Ask five agencies in Dubai what a website costs and you will get five answers, anywhere from AED 3,000 to well over AED 200,000. None of them are necessarily wrong. They are pricing different things. This guide breaks down what a website actually costs in Dubai in 2026, what drives the number up or down, and the costs most quotes leave out, so you can compare proposals properly and budget with confidence.
Quick answer: website costs in Dubai (2026)
For most businesses in Dubai, a professional website costs between AED 12,000 and AED 35,000. A bilingual corporate site typically runs AED 35,000 to AED 90,000, and an online store AED 15,000 to AED 120,000 depending on the platform. These figures exclude 5% VAT and ongoing running costs.
| Website type | Typical scope | Cost (AED, excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page or basic site | 1 to 5 pages, template-based design | 3,000 to 10,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Business / SME website | 6 to 15 pages, CMS, forms, basic SEO setup | 12,000 to 35,000 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Bilingual corporate website | 15 to 60 pages, English and Arabic, custom design | 35,000 to 90,000 | 8 to 14 weeks |
| E-commerce on Shopify | Customised theme, payments, product setup | 15,000 to 60,000 | 4 to 10 weeks |
| E-commerce on WooCommerce or custom | Bespoke design, integrations, larger catalogues | 35,000 to 120,000+ | 8 to 16 weeks |
| Custom web app or portal | Accounts, dashboards, bespoke functionality | 60,000 to 275,000+ | 3 to 9 months |
Treat these as planning ranges, not price lists. Where your project lands depends on the factors below.
What drives the cost of a website in Dubai
1. Arabic and English: bilingual is not just translation
This is the factor most international pricing guides ignore, and it matters more in the UAE than almost anywhere. A properly bilingual site needs a right-to-left (RTL) layout that mirrors navigation, icons and components, Arabic typography that is chosen and tested rather than left to a system default, separate URLs for each language so Google can index both, and copy written for Arabic readers rather than machine-translated. Done well, Arabic support adds meaningfully to design and build effort. Done badly, it costs you the Arabic-speaking half of your market.
Your platform choice affects how well this works. We compared the two most common options in detail in Shopify vs WordPress in the UAE.
2. Platform: WordPress, Shopify or custom
- WordPress suits most business and corporate sites. It is flexible, SEO-friendly and has no monthly platform fee, but it needs hosting and regular maintenance.
- Shopify is the fastest route to a reliable online store. Build costs are lower, but you pay a monthly plan fee, app subscriptions and transaction fees for as long as the store runs.
- Custom development makes sense when your requirements genuinely do not fit a platform, such as booking engines, member portals or complex integrations. It costs the most to build and to change later.
3. Custom design vs a template
A premium template, adapted to your brand, can look excellent and keeps costs down. Fully custom UI/UX design, built around your customers and your conversion goals, takes longer and costs more, but it is usually the difference between a site that looks fine and a site that sells. If your brand identity is not settled yet, sort that first: designing a website on an unfinished brand is one of the most expensive mistakes we see.
4. Number of pages and who writes the content
Page count matters less than page types. Ten pages built from two templates cost far less than ten unique layouts. Content is the hidden variable: professional copywriting in two languages, product photography and video can rival the cost of the build itself. Ask every agency whether content is included or expected from you.
5. Features and integrations
Every connection to another system adds time: payment gateways popular in the UAE such as Telr, PayTabs, Tabby and Tamara, CRM and email tools, booking systems, inventory or ERP feeds. For e-commerce, small details add up too, including correct AED pricing display. (If you run a Shopify store, here is how to add the new UAE Dirham symbol.)
6. SEO, speed and tracking from day one
A site that is not found or not measured is an expensive brochure. Technical SEO setup, page speed optimisation, Google Analytics 4, Search Console and ad pixels such as the Meta Pixel should be part of the build, not an afterthought. Fixing them later almost always costs more. For IBYX, an e-commerce brand selling in the US and Canada, we resolved their SEO issues, optimised page speed and reconnected their Meta Pixel so ad spend could be tied back to site performance.
7. Redesigns and migrations
If you already have a site with traffic, a redesign must include an SEO migration: mapping every old URL to a new one with 301 redirects, preserving page titles and content that ranks, and monitoring rankings after launch. Skipping this can wipe out years of organic traffic overnight. Budget for it explicitly, and be wary of any redesign quote that does not mention it.
