How Much Does a Website Cost in Dubai and the UAE in 2026?
Quick answer
In 2026, Dubai agencies typically quote AED 3,500–8,000 for a basic business website, AED 12,000–55,000 for a corporate or SME website and AED 15,000–110,000+ for e-commerce, according to Element8. Solo designers sell 5-page starter sites for AED 800–3,000. Arabic versions, VAT at 5% and payment integrations can add to the total. BunkWise's packages for UAE businesses start at AED 3,499.
The UAE market has a very wide spread of website prices, partly because of who it serves: sole traders and new start-ups sit alongside regional offices of international companies, and agencies price for both. A café in Al Barsha and a free-zone trading company don't need the same website, and quotes reflect that. This guide pulls together prices published by Dubai agencies and designers in 2026, then covers what is specific to the UAE.
UAE website prices by type of site
| Type of website | Solo designer or budget market | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | around AED 1,000 | – |
| Starter site (about 5 pages) | AED 800–3,000 | AED 3,500–8,000 (basic business site) |
| Business site with a CMS | AED 2,500–12,000 | AED 12,000–55,000 (corporate/SME) |
| Online shop | AED 3,999–20,000+ | AED 15,000–110,000+ |
| Custom web application | – | AED 50,000–275,000+ |
Sources: The Web Makers (market ranges for solo and budget providers), Element8 (agency ranges, April 2026) and Lucidly (landing page, March 2026).
Lucidly's 2026 guide offers a useful middle marker: basic small business sites from around AED 1,200, and more polished ones from around AED 4,400, with corporate websites at AED 15,000–50,000+. The Web Makers, a solo studio that publishes its own prices, notes that large agencies charge more largely because of office overheads, which in Dubai are significant.
Arabic, VAT, payments and data rules in the UAE
Arabic and right-to-left layouts
Element8 describes Arabic and English support as standard for Dubai websites, but warns that right-to-left (RTL) layouts need specialist work. An Arabic version is not just translated text: menus, icons, forms and page layouts are mirrored, and fonts must render Arabic well on phones. None of the sources publish a standard add-on price, so ask for Arabic to be quoted as its own line, and ask to see an Arabic site the provider has built.
Whether you need Arabic depends on your customers. A business serving mainly English-speaking customers can start in English and add Arabic later; one selling to government bodies or Arabic-speaking customers will usually need both from the start.
VAT at 5%
The UAE charges VAT at 5%, and businesses must register with the Federal Tax Authority once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year. Agencies will add VAT to their quotes; some smaller freelancers will not. For a VAT-registered business the tax is normally recoverable, so compare quotes on a like-for-like basis.
Regional payment gateways
If you sell online, the site will usually need regional payment options. Element8 lists Telr and PayTabs as common gateways and Tabby and Tamara for buy-now-pay-later, which many UAE shoppers expect at checkout. Each integration adds build and testing time, so they belong in the written scope.
Data protection: federal law or free-zone rules
The UAE's federal Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) applies to most businesses, but companies registered in the DIFC and ADGM free zones follow their own data protection regimes, as DLA Piper's summary explains. Your website's privacy notice and contact forms should reflect the regime that applies to your licence.
Running costs after launch
- Domain: around AED 40–120 a year (The Web Makers)
- Hosting: roughly AED 200–800 annually for a small site on shared or managed hosting
- Maintenance or care plans: from about AED 299 a month at the solo-studio end, more through agencies
- Ongoing work: security and CMS updates, plugin management, performance and technical SEO, which Element8 lists as the typical post-launch workload
How to compare UAE quotes
- Check whether VAT is included, and whether the provider is VAT-registered.
- Ask whether Arabic is included, how many pages, and who translates it.
- For online shops, list the payment gateways and delivery integrations you need.
- Confirm the domain is registered to your company and that you receive all logins.
- Ask whether the site will be structured for Google and AI search in both languages, if you need both.
- Look at live sites the provider has built for UAE businesses, on your phone.
