Digital Menu in Saudi Arabia: SFDA Calorie and Allergen Rules

Restaurants and cafés in Saudi Arabia have strong reasons to move to a digital menu. Guests are among the most smartphone-savvy in the world, menus change often, and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) requires menus to show calories, allergens and other health information — including on online menus. This guide explains what SFDA expects from restaurant menus, how a QR code digital menu helps you comply, and how to set one up in Arabic and English.

Why Saudi restaurants are switching to digital menus

• Constant updates. Prices, seasonal dishes and Ramadan menus change often. A digital menu updates on every table instantly, with no reprinting.
• Bilingual by default. Guests can switch between Arabic and English on their own phone.
• Health information in one place. Calories, allergens and other required details sit on each dish and stay accurate when recipes change.
• QR ordering. The same QR code can take orders from the table and send them straight to the kitchen.

What SFDA requires on restaurant menus

SFDA introduced calorie labelling on menus in 2019 and has since expanded the rules. Food establishments are expected to show:

• Calories for each item on the menu
• Allergens, covering the major allergens such as milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, gluten, soy and sesame, in clear written Arabic
• Caffeine content for relevant beverages
• Newer health indicators, such as high-sodium markings and physical-activity equivalents for calories

These rules apply to printed and online menus, including delivery platforms. Requirements are updated regularly, so check the latest guidance directly with SFDA and confirm how it applies to your establishment.

How a digital menu helps you comply

One source of truth. When calories and allergens live on each item in your menu system, every QR code shows the same, up-to-date information. There is no risk of an old printed menu staying on a table.

Easy updates. Change a recipe, update the calories and allergens once, and every table sees it.

Bilingual content. Enter item names, descriptions and allergen notes in Arabic and English so every guest can read them.

Consistency with delivery. Use the same numbers on your delivery-app listings, so guests see identical information everywhere.

What MenuBeacon supports today

MenuBeacon's digital menus include:

• a calories field on every item, shown on the guest menu
• allergens and dietary tags on every item, with dietary filters for guests
• multi-language menus, so you can add Arabic translations next to English
• prices in SAR, photos, modifiers and sold-out control
• QR ordering to a live kitchen display, waiter calls and bill requests

MenuBeacon does not yet have dedicated fields for caffeine content, high-sodium markers or physical-activity labels. You can add those details in item descriptions, but check with SFDA that the format meets the current rules for your establishment.

How to set up a compliant digital menu

1. Collect the data. For each dish and drink, get calories per serving and a full allergen list from your recipes or supplier specifications. Many restaurants work with a nutrition consultant for accurate figures.
2. Build the menu with sections, prices in SAR, photos and modifiers. Our guide to creating a digital restaurant menu walks through every step.
3. Add calories and allergens to every item. Do not leave any item blank; check drinks and desserts as carefully as mains.
4. Add Arabic translations for item names, descriptions and allergen notes.
5. Generate a QR code for every table and print it on durable stands with a short instruction in Arabic and English.
6. Test on real phones in both languages before service.
7. Keep a printed version available for guests who prefer paper, with the same information.

Ordering and payments

The same QR code can let guests order from the table, with orders arriving on a live kitchen display. Guests then pay at the counter by mada, card or cash. Online card payments inside MenuBeacon use Stripe, which is not currently available to businesses in Saudi Arabia, so payment happens at your counter.

Your sales invoices must still follow ZATCA e-invoicing rules. MenuBeacon is not a ZATCA e-invoicing solution, so use it alongside a compliant POS. Our guide to restaurant POS systems in Saudi Arabia explains ZATCA requirements in more detail.

What it costs

MenuBeacon's Free plan includes 3 menus with unlimited items, 20 table QR codes, 5,000 scans a month, QR ordering and a live kitchen display. Pro is $20 USD a month and adds staff accounts with PINs, unlimited menus, 200 table QR codes, AI menu import, receipt printing and advanced analytics. There is no commission on your orders. See the pricing page.

Tips for a great digital menu in Saudi Arabia

• Keep calories visible, not hidden behind extra taps.
• Use clear photos of signature dishes; guests order more when they can see the food.
• Prepare Ramadan and Eid menus in advance and schedule them to switch on automatically.
• Place codes where guests look first, such as a stand in the centre of the table.
• Check codes regularly so no one covers them with fake stickers.

The bottom line

A digital menu is the simplest way for Saudi restaurants to keep calories, allergens and bilingual content accurate on every table. Build it carefully, keep the data up to date, and pair it with a ZATCA-compliant POS for invoicing.

Start free with MenuBeacon and build a bilingual menu with calories and allergens today, or see how it works.