01
Payments
Card acquiring through providers such as Stripe, Telr, Network International or Checkout.com, chosen by your trade licence, settlement needs and fees. Apple Pay where supported. Integration from AED 1,450.
Ecommerce website development in Dubai, built around how the UAE actually buys.
We choose the platform with you, then build the store, the payments, the delivery rules and the Arabic version as one system. No platform loyalty, only a recommendation we can defend.
FromAED 4,950
Launch store3 to 4 weeks
PlatformsShopify · WooCommerce · custom
Local setupTabby · Tamara · VAT · RTL
Ecommerce website development in Dubai starts at AED 4,950 for a Shopify launch store in 3 to 4 weeks, AED 22,000 for a WooCommerce build, and AED 34,500+ for Shopify Plus or custom commerce. Prices exclude 5% VAT. The platform matters less than payments, delivery, Arabic and tax set up correctly.
Updated · Prices in AED, excluding 5% VAT
- Fixed price in writingScope and AED price agreed before work starts
- You own everythingStore, domain, code and accounts in your name
- 30-day fix windowBugs after launch are fixed at no charge
- Reply in one working dayFrom a senior person, not a form robot
01 · The decision
Platform first is the wrong first question.
Most failed stores did not pick a bad platform. They skipped the questions that decide it: how many products, who manages them, what must connect to stock and accounting, and whether the buyer is a consumer, a trade customer or both. We answer those in a short discovery, then recommend one platform in writing, with the reasons and the trade-offs.
- Catalogue size, variants and how often prices change
- Who edits the store day to day, and their skill level
- Connections to ERP, stock, courier and accounting
- Arabic, multi-currency and B2B requirements
02 · Shopify, WooCommerce or custom
An honest comparison, including where we would not pick Shopify.
Most Dubai brands we speak to are well served by Shopify. Some are not. This is how we separate them.
| Shopify | WooCommerce | Custom / headless | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Most consumer brands, fast launch, low upkeep | Content-heavy sites, bookings, unusual pricing rules | Complex catalogues and unique experiences |
| Our price | AED 4,950 to 14,500+ | AED 22,000 | AED 34,500+ |
| Time to launch | 3 to 8 weeks | 6 to 10 weeks | 10 to 16 weeks |
| Running cost | Monthly plan plus apps | Hosting plus maintenance | Hosting, engineering, care plan |
| Security and updates | Handled by the platform | Your responsibility, we can manage it | Your responsibility, designed in |
| Flexibility | High within the platform | Very high, code level | Unlimited, at a cost |
| Main risk | App sprawl and monthly fees | Slow, outdated or hacked if neglected | Over-building for a simple shop |
Platform fees and plan features change. Confirm current pricing with each vendor before you budget.
03 · UAE essentials
The parts a generic agency forgets.
These are built into every store we deliver, not added after the first customer complaint.
02
Tabby and Tamara
Buy now, pay later is a normal expectation in the UAE. We set up both, show instalments on the product page and test the failed-payment paths.
03
5% VAT
Tax-inclusive pricing, correct invoices and VAT shown the way UAE shoppers expect. Your accountant signs off the setup, not us.
04
Arabic RTL
A real right-to-left layout with mirrored components, Arabic typography and translated checkout, not a plugin that flips the page.
05
UAE shipping
Emirate-level zones, same-day or next-day rules for Dubai, free-shipping thresholds, cash on delivery where you want it, and courier label and tracking integrations.
06
GCC expansion
Currency, duty messaging and shipping rules for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman when you are ready. Confirm customs rules with your logistics partner.
04 · Marketplaces
Own store, marketplace, or both.
Amazon.ae and Noon bring demand you cannot buy cheaply on day one. They also own the customer, set the rules and take a commission. Our usual advice is to use marketplaces for discovery and push every repeat purchase to your own store, where you keep the email, the data and the margin. We build the catalogue once and feed both channels from it.
- One product source, synced to your store and marketplaces
- Packaging inserts and loyalty offers that move buyers to your site
- Reporting that shows true margin per channel after fees
05 · How a build runs
Six steps, one point of contact.
A launch store takes 3 to 4 weeks. Custom and Plus builds take 10 to 16.
- Week 1
Discovery and platform decision
Catalogue, channels, payments, tax and systems audit. A written recommendation and a fixed scope.
- Week 1 to 2
Design
Home, collection, product, cart and checkout designed for mobile first, with Arabic planned from the start.
- Week 2 to 3
Build
Theme or custom build, product import, payments, shipping and tax configuration.
- Week 3
Integrations
Tabby, Tamara, couriers, accounting, email and WhatsApp click-to-chat connected and tested.
- Week 4
Test and train
Test orders across card, wallet and instalments. Your team learns to run the store.
