An ecommerce website in Dubai costs AED 12,000 to AED 30,000 for a professionally built Shopify or WooCommerce store. Custom platforms with ERP, POS or warehouse integrations run AED 35,000 to AED 120,000 and above. Template-only builds from freelancers start around AED 5,000. Add 5% VAT to any quote. A professional build takes four to ten weeks once the agency has your products and content.
Ecommerce website cost in Dubai at a glance
| Type of store | Typical price (AED) | Timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter store (template, up to ~50 products) | 5,000 – 12,000 | 2 – 4 weeks | Testing a product idea |
| Professional store (custom design, 50 – 500 products, UAE payment gateway, Arabic optional) | 12,000 – 30,000 | 4 – 10 weeks | Established retailers moving online |
| Custom or integrated (ERP, POS, warehouse, multi-currency, B2B pricing) | 35,000 – 120,000+ | 10 weeks+ | Multi-store, wholesale and marketplace operations |
Widget System builds in the middle band, from AED 12,000. Our wider breakdown of every website type is in what a website costs in Dubai.
What other Dubai agencies publish (September 2026)
Most agencies quote only after a call. These publish ranges. Each figure was taken from the agency's own website in September 2026; the links go to the source pages, and prices change.
| Agency | Published ecommerce price (AED) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Motionlabs | Shopify 5,000 – 15,000 · WooCommerce 12,000 – 35,000 · custom 45,000 – 120,000+ | motionlabs.agency |
| Dynamologic | basic 10,000 – 25,000 · mid-tier 30,000 – 75,000 · enterprise 80,000+ | dynamologic.com |
| Widget System | 12,000 – 30,000 (Shopify or WooCommerce) | widgetsystem.com |
| Royex | Shopify 12,000 – 16,000 · WooCommerce 18,000 – 25,000 · custom 35,000 – 65,000 | royex.ae |
| Ron Studios | Shopify 12,000 – 25,000 · WooCommerce 25,000 – 60,000 | ronstudios.com |
| CrawlApps | 15,000 – 85,000; enterprise above 120,000 | crawlapps.com |
| Element8 | 15,000 – 110,000+ | element8.ae |
| DXB Apps | most stores 18,000 – 60,000 | dxbapps.com |
Every published range agrees on one thing: a properly built store in Dubai starts around AED 12,000. Quotes far below that are templates with your logo dropped in. Quotes far above it are paying for integrations you may not need in year one.
What moves the price
- Number of products, and who writes the product copy. Two hundred products with photos and descriptions supplied is a build. Two hundred products with nothing supplied is a build plus a content project.
- Platform. Shopify is fastest and cheapest to launch and charges a monthly plan. WooCommerce has no platform fee but needs hosting and maintenance. Custom platforms cost three to five times more and only make sense when an off-the-shelf one genuinely cannot do the job.
- Language. English only, or English and Arabic with right-to-left layout. Arabic adds design and content work on every page.
- Payment and delivery. One UAE payment gateway and cash on delivery is standard. Multiple gateways, instalment providers, multi-currency or courier integrations each add scope.
- Integrations. Accounting, POS, ERP or warehouse connections are what push a project from the middle band to the top one.
- Photography. Product images are the most under-budgeted item in UAE ecommerce. Budget for them separately.
Costs that are not in the build quote
- Platform subscription. Shopify plans start at roughly USD 29 to 39 a month. WooCommerce is free but needs hosting.
- Hosting and domain. Around AED 300 to 1,500 a year for a WooCommerce store, depending on traffic.
- Payment gateway fees. UAE gateways typically charge 2.5% to 3.5% per transaction plus a small fixed fee, and some charge a setup or annual fee.
- Trade licence. You need a UAE trade licence with an e-commerce activity to sell online, from a free zone or the mainland. Budget for it before the build, not after.
- VAT. 5% on the build invoice. Once your taxable turnover passes AED 375,000 a year you must register for VAT and charge it on every sale.
- Maintenance and marketing. A store with no traffic plan is a brochure. Budget for at least one channel, whether that is SEO, social media or paid ads, from month one.
How long an ecommerce build takes in Dubai
Four to ten weeks for a professional store, counted from the day the agency has your products, content and payment gateway details. The slowest steps are almost never technical: product data arriving late, copy not written, and payment gateway approval, which depends on your licence paperwork. If you want a launch date, work backwards from those three.
Red flags in an ecommerce quote
- No mention of a payment gateway, VAT or shipping zones. The quote is for a website, not a store.
- "Unlimited products" at a starter price. The template is doing the work, not the agency.
- No mobile checkout testing. Most UAE ecommerce traffic is on a phone.
- Hosting or the domain registered in the agency's name. You should own both.
- No handover of admin access at the end of the project. Ask before you sign.
What Widget System charges
From AED 12,000 one-time, plus 5% VAT, for a store on Shopify or WooCommerce with a UAE payment gateway, VAT, shipping zones and Arabic handled before launch rather than bolted on after. Delivery is six to eight weeks from the day we have your content, with three rounds of design revisions. That AED 12,000 is a floor for a real scope, not a fixed price; your quote lands on or above it and we tell you which before you commit. Full details on the ecommerce development page and every package on the pricing page.
How to get an accurate quote
Tell us how many products you sell, whether you have photos and descriptions, whether you need Arabic, and what the store must connect to. We reply with a platform recommendation and a number. If a template store is the right answer for your stage, we say so.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an ecommerce website cost in Dubai?
AED 12,000 to AED 30,000 for a professionally built Shopify or WooCommerce store. Template builds start around AED 5,000; custom integrated platforms run AED 35,000 to AED 120,000 and above. Add 5% VAT.
How much does a Shopify website cost in Dubai?
Dubai agencies publish Shopify builds at AED 5,000 to AED 25,000 depending on design and product count, plus the Shopify plan at roughly USD 29 to 39 a month. Widget System builds Shopify stores from AED 12,000.
Do I need a trade licence to sell online in the UAE?
Yes. You need a UAE trade licence that includes an e-commerce activity, from a free zone or the mainland, before a payment gateway will approve your store.
Is VAT charged on an ecommerce website build?
Yes, 5% VAT applies to the build invoice. Separately, once your taxable turnover exceeds AED 375,000 a year you must register for VAT and charge 5% on your sales.
How long does it take to build an ecommerce website in Dubai?
Four to ten weeks for a professional store, from the day the agency has your products, content and payment gateway details. Widget System delivers in six to eight weeks from content handover.
What are the ongoing costs after launch?
Platform subscription (Shopify) or hosting (WooCommerce), payment gateway fees of roughly 2.5% to 3.5% per transaction, domain renewal, maintenance, and a marketing budget to bring traffic to the store.
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