01
1. A licence
A trade licence that allows selling online. Which one depends on your emirate and activity. Confirm with Dubai DET or your free zone before you spend on a site.
An online store for your small business in the UAE, explained without the jargon.
You sell something good and want to take orders online. This page covers what you need, what it costs and what to choose, in plain words.
Setup fromAED 3,450
Launch store fromAED 4,950
Timeline2 to 4 weeks
You also needLicence, payments, delivery
A small business in the UAE can start an online store from AED 3,450 with a Shopify setup package, or from AED 4,950 for a launch store. You also need a trade licence that allows online sales, a payment provider and a delivery plan. Prices exclude 5% VAT and platform fees.
Updated · Prices in AED, excluding 5% VAT
- Fixed price in writingScope and AED price agreed before work starts
- You own everythingStore, domain, code and accounts in your name
- 30-day fix windowBugs after launch are fixed at no charge
- Reply in one working dayFrom a senior person, not a form robot
What you need
Five things, and the website is only one.
Owners often start with the website and find the other four later. Sort them in this order.
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2. A payment provider
Something that takes cards and Apple Pay and pays the money to your bank. Providers need your licence and documents, and approval takes time.
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3. A delivery plan
A courier account or your own drivers, with rates by emirate and a clear returns rule.
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4. Products and photos
Clear photos, honest descriptions and prices. Weak photos hurt sales more than a weak theme.
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5. The store itself
The website that ties it together: catalogue, checkout, pages and an easy way for you to edit it.
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Optional: WhatsApp
Many UAE shoppers message before they buy. A WhatsApp button costs little and catches those customers.
Shopify or WooCommerce
Two ways to build the store, in plain words.
Shopify is a store you rent: one monthly fee, and the platform handles hosting and security. WooCommerce is a shop add-on for WordPress: you own and host it, so you also look after it.
| Shopify | WooCommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Most small shops that want to start fast | Shops with unusual needs, such as bookings or custom pricing |
| Setup effort | Low | Higher |
| Running it | Platform manages hosting and updates | You or a care plan manage updates and security |
| Monthly cost | Shopify plan plus apps (check Shopify's pricing page) | Hosting plus plugins plus upkeep |
| Our starting price | From AED 3,450 setup, AED 4,950 launch | From AED 22,000 |
| Our honest view | The right answer for most small businesses | Right only when Shopify cannot do the job |
Platform fees checked October 2026, confirm before you buy. If your shop is simple, start with Shopify.
Marketplace or your own store
Amazon.ae and Noon bring buyers. Your own store keeps the customer.
A marketplace gives you traffic on day one, but you pay commission, follow their rules and do not own the customer list. Your own store costs more effort at the start, but you keep the margin, the data and the brand. Many small businesses do both: use a marketplace to reach new buyers and push repeat customers to their own store. If you have no brand yet and want to test a product, a marketplace is a reasonable first step.
- Marketplace: fast traffic, commission fees, little control
- Own store: slower start, full margin, your customer list
- Both: marketplace for discovery, own store for repeat sales
Payments and delivery
How the money and the parcels move.
01
Cards and Apple Pay
Standard in the UAE. Your payment provider sets the fee per sale. Ask for the exact rate in writing.
02
Tabby and Tamara
Buy now, pay later. Shoppers like it on higher prices. Both providers must approve your business first.
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Cash on delivery
Still common here. It adds returns and cash-handling work, so set a clear policy and consider a small fee.
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Couriers
Compare two or three carriers on price per parcel and delivery time. Show the promised date on the product page.
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VAT
If you are VAT-registered, prices and receipts must follow the rules. Confirm with your accountant or the FTA.
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Mobile checkout
Test the whole order on a phone. If it takes more than a few taps, you lose buyers.
From idea to first order
A realistic path for a small business.
- Week 0
Licence and bank
Confirm your licence covers online sales and apply for a payment provider. Start now, since approvals take longest.
- Week 1
Choose and plan
We agree the platform, theme and product list with you. Often that means Shopify and a premium theme.
- Weeks 1 to 3
Build
Theme, products, payments, delivery rates and pages. You review on your own phone along the way.
- Week 3 to 4
Test and launch
Real test orders, training for you and your team, then the store goes live.
Prices
What we charge, from the price book.
All prices exclude 5% VAT. Under AED 20,000 we bill 50% at start and 50% at launch.
Store setup
AED 3,4502 to 3 weeks
One brand, premium theme you already own.
- Theme configured and branded
- Products loaded
- Payments, shipping, tax settings
- Training session
Launch store
AED 4,9503 to 4 weeks
A polished store, ready to sell. Typical total AED 4,950 to 12,000.
- Theme setup and brand styling
- Up to 30 products loaded
- Payments and shipping configured
- Arabic as an add-on
- Training session
WooCommerce or bookings
AED 22,0008 to 12 weeks
For shops with bookings, custom pricing or special rules.
- Custom shop logic
- Bookings or deposits
- Arabic and English
- Integrations
Under AED 2,500? A DIY template may be enough. We say so when it is.
Who we are not for
When we are the wrong choice.
A fair view, so you do not pay for more than you need.
01
You are still testing the idea
Sell on Instagram or a marketplace first and see what moves. Build the store once you have steady orders.
02
Budgets under AED 3,450
Shopify's own setup guides and a free theme get you started. Our smallest package is AED 3,450.
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No trade licence yet
You need the right licence to sell online in the UAE. Confirm with DET or your free zone before you pay for a store.
Based in Dubai, working remotely
Zelqori is a Dubai-based ecommerce and performance marketing agency.
Zelqori builds ecommerce websites and runs performance marketing for premium brands across Dubai, the rest of the UAE, the GCC and globally. We are based in Dubai and work remotely by design: projects run on Gulf Standard Time over Google Meet, WhatsApp and a shared project channel, and we meet clients in Dubai by appointment.
- Based in DubaiDubai time (GST), replies within one working day
- Remote by designGoogle Meet and WhatsApp, meetings in Dubai by appointment
- Dubai, GCC, globalUAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and beyond
- One teamThe store, the ads and the tracking built by the same people
A store only sells when the right people see it. See our performance marketing →
Design studies
Work that shows how we think.
Stores and systems we designed and engineered to show how we approach a brief like yours.
Questions
Answers before you call.
Prices are in AED and exclude 5% VAT.
With us, a Shopify setup package starts at AED 3,450 and a launch store at AED 4,950, excluding 5% VAT. Shopify's plan, apps and payment fees are paid to those providers, so check their current rates.
Yes, you need a licence that allows selling online, and the rules depend on your emirate and activity. Confirm with Dubai DET or your free zone. We cannot give legal advice.
For most small businesses, Shopify. It is faster to start and the platform looks after hosting and security. WooCommerce makes sense when you need bookings or custom rules that Shopify cannot handle.
A marketplace gives quick traffic but takes commission and keeps the customer relationship. A store you own costs more effort but keeps your margin and data. Many sellers use both.
Cards and Apple Pay as a base. Add Tabby or Tamara if your prices are higher, and cash on delivery only if your customers expect it. Providers must approve your business first.
The build takes 2 to 4 weeks. Payment provider approval can take longer, so apply early.
Yes. We train you to add products, change banners and process orders. You own the store, the accounts and the domain.
Yes. On the launch tier Arabic RTL is an add-on at about AED 1,750. Custom builds include it in the design phase.
Read next
Start a project
Tell us what you sell. We will tell you what to buy.
Send your product type and how many items you have. You get an honest recommendation and a fixed AED figure in one working day.