Ask five web developers in Dubai for a quote and you might get prices from AED 3,000 to AED 150,000 for what sounds like the same website. The difference is rarely just profit margin. It’s what’s actually included.
This guide gives indicative price ranges, explains what drives the cost, and lists the questions that help you compare quotes fairly.
Indicative website prices in Dubai
These ranges reflect typical market pricing for professional agencies and studios in the UAE. Freelancers and template builds can be cheaper; large enterprise projects can be far more.
| Website type | What it usually includes | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter business site | 5 to 8 pages, template-based design, contact form, basic SEO | AED 8,000 to 15,000 |
| Custom business website | Unique design, 10 to 30 pages, CMS, integrations, full on-page SEO | AED 15,000 to 50,000 |
| Bilingual corporate site | Custom design in English and Arabic with RTL, multiple sections | AED 30,000 to 90,000 |
| E-commerce store | Product catalogue, payments, shipping, customer accounts | AED 25,000 to 150,000+ |
| Web app or portal | Custom features, user roles, dashboards, APIs | AED 60,000 and up |
Prices usually exclude VAT at 5 percent, content writing, photography and third-party licences unless the quote says otherwise.
What drives the cost
Design. A template adapted to your brand is fast and affordable. A custom design involves research, wireframes and unique layouts for each page type. The number of unique page templates matters more than the total number of pages.
Functionality. Booking systems, calculators, property listings, member areas, multi-step forms and search filters each add design, development and testing time.
Integrations. Connecting to a CRM, ERP, payment gateway, booking platform or inventory system often takes longer than the website itself, especially if the other system has a limited API.
Languages. Arabic needs more than translation. Layouts mirror for right-to-left reading, fonts change, and every page needs testing in both directions. Expect Arabic to add roughly 30 to 50 percent to design and content work.
Content. Writing, photography, video and product data entry are often underestimated. Good content is what turns a website into a sales tool, and it’s what ranks on Google.
Performance, security and SEO. A fast, secure, well-structured site takes more care to build. It also costs less to market, because it converts better and ranks more easily.
E-commerce in the UAE: extra considerations
If you’re selling online in the UAE, plan for:
- Local payment options: cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, buy-now-pay-later services such as Tabby and Tamara, and cash on delivery where it still matters.
- Shipping and returns integrated with local couriers, with clear delivery times for each emirate and for GCC countries.
- VAT-compliant invoices and prices shown with VAT.
- The right licence for e-commerce activity in your emirate or free zone.
- Arabic product content if you target Saudi Arabia or the wider GCC.
Hidden and ongoing costs
The build is only part of the cost. Budget each year for:
- Domain:
.comor.aerenewal. A.aedomain is registered through accredited registrars and has its own eligibility rules. - Hosting: from shared hosting to managed cloud. For data residency, providers such as Microsoft Azure and AWS have UAE regions.
- Maintenance: software and plugin updates, security monitoring, backups and uptime checks.
- Licences: premium plugins, fonts, stock images, map and email services.
- Improvements: new pages, landing pages for campaigns, and ongoing conversion rate optimization.
How long it takes
| Project | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Starter business site | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Custom business website | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Bilingual corporate site | 8 to 16 weeks |
| E-commerce store | 8 to 20 weeks |
| Web app or portal | 3 to 6 months or more |
The biggest delays usually come from content and approvals. Having your text, images and decision-makers ready speeds everything up.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Who owns the domain, hosting account, code and content? It should be you, in your company’s name.
- What exactly is included? Number of page templates, revisions, content, SEO setup, training and post-launch support.
- Which platform will you use, and why? And who can edit the site afterwards?
- How will you handle speed, security and SEO? Ask for PageSpeed scores of recent projects.
- How do you build Arabic versions? Ask to see live bilingual sites they’ve built.
- What happens after launch? Warranty period, maintenance plans and response times.
- Can we speak to recent clients?
A clear, itemised quote is a good sign. A single number with no breakdown is a warning.
Build it once, build it right
A cheap website that’s slow, hard to update and invisible on Google often costs more in the long run than doing it properly the first time. As a web development company in Dubai, we build fast, bilingual, SEO-ready websites and stores that you fully own. If you also need an app, see our mobile app development service.
Planning a new site? Tell us what you need and we’ll send an itemised estimate, or read our SEO guide for Dubai to make sure your new website ranks from day one.
A Dubai-based team of SEO, paid media, AI and IT specialists working with businesses across the UAE, the GCC and international markets. About us · Talk to us
