Cost guide · UAE · 2026
Website development cost in Dubai and the UAE: what decides the price
A UAE website costs more or less depending on the kind of project, whether it needs Arabic, and how it takes payment. We are an Indian team working UAE hours, and websites start from AED 1,500, rising with the pages, features and add-ons you need; you get a fixed number for your project in writing after a short conversation.
This guide covers what decides the price for a UAE business, what recurs after launch and how to compare quotes from agencies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and India.
Updated · Get a written quote
The short answer: three kinds of project, very different costs
Almost every website brief falls into one of three kinds. The kind is set by what the site has to do, not by how it looks, and the difference in cost between the first and the second is large.
Websites start from AED 1,500, and the price rises as pages, features and add-ons are added. A number on a page cannot see your project, so after a short conversation on WhatsApp or a call you get one written number and one delivery window.
| Kind of project | What it is | What pushes the cost up | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business site | Brochure or business site on WordPress | Number of pages, content we have to write, integrations | 1–3 weeks |
| Online store | WooCommerce, Shopify or custom-coded store | Catalogue size and options, custom checkout logic, integrations, custom code over a platform | 2–5 weeks |
| Platform | Portals, marketplaces, dashboards, web apps | Roles and permissions, payments, third-party systems, data migration | 4–14 weeks |
What moves the cost inside each kind
Two projects with the same feature list can differ by weeks. These are the things we ask about, because each one changes the amount of work.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| WordPress or custom-coded | A custom-coded site (typically Next.js) has every template written rather than configured. It costs more and earns that back when speed or unusual logic matter. |
| Number of pages and templates | Each distinct template is design and build time. Ten pages that share one layout cost far less than ten pages that each need their own. |
| Content | If the words and photos arrive on day one the build is faster. If we are waiting for them, or writing them, it takes longer and costs more. |
| Integrations | CRM, ERP, courier, payment and booking systems each need connecting and testing. |
| Custom functionality | Anything beyond what a platform or plugin does out of the box: special checkout rules, calculators, dashboards. |
| Design level | A conversion-focused design with custom illustration or motion takes longer than a clean, standard one. |
| Deadline | A faster delivery than our usual window means reshuffling other work. |
| Second language | Each extra language is more pages to build and check, plus copy from a native writer. |
What a UAE site adds: Arabic, dirham checkout and VAT
An Arabic version is, for costing purposes, more pages: each Arabic page is built and checked like an English one, so a full Arabic version roughly doubles the page count. The Arabic copy itself should come from a native writer.
UAE stores usually settle in AED through gateways such as Network International, Telr, PayTabs or Stripe, and offer buy-now-pay-later through Tabby or Tamara. Which fits depends on your bank and margins, and we choose it with you during scoping.
UAE VAT is 5%. How it applies to a supplier outside the UAE depends on your registration, so ask your accountant before comparing our quote with a local one.
What you give up by hiring outside the UAE
Two things. Meetings are on video, not across a table, although we are available 24/7, so every UAE working hour is covered. And without a UAE office we cannot put you in the Google Maps results for "near me" searches; that needs your own Google Business Profile at your own address, which we can help you set up.
Everything else (the developer who writes the code answering after launch, accounts in your name, a fixed written quote) is the same as for our clients in India.
Running costs after launch
The build is a one-time cost. Three things recur, and a quote that leaves them out is not complete. Ask every agency about all three.
| Cost | Paid to | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Support and maintenance | Your developer | Uptime monitoring, fixes and, on some plans, ongoing changes. We quote it with the project. |
| Domain and hosting | Your registrar and host, directly | Set up in your company's name from day one. We do not resell hosting. |
| Payment gateway fees | Your gateway, per transaction | Charged by the gateway, not by us. |
| Platform and app fees | The platform, directly | For example a Shopify monthly plan, themes and paid apps. |
Why quotes for the same site vary so much
If you have three quotes for what sounds like the same site and they differ several times over, it is usually one of three things. The cheap quote is a theme with your logo on it and no content work. The expensive quote includes things the others left out, such as copy, SEO structure or support. Or the agencies heard three different projects in the same brief.
The fix is to compare scope, not totals. Ask each one what is excluded, who owns the domain and hosting accounts, what happens when you need a change in month six, and what the payment terms are.
Also check what "fast" means. Google measures real-user speed with Core Web Vitals, and it is worth asking any agency to show you those numbers for a site they have already built.
How to get a number from us
Message us on WhatsApp at +91 73482 28167 or use the contact form, and tell us what the site has to do. We reply within 24 hours, ask the few questions in the table above, and send one written scope with a fixed price and one delivery window. There is no charge for the scope.
UAE and comparable builds
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Read the DeeToo case studyMariBiz.ai
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Read the MariBiz.ai case studyFrequently asked questions
- How much does a website cost in UAE?
- It depends on the kind of project: a business site, an online store and a platform are very different amounts of work, and pages, content, integrations and deadline move the number further. Websites start from AED 1,500, and every extra page, feature or add-on adds to that. Message us on WhatsApp at +91 73482 28167 and you get a fixed written quote within 24 hours.
- Why don't you publish your prices?
- Because a published number is a guess about a project we have not heard yet, and the range between a simple site and a custom one is too wide to be useful. A short conversation gives you a real number instead.
- Is the quote fixed?
- Yes. The written quote names one price and one delivery window, agreed before any work starts, with no per-revision charge inside the agreed scope.
- How long does a website take?
- A business site typically takes 1–3 weeks from content sign-off, an online store 2–5 weeks and a platform 4–14 weeks. The written quote names one delivery window.
- Does an Arabic version cost extra?
- Yes, in pages: each Arabic page is built and checked like an English one, so a full Arabic version roughly doubles the page count. The Arabic copy should come from a native writer.
- Do you have an office in the UAE?
- No. We work with UAE businesses remotely from Lucknow and Mumbai, and our team is available 24/7.
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