01
Arabic RTL, properly
Mirrored layouts, Arabic typography, number formats and a language switcher that keeps the visitor on the same product.
The Shopify agency in Dubai for brands that sell across the Gulf.
We design, build and launch Shopify stores for UAE brands: Arabic and English, Tabby and Tamara, local carriers, VAT-correct checkout. One team from strategy to the first order.
Launch store fromAED 4,950
Custom themeAED 14,500
Timeline3 to 16 weeks
LanguagesEnglish and Arabic RTL
A good Shopify agency in Dubai builds the storefront and the UAE plumbing around it: Arabic RTL, Tabby and Tamara, local carriers, VAT and search. Launch stores start at AED 4,950 in 3 to 4 weeks, custom themes at AED 14,500, and Shopify Plus builds at AED 34,500 or more. All prices exclude 5% VAT.
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
Who we build for
Brands that already know what good looks like.
Our clients-to-be are founders and heads of e-commerce who compare their store with the best in their category, not with the competitor next door. Some are first-time sellers with a strong product. Others are established retailers leaving WooCommerce, Magento or a local platform. What they share is a standard for taste, a need for UAE-specific checkout, and no patience for a store that looks like a template.
- Fashion, fragrance, jewellery, watches, home and beauty
- Retailers and wholesalers adding a direct online channel
- Brands selling in AED, SAR and KWD from one store
- Teams that want to edit their own site after launch
What a project covers
From strategy to the first order, in one team.
A launch store compresses these steps. A custom or Plus build runs all of them. Nothing here is outsourced to a template marketplace.
- Week 1
Strategy and structure
Catalogue model, collections, navigation, markets and the checkout journey. We agree what the store must do before anyone opens Figma.
- Weeks 1 to 2
Design in Figma
Home, collection, product, cart and checkout for desktop and mobile, in English and Arabic. You approve screens, not guesses.
- Weeks 2 to 5
Theme and app build
A Shopify 2.0 theme with sections you can edit, plus only the apps the store needs. Custom code replaces app bloat where it makes sense.
- Weeks 3 to 6
UAE commerce layer
Tabby and Tamara, Apple Pay, COD rules, carrier rates, VAT display and invoices, Arabic RTL review by a native reader.
- Weeks 5 to 7
SEO, CRO and QA
Structured data, redirects, metadata, speed budget, accessibility pass, and a device test across real phones.
- Launch
Go live and hand over
DNS cutover, order tests with real payments, a recorded training session and a 30-day fix window.
The UAE layer
The parts generic agencies skip.
A store can look excellent and still lose orders at checkout. These are the details we treat as part of the build, not extras.
02
Tabby and Tamara
Instalment messaging on product and cart pages, with the right eligibility rules and testing before launch.
03
UAE carriers
Shipping rates by emirate, same-day rules, COD handling and tracking links your support team can use.
04
VAT and invoices
Prices shown inclusive or exclusive as you decide, with tax-correct receipts. Confirm your own treatment with your accountant.
05
Search that matches the market
Bilingual metadata, product schema and collection copy written for how people in the UAE actually search.
06
Conversion work
Sticky add to cart, clear delivery promises, trust signals and a checkout that does not ask for what it already knows.
How we work
You see the store while it is being built.
Every project runs on a private staging store from the first week. You review real pages on your own phone, not a PDF of them. We work in short rounds: design approval, build review, content load, QA. Each round ends with a written list of what changed and what is next, so nothing depends on memory or a long chat thread.
- One named lead who answers your messages
- Weekly review call and a shared task list
- Git-based theme work, so every change is traceable
- Admin training recorded for new staff
Choosing a partner
Freelancer, large agency or a focused studio.
There is no universally right answer. This is the honest trade-off we see most often.
| Freelancer | Large agency | Our studio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | Lowest | Highest, often retainer-led | Fixed AED scope per tier |
| Who builds your store | One person | Juniors under account managers | The lead you meet in week one |
| Arabic and UAE checkout | Varies by person | Usually available, billed as extra | Included in scope |
| Risk if someone is unavailable | High | Low | Low, work is in shared git and docs |
| Pace of decisions | Fast | Slower, more layers | Fast, small team |
| Best fit | Small, simple stores | Multi-country enterprise programmes | Ambitious brands that want senior attention |
If you need a 40-person team across ten countries, a large agency is the right call. We say so when it is.
