Ask five Dubai agencies to quote for "a company website" and you may receive five very different numbers. One may be a template installed in a few days, another a custom bilingual site with professional copywriting, SEO and integrations. Both are called websites, but they are not the same product.
This guide breaks down the types of website Dubai businesses commonly need, the factors that drive cost, typical starting prices in AED and the running costs to budget for, so you can compare quotes on a like-for-like basis.
What kind of website do you need?
Brochure website
A professional online presence for a service business: home, about, services, a few detailed service pages, contact and perhaps a portfolio. Usually 5–15 pages on a content management system such as WordPress, so your team can edit content.
Bilingual Arabic–English website
Every page in both languages, with right-to-left (RTL) layout for Arabic, a language switcher, Arabic typography, translated forms and emails, and hreflang tags so Google serves the correct version. Many government-facing businesses, family businesses and consumer brands in the UAE need this.
Lead-generation website
Designed to produce enquiries: individual service pages built around search intent, strong calls to action, click-to-call and WhatsApp buttons, short forms, landing pages for ads, conversion tracking and SEO foundations from day one. This is often the best investment for service businesses.
E-commerce website
Products, categories, search, cart, checkout, UAE payment gateways, delivery zones, VAT settings, order emails and stock management, typically on Shopify or WooCommerce. Costs rise with product numbers, integrations with ERP or accounting software, and custom features.
Custom platform or web app
Booking engines, portals, marketplaces or complex calculators. These are software projects and are scoped separately.
What drives the cost?
- Page count and number of unique templates
- Custom design versus a well-adapted theme
- Bilingual build and quality of Arabic copy
- Copywriting, which is often underestimated and frequently the biggest factor in results
- Photography and video, versus stock imagery
- Functionality: booking, payments, multi-branch locators, CRM integration, calculators, member areas
- SEO and performance: page structure, metadata, schema, image optimisation, redirects from an old site
- Accessibility: readable design, contrast, keyboard navigation and alt text
- Project management and revisions
- Post-launch support
Typical starting prices in Dubai
| Website type | DND Teams (starting from) | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Starter brochure site (English) | from AED 1,799 | Up to 5 pages, mobile-friendly theme, contact form, WhatsApp button, basic SEO |
| Bilingual business site | from AED 3,499 | Up to 10 pages in Arabic and English, RTL layout, hreflang, tracking |
| Lead-generation site | from AED 4,499 | Up to 15 pages, service and landing pages, conversion tracking, schema, speed optimisation |
| E-commerce site | from AED 5,999 | Up to 50 products, UAE payment gateway, delivery zones, VAT, order emails |
| Redesign with SEO migration | from AED 3,999 | New design, content transfer, redirects to protect rankings |
These are "starting from" prices, positioned below typical Dubai agency rates because our design and development team works from India while we schedule calls in UAE business hours. Contact us for an exact quote based on your pages, languages, features and content.
Which platform: WordPress, Shopify or custom?
WordPress is the most common choice for UAE business websites. It handles Arabic and RTL well with a properly built theme, has mature SEO tools and lets your team edit pages without a developer. It needs regular updates, good hosting and sensible plugin choices to stay fast and secure.
Shopify suits retailers who want hosted e-commerce with reliable checkout and less technical maintenance. It supports multiple languages and currencies, but subscription and app costs add up, and some layouts are harder to customise.
WooCommerce turns WordPress into a shop. It avoids platform transaction fees on many setups and is highly flexible, but you are responsible for hosting, security and updates.
Custom builds make sense when you need unusual functionality, complex integrations or very high traffic. They cost more to build and to maintain, and you depend on developers for changes.
For most Dubai SMEs, a well-built WordPress site, or Shopify or WooCommerce for retail, gives the best balance of cost, speed and flexibility.
Accessibility and performance
An accessible website works for people with visual, motor or cognitive impairments and for everyone on a small screen in bright sunlight. Good practice includes sufficient colour contrast, readable font sizes, descriptive link text, alt text on images, keyboard-friendly navigation and clear form labels and error messages. Performance matters just as much: compress images, avoid heavy sliders and unnecessary scripts, and use good hosting. A fast, accessible site converts better and supports SEO.
Running costs to budget for
- Domain: .ae or .com renewal each year; .ae domains are managed through accredited registrars
- Hosting: shared hosting for small sites, managed or cloud hosting for busier sites and e-commerce
- SSL: often included with hosting
- Maintenance: CMS, theme and plugin updates, backups and security monitoring
- Licences: premium themes, plugins or apps, renewed yearly
- E-commerce fees: platform subscriptions, payment gateway fees and app subscriptions
- Content updates and new pages
- Marketing: SEO, Google Business Profile management, ads and social media
A useful rule: budget for the website's first year, not just its launch.
UAE-specific considerations
- Arabic quality: have Arabic copy written or reviewed by a fluent writer. Poor Arabic undermines trust quickly.
- RTL testing: test every page, form and email in Arabic on mobile.
- WhatsApp: many UAE customers prefer to message; a click-to-WhatsApp button often increases enquiries.
- Payment gateways: choose a UAE-supported gateway and confirm settlement times and fees.
- VAT: e-commerce sites need correct VAT display and invoicing.
- Privacy notice and cookies: explain data collection in line with the UAE Personal Data Protection Law or DIFC/ADGM rules where applicable.
- Regulated sectors: healthcare, real estate, financial services and education have advertising rules that apply to website content. For example, property listings in Dubai are generally subject to Trakheesi permit requirements, and health advertising is regulated by the relevant health authority.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Will I own the domain, hosting account, website files and content?
- Is the design custom or based on a theme, and which one?
- Who writes the English and Arabic content?
- What SEO work is included, and will you handle redirects from my current site?
- How fast will the site be on mobile, and how will you measure it?
- How many revision rounds are included?
- What happens after launch: support, updates, training?
- What are the yearly running costs?
Red flags in website proposals
- No mention of content, SEO or mobile performance
- "Unlimited pages" for a very low fixed price
- Hosting and domain registered in the agency's name with no transfer terms
- No examples of bilingual sites if you need Arabic
- Unclear revision limits and timelines
- Proprietary builders that make it hard to move your site later
How long does it take?
A brochure site typically takes four to six weeks; bilingual and lead-generation sites five to eight; e-commerce six to ten, depending on products and integrations. Content readiness is usually the deciding factor. Preparing text, photos and policies early can shorten timelines significantly.
Measuring success after launch
Track enquiries (forms, calls and WhatsApp clicks), traffic sources, top landing pages, mobile performance in Google Search Console and conversion rate. Review monthly. If visitors arrive but do not enquire, improve the offer, the copy and the calls to action before redesigning again.
Getting the best value
- Prioritise pages that generate revenue: home, main services and contact
- Invest in good copy and real photos
- Plan SEO with the design, not after launch; see our SEO services in Dubai
- Insist on conversion tracking from day one
- Keep the site updated; an outdated site loses trust
How DND Teams helps
We design and build websites for businesses in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in English and Arabic, with SEO foundations, WhatsApp integration and tracking included. Request a free audit of your current website and we will send a list of improvements and a quote.
Prices shown are indicative "starting from" figures in local currency and exclude taxes and third-party charges (such as Meta or carrier fees) unless stated. Contact us for an exact quote. This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects our understanding as of October 2026.