Data from 95 public restaurant and cafe accounts in Dubai, collected October 2026.
By Suara data team
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Short answer
In our sample of 95 Dubai restaurant accounts, the median account posts 8.0 times a month and gets 1.6 likes per post for every 1,000 followers. Likes per 1,000 followers are lower than the median across all 10 cities (5.2, 1,187 accounts), and posting frequency is about the same as the median (5.3 a month).
95
Accounts in sample
All 10 cities: 1,187
Posts used: 1,041
8.0
Median posts per month
All 10 cities: 5.3
n = 95 accounts
1.6
Median likes per post per 1,000 followers
All 10 cities: 5.2
n = 95 accounts
48%
Share of posts that are video
All 10 cities: 40%
n = 1,041 posts
20%
Share of posts that are carousels
All 10 cities: 27%
n = 1,041 posts
3
Median hashtags per post
All 10 cities: 1
n = 1,041 posts
Key findings
The median Dubai account in our sample gets 1.6 likes per post per 1,000 followers (90% interval 1.2 to 2.0), lower than the 10-city median of 5.2.
The median account posts 8.0 times a month (90% interval 5.1 to 9.9), about the same as the 10-city median of 5.3.
Video makes up 48% of the 1,041 Dubai posts we looked at (90% interval 44% to 53%), higher than the share across all 10 cities (40%). Carousels are 20% and single photos 32%.
In our sample, likes per 1,000 followers are 1.4 for 5k to 20k followers (31 accounts) and 1.2 for 20k to 100k (41 accounts). At this sample size the gap is within the uncertainty, so we do not call it a difference.
Across the full Index sample of 1,355 accounts, accounts that posted more got fewer likes per post per 1,000 followers: a median of 8.0 for under 4 posts a month (550 accounts) against 2.7 for 13 or more (269 accounts). This is a correlation, not proof that posting less causes more likes.
The data
1How many likes do Dubai posts get?
Likes per post per 1,000 followers, one dot per account, 95 accounts
Dubai account / medianMedian, all 10 cities
Source: Suara Restaurant Index, 95 Dubai accounts and 1,187 accounts across 10 cities, posts collected October 2026.
Note: each account figure is the median of its posts that show a like count and are at least 7 days old. Log scale.
Use 1.6 likes per post per 1,000 followers as a reference point, not a target. To compare, take the median likes on your posts that are at least a week old, divide by your followers and multiply by 1,000. See finding
Posting more often is not a guaranteed way to more likes per post. Across the full sample, accounts that posted more got fewer likes per 1,000 followers. If you post often, it may be worth watching likes per post as well as volume. See finding
Video was 48% of posts in our Dubai sample. If your feed is mostly one format, trying a mix and comparing your own numbers over a few weeks is a cheap test. See finding
In short: 95 public Dubai restaurant, cafe, bar and bakery accounts, up to 12 recent posts each, collected October 2026. All figures are medians across accounts, with 90% bootstrap intervals, checked by an independent second recount.
Full method
Sample: 95 public Instagram accounts of restaurants, cafes, bars and bakeries in Dubai, found from OpenStreetMap listings, the venues' own websites and web search in October 2026. Accounts were included if they had 200 or more followers, 4 or more recent posts and at least one post in the 60 days before 14 October 2026. Excluded: hotels, directories, reviewers, creators, personal accounts, venues in the wrong city and closed venues. For each account we used its most recent posts that are not pinned and carry a timestamp, up to 12. Reference time: 14 October 2026, 06:00 UTC. Posts per month = (posts minus 1) divided by the days between the first and last post, times 30. Likes per 1,000 followers = the median likes of the account's posts that show a like count and are at least 7 days old, divided by its followers, times 1,000. The city figure is the median across accounts. Post format and caption figures are pooled across all posts used. Post hours are converted to Dubai local time (Asia/Dubai). Uncertainty: 90% bootstrap intervals (4,000 resamples of accounts). We call Dubai higher or lower than the 10-city figure only when its interval does not include that figure. Groups under 20 accounts are not shown. All figures were checked by an independent second recount. The 10-city comparison pools 1,187 accounts in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Sydney, Melbourne, Vancouver, Toronto, London and Dubai.
This is a snapshot of 95 accounts in one month, not a census of Dubai restaurants. Accounts were found by search, so well-known venues are likely over-represented. We measure likes only: no comments, saves, shares, reach or sales. Likes are public counts and can include paid or bought engagement. Differences between cities smaller than the uncertainty bars may be chance. Nothing here shows that one format or posting time causes more likes.
How to cite
Suara (2026). Restaurant Index: Dubai, October 2026. trysuara.com/index/dubai. Data licensed CC BY 4.0.
What is a good engagement rate for a Dubai restaurant on Instagram?
We measure likes per post per 1,000 followers rather than engagement rate. In our sample of 95 Dubai restaurant accounts, the median was 1.6 (90% interval 1.2 to 2.0), against 5.2 across all 10 cities. Smaller accounts usually score higher on this measure, so compare with accounts of a similar size.
How often do Dubai restaurants post on Instagram?
In our sample of 95 accounts, the median account posted 8.0 times a month, against 5.3 across all 10 cities. 18% posted under 2 times a month and 32% posted 12 or more times.
What do Dubai restaurants post most on Instagram?
Of the 1,041 posts we looked at, 48% were video, 20% carousels and 32% single photos. The median caption was 190 characters with 3 hashtags.
How was this measured?
We collected public Instagram data for 95 Dubai restaurant, cafe, bar and bakery accounts in October 2026, using up to 12 recent non-pinned posts per account. Likes per 1,000 followers is the median likes on posts at least 7 days old divided by followers, times 1,000. City figures are medians across accounts with 90% bootstrap intervals.
How do I compare my account?
Take your last 12 posts that are at least a week old, find the median likes, divide by your follower count and multiply by 1,000. Compare that with 1.6 for Dubai, and with the figure for your follower band in the chart above.
Other cities
Median likes per post per 1,000 followers in each city sample.