
In AlaMenu, Share & QR gives you two ready codes: one that opens the menu in English and one that opens it in Arabic, each as a downloadable PNG with a table-card layout. For most Saudi restaurants, put the Arabic code on the tables; English-speaking guests switch language with one tap at the top. If you want a code in your own colours or for another link, the free QR code generator exports PNG or SVG.
Where to place QR codes in a restaurant or café
| Where | Format | Text next to the code |
|---|---|---|
| Every table | Table tent or sticker, one per table | «امسح الرمز لعرض المنيو» / Scan to view our menu |
| Counter and pickup point | Stand facing the queue | «اطّلع على المنيو قبل الطلب» / See the menu before you order |
| Entrance or window | Large sticker at eye level | «المنيو والحجز» / Menu and bookings |
| Takeaway bags and receipts | Small printed code | «شاهد المنيو كاملاً» / See our full menu |
| Instagram bio and Google profile | The menu link, not an image of the code | Your menu link |
Always put words next to the code. A bare black square on a table could be anything; one short line tells the guest what they will get. Put the Arabic line first and larger, and the English below it.
Should you keep printed menus? Keep a few. Some guests prefer paper, and a phone can run out of battery. Staff should also be able to answer allergen questions without asking the guest to scan. The QR menu becomes the menu you keep up to date; the printed copies are the backup.
Taking table bookings from the same page
Once guests know your menu link, it is also the natural place to book. With AlaMenu, the same page can take table bookings: the guest taps to reserve and picks a date, a time and a party size, and you confirm from a floor plan that will not let a table be booked twice. Confirmations go to the guest on WhatsApp, and by email too if they left one. Bookings are included on the Free plan, and you can switch them off if you do not take them.
This helps most on Thursday and Friday evenings and during Ramadan, when calls for tables pile up while staff are busy. See how the restaurant booking system works, or read how to choose a restaurant booking system if you are comparing tools.
Common QR menu mistakes in Saudi restaurants
- English-only menus. Saudi families should not have to read a menu in a second language, and allergen information has to be in Arabic.
- Prices before VAT. The guest sees 20 riyals and pays 23. Type the final price.
- The new riyal symbol showing as an empty box. Many fonts and phones cannot draw it yet; write SAR or ريال unless you have checked it on ordinary phones.
- A PDF behind the code. Hard to read, impossible to search, and out of date after the first price change.
- Calories on the printed menu but not the QR menu. The rules cover online menus too, and the QR menu is the one guests actually open.
- Codes on glossy cards or in dim corners. Test under evening light before printing a full set.
- Sold-out dishes still on the menu. Hide them for the day instead of letting the waiter apologise.
Launch checklist
- Every item has an Arabic and an English name.
- Every price is in SAR and includes VAT.
- Every item shows calories; every size has its own figure.
- Dishes with allergens list them in Arabic; caffeinated drinks show caffeine.
- Sold-out items are hidden, not deleted.
- The menu opens in Arabic from the table code and switches to English in one tap.
- One printed test card scanned with an iPhone and an Android phone under evening light.
- Codes printed on matte card with a clear margin and a line of text in Arabic and English.
- The government unified QR code is on the shop front, separate from the menu code.
- The menu link is in your Instagram bio and on your Google business profile.
Questions
How do I make a QR menu for my restaurant in Saudi Arabia?
Choose a QR menu provider, add your dishes with Arabic and English names, VAT-inclusive prices in SAR and calories, then download the QR code and print it on table cards. On AlaMenu's Free plan (up to 10 items per category) you can do it yourself in an afternoon.
Is a QR menu legal in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Nothing we found prohibits a digital menu. It has to carry the same information as a printed one, such as calories, allergens in Arabic and caffeine on drinks, because the SFDA rules cover online menus too. See our Saudi menu requirements checklist.
Do guests need an app to open a QR menu?
No. The guest points the phone camera at the code and taps the link, and the menu opens in the browser. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
How much does a QR menu cost in Saudi Arabia?
It ranges from free plans to monthly subscriptions and one-off freelance builds. We list providers' published prices in our electronic menu prices guide. AlaMenu has a Free plan; Pro is $4.99 a month.
Should my QR menu be in Arabic or English?
Both, from one code. Open the menu in Arabic for the table code in Saudi Arabia and let guests switch to English with one tap. Allergen information has to be in Arabic either way.
What size should a QR code be on a restaurant table?
We print table codes at least 3 cm wide, with a clear margin of four modules around the code as the QR standard requires. Use matte card and test it under your evening lighting before printing a full set.
Do I have to reprint the QR code when prices change?
No. The code points to your menu page, and you change the page. With AlaMenu, editing dishes and prices never changes the code; only changing your menu link would.
Sources
- Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST), Saudi Internet Report 2024 announcement (12 May 2025)
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority, calorie guide for restaurants (3 October 2017, Arabic)
- Food Compliance International, SFDA menu rules apply to physical and online menus from 1 July 2025
- ClearTax, VAT rates in Saudi Arabia (15% from 1 July 2020)
- Argaam, Ministry of Commerce: displayed prices must include VAT (4 August 2020, Arabic)
- DENSO WAVE (QR code inventor), QR code margin and module size
- DENSO WAVE, QR code error correction levels
- DENSO WAVE, QR code versions and data size
- Apple Support, Scan a QR code with your iPhone or iPad
- W3C, WCAG 2.1 Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum)
Try it on your own menu
AlaMenu's Free plan includes the bilingual QR menu, table bookings on a floor plan and WhatsApp confirmations. No card required.
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