Ecommerce Website Cost in the UAE (2026 Guide)
"How much does an ecommerce site cost in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?" gets a wide range of answers because UAE ecommerce involves local payment rails (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Network International, Telr), bilingual design, VAT-compliant invoicing, and logistics integrations that a generic Shopify quote never covers.
Here are the real AED ranges we see in 2026 and what each tier actually delivers.
UAE ecommerce tiers
| Tier | One-time (AED) | Payments included | VAT invoicing | Bilingual AR+EN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Our recommendation Network International or Telr, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Tabby, Tamara, and VAT-compliant invoicing — all in one fixed-scope build. | AED 15,000+ | Full Gulf stack | Native | Native |
Freelance builds (Malt, Mostaql, Upwork) Cheap upfront, variable quality. Gulf payments often missing or bolted on. | AED 1,500–6,000 | Stripe/PayPal only | Plugin | Variable |
Dubai agency mid-tier Polished but opaque ownership. Watch for monthly retainers. | AED 25,000–80,000 | Full | Included | Yes |
Shopify (with UAE apps) Fast to launch but AED 600–1,500/month in app fees to cover Gulf needs. | AED 2,000–6,000 setup | Via apps | Via apps | Via theme |
What changes the price
- Payment stack. Network International + Apple Pay + Samsung Pay + Tabby + Tamara adds AED 3,000–8,000 vs a single Stripe/PayPal setup.
- VAT invoicing. UAE FTA VAT invoices with TRN, bilingual fields, and proper number sequencing = AED 2,000–6,000.
- Arabic RTL quality. Real bilingual AR+EN adds 25–35% to design/dev vs a single-language site. See our Arabic RTL design rules.
- Multi-emirate logistics. Integrations with Fetchr, Aramex, DHL, Quiqup, Careem Now — budget AED 1,500–4,000 per integration.
- .ae domain + hosting with low UAE latency. AED 300–1,000/year.
What we include at each tier
| Tier | Pages | Gateway | VAT invoicing | BNPL | Year 1 care | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Starter | Up to 20 products | NI or Telr + Apple Pay | Yes | Optional | 30 days fixes | | Professional | 100+ products, multi-category | Full stack | Yes | Tabby + Tamara | 30 days + care plan | | Premium | Unlimited + multi-branch | Full stack + wallet | Yes + automation | Tabby + Tamara | Care plan from AED 400/mo |
Hidden costs to ask about
- Product photography — AED 300–800/product for lifestyle shots.
- Content writing (AR+EN) — AED 3,000–12,000 for 20–50 products.
- Ongoing hosting + maintenance — AED 400–1,500/month.
- Post-launch changes — ask for the hourly rate in writing.
- App/feature additions — review scope monthly to avoid creep.
When to choose SaaS vs custom in UAE
- Under AED 500k/yr GMV and launching fast: Shopify or Salla.
- AED 500k–2M GMV: start SaaS, plan migration as you scale.
- Above AED 2M GMV: custom pays for itself in 18 months.
Common questions about UAE ecommerce website cost
Stripe works but misses Apple Pay/Samsung Pay optimization and doesn't handle Tabby or Tamara. For a serious UAE store you need Network International or Telr plus BNPL.
The honest summary
A professional bilingual UAE ecommerce site costs AED 5,000–30,000 one-time, depending on scope. Under that range you're paying for a template. Above it, you're paying for agency overhead you rarely need.
Fix the scope, fix the price, and ask for year-one total in writing.