- After launch
Care
Monitoring, fixes and improvements on a care plan from AED 395 a month.
06 · Speed and search
Fast on a phone in Dubai traffic, findable on Google.
Most of your visitors arrive on mobile, often on a patchy connection. We design to a Core Web Vitals budget, compress and size images properly, limit third-party scripts and structure the catalogue for search from the first day. Product and collection pages carry the markup that search engines and AI answers read.
- Image and script budget agreed before design is signed off
- Structured data for products, prices and availability
- Clean collection URLs and a redirect map if you are moving platforms
07 · Pricing
Fixed scope, fixed price, in dirhams.
All prices exclude 5% VAT. Under AED 20,000 is 50% at start and 50% at launch. Above that is 30/40/30.
Shopify launch store
AED 4,9503 to 4 weeks
A tailored store on a proven theme.
- Up to a defined product import
- Tabby, Tamara and card payments
- VAT and UAE shipping setup
- Training session
WooCommerce store
AED 22,0006 to 10 weeks
When content, bookings or custom rules lead.
- WordPress plus WooCommerce
- Custom fields and pricing rules
- Hosting and security setup
- Care plan option
Custom theme
AED 14,5006 to 8 weeks
Shopify with a bespoke storefront.
- Fully custom theme
- Arabic RTL layout
- Editable sections
- Performance budget
Plus, headless, custom apps
AED 34,500+10 to 16 weeks
For scale and complex operations.
- Checkout and B2B customisation
- ERP and stock integration
- Custom apps and automations
- Dedicated team
Payment integration is available separately from AED 1,450. Try the Shopify store cost calculator for a quick estimate.
08 · Who we are not for
When we are the wrong choice.
A fair view, so you do not pay for more than you need.
01
Budgets under about AED 2,500
Shopify's own themes or an Instagram shop are a fair start. Our smallest store package starts at AED 3,450.
02
Selling only on marketplaces
If Amazon and Noon are all you need, a separate store adds cost without much return yet.
03
A few products sold by message
If customers order on WhatsApp and you have fewer than 20 items, a catalogue and WhatsApp automation may be enough for now.
Based in Dubai, working remotely
Zelqori is a Dubai-based ecommerce and performance marketing agency.
Zelqori builds ecommerce websites and runs performance marketing for premium brands across Dubai, the rest of the UAE, the GCC and globally. We are based in Dubai and work remotely by design: projects run on Gulf Standard Time over Google Meet, WhatsApp and a shared project channel, and we meet clients in Dubai by appointment.
- Based in DubaiDubai time (GST), replies within one working day
- Remote by designGoogle Meet and WhatsApp, meetings in Dubai by appointment
- Dubai, GCC, globalUAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and beyond
- One teamThe store, the ads and the tracking built by the same people
Design studies
Work that shows how we think.
Stores and systems we designed and engineered to show how we approach a brief like yours.
Questions
Answers before you call.
Prices are in AED and exclude 5% VAT.
Our launch Shopify store is AED 4,950, a custom Shopify theme is AED 14,500, a WooCommerce build is AED 22,000, and Shopify Plus, headless or custom apps start at AED 34,500. All exclude 5% VAT. Your final figure depends on products, integrations and languages.
Choose Shopify if you want the fastest launch and the least upkeep. Choose WooCommerce if content, bookings or unusual pricing rules sit at the centre of the business and you accept responsibility for hosting and updates. We will tell you plainly which fits.
It depends on your trade licence, settlement preferences and fees. Stripe, Telr, Network International and Checkout.com are common choices, and availability varies by platform. We compare them with you and set up the one you select. Confirm fees and eligibility with each provider.
Yes. We configure both, display instalment messaging on product and cart pages, and test approval, decline and refund paths. You need an approved merchant account with each provider, which we can guide you through.
If your buyers include Arabic readers, yes, and a proper right-to-left layout converts better than a translated overlay. We plan Arabic from design stage so it never feels bolted on. Some brands launch English first and add Arabic in phase two.
We configure tax-inclusive or exclusive pricing, invoice details and shipping tax to match how you account for VAT. Your accountant should confirm the rules for your business, as they depend on your registration and what you sell.
Marketplaces help with discovery, but they own the customer relationship and charge commission. Most brands do best with both: marketplaces to be found, their own store for repeat sales and margin. We can build the catalogue to feed both.
Instagram is good for being found, but you do not own the audience, the checkout or the customer list there. A small store of your own takes the order, payment and delivery details in one place. Many UAE sellers start with a launch store from AED 4,950 and keep posting on Instagram to send people to it. Confirm your licence needs with DET.
Read next
Start a project
Tell us what you sell. We will tell you what to build it on.
A 20-minute call, then a written platform recommendation and a fixed AED quote.