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Website Development in Dubai

Business websites, e-commerce stores and landing pages for UAE companies, in English and Arabic, built to load fast and bring in enquiries.

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Overview

Website development covers everything from the first page plan to a site that brings in enquiries: structure, copy, design, the build, an Arabic version where it matters, hosting and care after launch. Almahira designs and builds business websites, online stores and campaign landing pages for companies in the UAE, in English and Arabic.

The first decision is the platform, and the honest answer is often the simplest one. A website builder such as Wix, Squarespace or Shopify suits many small businesses and stores, and your team can run it without a developer. WordPress or a headless CMS makes sense when you need more page types, tighter control over speed and SEO, or connections to a CRM or booking system. Fully custom code pays off when the site has to do something no platform does well, and it costs more to build and maintain.

We agree the pages and the words before design starts, because a site designed before its content exists usually has to be redesigned around it. We design for phones first, test Arabic pages the way Arabic readers use them, and set up forms, WhatsApp, analytics and cookie consent before launch. This site is an example: a bilingual Next.js build with English at / and Arabic at /ar, and Google Analytics that loads only after a visitor accepts cookies. The domain, hosting and code accounts are yours from day one.

Key facts

Speed targets
Google's Core Web Vitals rate a page good when LCP is within 2.5 seconds, INP is 200 ms or less and CLS is 0.1 or less, at the 75th percentile of visits
Mobile first
Google indexes and ranks the mobile version of your pages, so content that appears only on desktop isn't used for indexing
.ae domains
Anyone can register a name directly under .ae, for 1 to 5 years, through a registrar accredited by TDRA's .ae Domain Administration; .co.ae and other zones have extra rules
Accessibility
WCAG level AA, the rating the UAE Design System asks federal government websites to meet; we build to WCAG 2.2
Personal data
Enquiry forms and analytics cookies fall under the PDPL (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021), which requires consent unless an exception applies
Online stores
Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on Commerce through Modern Means of Technology sets the rules for selling online in the UAE

Who it's for

New companies that need a first site
You have a licence, a logo and a launch date, and need a credible site that explains your services, shows how to reach you and carries a privacy notice, without paying for features you won't use yet.
Businesses outgrowing their current site
Your site is slow, hard to edit, missing Arabic or not bringing in enquiries, and each patch costs more than the last.
Retailers and brands selling online
You need a store that takes the payment methods UAE shoppers use, handles delivery and returns, and works in English and Arabic.
Teams running paid campaigns
You need landing pages that match each ad, load quickly on phones and record every form, call and WhatsApp enquiry.

What's included

  • A page plan, sitemap and copy brief agreed before design starts
  • Mobile-first design for business sites, online stores and landing pages
  • English and Arabic builds with right-to-left layouts and proper Arabic typography
  • A CMS your team can edit, from Shopify or WordPress to a headless CMS
  • Online stores with UAE payment gateways, delivery options and tax invoices
  • Enquiry forms, click-to-WhatsApp and call buttons, tracked as GA4 events
  • Speed work against Core Web Vitals, including image sizing and modern formats
  • SEO foundations: titles, structured data, sitemaps and redirects from old URLs
  • Privacy notice, cookie consent, secure hosting, backups and a care plan

How it works

  1. Brief

    We agree what the site must achieve, who it is for, which pages it needs and who will write and translate the content. If a website builder plan would do the job, we say so.

  2. Structure and content

    We map every page and write or edit the copy. For a redesign, we list every old URL and where it will redirect.

  3. Design

    We design the main page types for phones first, in English and Arabic, and you review clickable prototypes before anything is built.

  4. Build

    We build on the agreed platform, connect forms, WhatsApp, payments and your CRM where needed, and set up analytics behind cookie consent.

  5. Test and launch

    We test on real phones and browsers, check speed, forms and redirects, have a native speaker review the Arabic, then go live and submit the sitemap in Search Console.

  6. Care after launch

    Under a care plan we apply updates and security patches, keep backups, watch uptime and make small changes. If you prefer, we hand everything to your team instead.

Typical timeline

A small business site with the copy ready can often go live within a few weeks; bilingual sites, online stores and custom builds take longer. The usual cause of delay is content: copy, photos, product data and Arabic review. Payment gateways run their own merchant checks on their own timetable, so we start those applications early.

Common questions

How much does a website cost in Dubai?

There is no fair figure until the scope is clear. The main cost drivers are the number of distinct page types, custom features such as booking, payments or member areas, who writes and translates the content, integrations with your CRM or other systems, and the care plan after launch. Builder and template sites cost far less than custom builds. We quote a fixed price for a defined scope after a short brief, and fees from a VAT-registered supplier carry 5% VAT.

Should we use Wix, Shopify or WordPress, or build from scratch?

Use the simplest platform that does the job. Builders such as Wix and Shopify are quick to launch and easy for your team to run, but you work within their templates, apps and monthly plans. WordPress or a headless CMS gives more control over speed, SEO and integrations. Custom code suits sites with features no platform handles well, and it needs a developer to maintain. We recommend one after the brief and put the trade-offs in writing.

Do we need an Arabic version of our website?

If your customers search, read or buy in Arabic, yes. A proper Arabic version has its own URLs, a right-to-left layout, an Arabic typeface and copy written or reviewed by a native speaker, not machine translation pasted into English templates. If most of your buyers use English, you can launch in English and add Arabic later, but plan the layout for both languages from the start, because retrofitting right-to-left support costs far more.

Who owns the website, domain and hosting?

You should, and we set it up that way. The domain is registered in your company's name, hosting and analytics sit in accounts you control, and the contract transfers the custom design and code to you once invoices are paid. Themes, plugins and fonts stay under their own licences. Anyone can register a name directly under .ae, such as yourcompany.ae, through an accredited registrar for one to five years at a time.

Will our new website rank on Google?

Nobody can promise that, and Google says no one can guarantee a number one ranking. A build controls the foundations: pages Google can crawl and index, a fast mobile experience, clear titles, structured data and redirects from your old URLs. Rankings then depend on your content, your competitors and how well known your business is. Ongoing SEO is a separate service we can run alongside the build.

Can you redesign our site without losing search traffic?

You can reduce the risk, not remove it. Google recommends mapping every old URL to its new address and using permanent server-side redirects, kept generally for at least a year. We also keep content that already ranks, carry over titles and structured data, and watch Search Console after launch. Google warns that visibility can fluctuate for a while during a move, so avoid launching just before your busiest season.

Can our online store take payments in the UAE?

Yes. We connect UAE and international payment gateways, including card payments and wallets such as Apple Pay where the gateway supports them, and can add cash on delivery. The gateway approves your merchant account after its own checks, and it will look for a trade licence whose activities cover online selling, plus published terms, a refund policy and contact details. VAT-registered stores also need to issue tax invoices.

What happens after the site goes live?

You choose between a care plan and running it yourselves. Sites need regular attention: CMS and plugin updates, security patches, backups, uptime checks, domain and SSL renewals, and small content changes. Under a care plan we handle these with agreed response times. If your team takes over, we hand over admin access and documentation and walk you through the CMS, and the accounts are already in your name.

Guides on this topic

Last reviewed . Rules change often; we confirm current requirements during your consultation.

Sources

Tell us what you're planning

One short call is usually enough to recommend a jurisdiction, licence and visa route. A written quote follows.

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