The costs most website quotes leave out
The build price is only part of what you will pay. Check every quote for the following.
| Cost | Typical amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VAT | 5% of the invoice | Applies if your agency is VAT-registered. Confirm whether the quote includes it. |
| Domain name | AED 100 to 170 per year | .ae and .com domains are both common in the UAE. |
| Hosting | AED 75 to 500+ per year | WordPress only. Shopify includes hosting in its plan fee. |
| Maintenance and support | AED 2,000 to 12,000 per year | Updates, security, backups, uptime and small changes. |
| Licences and apps | Varies | Premium plugins, Shopify apps, fonts, stock imagery. |
| Content updates | Varies | New pages, products, campaigns and blog posts after launch. |
The UAE has applied VAT at a standard rate of 5% since 1 January 2018 (source). On a AED 40,000 project that is AED 2,000, which is worth knowing before you approve a budget.
Agency vs freelancer in Dubai
A good freelancer can be the right choice for a simple site with a clear brief. You will usually pay less, but you take on the project management, and you depend on one person for design, development, SEO and support. An agency costs more because you get a team: strategy, design, development, content and performance working together, with continuity if someone is unavailable. The right question is not which is cheaper, but who will still be accountable for the site’s performance a year after launch.
How to compare website quotes
Quotes that look far apart are often scoped differently. Before choosing, ask each agency to confirm:
- Which platform they will use, and who owns the site, domain and accounts at the end
- Whether the design is custom or template-based
- Whether Arabic is included, and how it is handled (RTL layout, separate URLs, who writes the Arabic copy)
- Who supplies the content and imagery
- What SEO, speed and tracking setup is included
- How many revision rounds are included
- Whether VAT, hosting, licences and maintenance are included or extra
- What happens after launch: support period, response times and monthly costs
Be cautious of a quote that is dramatically lower than the rest. It usually means something on this list is missing.
How to reduce your website cost without hurting results
- Launch in phases. Go live with the pages and features that generate revenue, then add the rest.
- Use a platform where it fits. Shopify or WordPress will cover most needs at a fraction of custom development cost.
- Reuse page templates. Fewer unique layouts means less design and build time.
- Prepare your content early. Late content is the most common cause of delays and extra charges.
- Do not cut SEO, speed or tracking. These are what turn a website into a sales channel.
How CEED prices website projects
We start with a short discovery session to understand your goals, audience and existing assets, then provide a fixed-scope proposal that lists exactly what is included, from design and development to SEO setup, tracking and post-launch support. No hidden fees, and no surprises at handover.
Our web and digital team builds WordPress and Shopify sites for businesses across the UAE and Jordan. For Next Ride, a car rental company entering the UAE market, we built the brand from scratch and a custom WordPress site designed to convert, backed by ongoing SEO. For DazzleMyDay, we designed and launched a Shopify store that carries their existing brand identity into e-commerce.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost in Dubai?
Most business websites in Dubai cost between AED 12,000 and AED 35,000. Basic sites start at around AED 3,000, bilingual corporate sites typically cost AED 35,000 to AED 90,000, and custom web applications can exceed AED 275,000. Prices usually exclude 5% VAT.
How much does an e-commerce website cost in the UAE?
A Shopify store typically costs AED 15,000 to AED 60,000 to build, plus monthly platform, app and transaction fees. A WooCommerce or custom store usually costs AED 35,000 to AED 120,000 or more, depending on catalogue size, integrations and design.
How much extra does an Arabic version cost?
Adding a properly built Arabic version, with a right-to-left layout, Arabic typography and separate indexable URLs, adds significantly to design and build effort, plus the cost of Arabic copywriting. Ask for it to be priced as a separate line so you can see exactly what it costs.
How long does it take to build a website in Dubai?
A basic site takes 2 to 3 weeks, a business website 4 to 8 weeks, and a bilingual corporate site or larger online store 8 to 16 weeks. Delays in content and approvals are the most common reason projects run late.
What ongoing costs should I budget for?
Budget for your domain (AED 100 to 170 per year), hosting (AED 75 to 500+ per year for WordPress), maintenance and support (AED 2,000 to 12,000 per year), plus any premium plugins, apps or content updates.
Get a clear quote for your website
Tell us what you need the site to do, and we will tell you what it will cost, with every line item spelled out.