Working with a designer in India from the UAE
India is only 1.5 hours ahead of the UAE, which makes it one of the easiest offshore arrangements there is: working days overlap almost completely, and a call at 10 a.m. in Dubai is 11:30 a.m. in India.
The same checks apply as with any provider: live work you can open, a written scope, milestone payments and all accounts in your name. If you need Arabic content, agree up front who writes or translates it. Our guide to hiring a web designer from India goes through the details.
Where BunkWise fits for UAE businesses
BunkWise Technologies is a website design company based in India, with fixed prices for UAE clients in dirhams:
| Package | Price | Typical delivery | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | AED 3,499 | about 1 week | 3–4 pages, mobile-first design, contact form, WhatsApp button, Google Maps, basic SEO, Google Analytics and Search Console |
| Business | AED 6,999 | about 2 weeks | 5–7 custom-designed pages, keyword research, on-page and technical SEO, LocalBusiness schema, Google Business Profile integration |
| Growth | AED 12,499 | about 3 weeks | Up to 10 pages, competitor analysis, local SEO structure, AEO and GEO for AI search, keyword-focused copywriting, 20–30 FAQs |
| Premium | AED 21,999 | 4–6 weeks | 15+ pages, blog with 3–5 starter articles, 30–50 FAQs, technical SEO audit, citation and backlink strategy, monthly report |
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Local SEO | AED 1,799/month | Google Business Profile optimisation, local keyword monitoring, technical fixes, 1–2 content updates, monthly report |
| Growth SEO | AED 3,499/month | 2–4 SEO articles a month, new landing pages, competitor monitoring, backlink and citation work |
| Advanced SEO | AED 6,499/month | 4–8 content pieces a month, multiple landing pages, link-building, digital PR, conversion-rate optimisation |
BunkWise prices as published on the pricing page. Any local sales tax or VAT depends on your own country's rules for services bought from abroad; your accountant can confirm.
Why businesses choose BunkWise: one person is accountable for your project from the first message to launch day. You get a page-by-page plan and a fixed price before any work starts, you review a private preview before anything goes live, and every package and price is published, so there is nothing to negotiate. BunkWise has taken on 12 client projects so far, including 3 for international clients (2 in the UAE, 1 in progress). Get a free quote.
At the entry level, BunkWise is not the cheapest option in Dubai: solo designers sell starter sites from AED 800. Where it compares well is the middle of the market. The Growth package at AED 12,499 covers up to 10 pages with competitor research, local SEO structure, keyword-focused copy and content structured for AI assistants, which sits at the bottom of the AED 12,000–55,000 range Element8 gives for corporate and SME websites. Arabic and RTL versions are not part of the standard packages and would be scoped separately.
You can see the standard of work on our live client websites and every price is on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost in Dubai?
Agencies typically quote AED 3,500–8,000 for a basic business website in Dubai, according to Element8, while solo designers sell 5-page starter sites for AED 800–3,000. Corporate and SME websites range from about AED 12,000 to AED 55,000.
How much extra does an Arabic website cost?
There is no standard add-on price. Element8 notes that Arabic and English support is standard in Dubai but that right-to-left layouts need specialist work, so the cost depends on how many pages are translated and whether the design is mirrored properly. Ask for it to be quoted as a separate line.
Is VAT charged on web design in the UAE?
UAE VAT is 5%. Businesses must register once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year, so larger agencies add VAT while some small freelancers do not. VAT-registered businesses can normally recover it.
Which payment gateways work for a UAE website?
UAE e-commerce sites commonly integrate regional gateways such as Telr and PayTabs, and buy-now-pay-later services such as Tabby and Tamara, alongside international options. Element8 lists these as standard for Dubai e-commerce builds.
Is it practical to work with a web designer in India from Dubai?
Yes. India is only 1.5 hours ahead of the UAE, so working hours overlap almost completely, and calls and same-day changes are easy to arrange. The main things to check are live work, a written scope and who handles any Arabic content.