Who we are not for
Honest limits, so you do not waste a call.
We would rather say this now than after a deposit.
01
Budgets under about AED 2,500
Start on a Shopify theme yourself and use our Shopify cost guide. A studio build will not pay back at that size.
02
Multi-country enterprise programmes
If you need a team of 40 across ten countries, a large agency is the better fit.
03
Marketplace-only sellers
If you sell only on Amazon.ae or Noon and do not want your own store, a build is not your next spend.
04
Anyone who wants a guaranteed result
We cannot promise rankings, traffic or sales. We build the store properly and show you how to read the numbers.
05
Stores needed in a few days
A launch store takes 3 to 4 weeks. For a weekend launch, a DIY theme is the realistic route.
06
Sellers without a licence in place
Confirm the right licence with DET or your free zone first. Payment providers ask for it before they approve you.
Pricing
Three clear tiers, priced in AED.
All prices exclude 5% VAT. Under AED 20,000 we bill 50% at start and 50% at launch. Above that, 30 / 40 / 30.
Launch store
AED 4,9503 to 4 weeks
A polished store on a refined theme, ready to sell.
- Theme setup and brand styling
- Up to 30 products loaded
- Arabic or English
- Payments and shipping configured
- Training session
Custom theme
AED 14,5006 to 8 weeks
A store designed and coded around your brand.
- Bespoke Figma design
- Custom Shopify 2.0 theme
- Arabic RTL and English
- Tabby, Tamara, carriers, VAT
- SEO and speed budget
Shopify Plus
AED 34,500+10 to 16 weeks
For complex catalogues, B2B, multi-market or headless.
- Checkout extensibility
- B2B and wholesale
- Custom apps and integrations
- Multi-market setup
- Priority support plan
Care plans from AED 395 per month cover updates, fixes and small improvements after launch.
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
A store only sells when the right people see it. See our performance marketing →
Design studies
Work that shows how we think.
Stores and systems we designed and engineered to show how we approach a brief like yours.
Maison Verre
A design study of a luxury Shopify Plus theme: editorial collections, a sticky purchase panel and an enquiry form for high-value pieces.
Oud Atelier
A design study showing how we handle a bilingual Shopify store with real right-to-left layout and instalments through Tabby.
Questions
Answers before you call.
Prices are in AED and exclude 5% VAT.
Our launch stores start at AED 4,950, custom themes at AED 14,500 and Shopify Plus builds at AED 34,500 or more, all excluding 5% VAT. Shopify's own subscription, apps and payment fees are separate and set by those providers, so confirm current rates with them.
A launch store takes 3 to 4 weeks, a custom theme 6 to 8 weeks and a Plus project 10 to 16 weeks. The biggest variable is how quickly product content and approvals reach us.
Yes. Arabic RTL is part of the design and the build, not a plugin added at the end. A native Arabic reader checks layouts, spelling and number formats before launch.
Yes, subject to approval by those providers for your business. We configure the integrations, show instalment messaging on product and cart pages, and test real orders before launch.
Selling online normally sits under a trade or e-commerce licence, but the exact licence and activity depend on your business. Confirm with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) or your free zone before you launch. Payment providers also ask for it. We build the store once that is clear.
Yes. We build with editable sections, so your team changes banners, collections and pages without a developer. You get a recorded training session and written notes.
Yes. We migrate products, customers and orders and map every old URL to its new one, so search traffic is protected. See our Shopify migration page for the full process.
You get a 30-day fix window. After that you can move to a care plan from AED 395 per month or call us when you need something. You own the store and the code.
Read next
Start a project
Tell us what you sell. We will tell you what it takes.
Send your catalogue size, markets and launch date. You get a scoped answer with a fixed AED figure, not a sales call.