Saudi Arabia opened to international tourism relatively recently, issuing its first tourist visas in 2019, and the tipping culture that exists in longer-established travel hubs such as the UAE or Qatar is still forming here. That means the norm is less fixed, and reactions to a tip can genuinely vary by venue and by the individual staff member's own background.
What is reasonably safe to do
International hotel restaurants and chains in Riyadh, Jeddah and the newer tourism developments: around 10% is welcomed and increasingly expected by staff used to international guests.
Smaller, traditional restaurants: a tip is appreciated if the service was genuinely good, but leaving nothing is completely normal and will not be read as rude.
Taxis and rideshare: rounding up the fare is the most common and comfortable gesture.
Hotel porters: a few riyals per bag is a reasonable, low-key amount.
Why this differs from Qatar and the UAE: those destinations have had large expatriate hospitality workforces and international tourism for considerably longer, which has settled tipping expectations into something closer to a fixed norm. Saudi Arabia's hospitality sector is younger on this specific point, so a flexible, modest approach serves you better than assuming a fixed percentage.
What this looks like somewhere like AlUla or Riyadh
In the newer tourism developments built specifically for international visitors, such as AlUla, staff are trained with Western tipping norms explicitly in mind, and 10-15% is a safe, welcomed amount. In central Riyadh, away from those purpose-built visitor areas, the picture is more mixed, and following the staff member's own cue — a thank you versus visible pleasure at a tip — is a reasonable way to judge it in the moment.