Shopify builds, conversion work and growth marketing for brands selling in the Emirates, planned around AED pricing, local payment habits, Arabic storefronts and fast delivery expectations.
[ SHOPIFY AGENCY · DUBAI · ABU DHABI · SHARJAH · AJMAN · RAS AL KHAIMAH ]
[ ECOMMERCE IN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ]
The UAE is one of the most digitally mature retail markets in the region: shoppers expect a polished mobile storefront, a choice of card, wallet, instalment and cash-on-delivery payments, and delivery measured in days rather than weeks. Brands launching here compete with large regional marketplaces such as Amazon.ae and noon, so a DTC store has to earn the order with a better product story, faster checkout and clearer service promises.
Selling well in the Emirates also means getting the operational details right from day one. Prices are shown in dirhams and include 5% VAT, many stores run bilingual English and Arabic storefronts with right-to-left layouts, and the calendar revolves around Ramadan and Eid, November's White Friday and Yellow Friday sales, and Dubai Shopping Festival in December and January. A UAE store that ignores these feels imported; one that plans for them feels local.
We are a remote team of Shopify developers and growth marketers based in Pakistan, one hour ahead of UAE time. We build and migrate Shopify and Shopify Plus stores, run CRO programs and manage paid media and Klaviyo retention for DTC brands. We do not have an office in the UAE; we work with Emirati and international brands over video calls, shared boards and a working day that lines up almost hour for hour.
[ SHOPIFY ESSENTIALS ]
Payments, tax, shipping and the rules that shape checkout, set up correctly from day one.
[ CITIES ]
What's different about selling in each of these United Arab Emirates markets.
[ SERVICES ]
[ WORKING TOGETHER ]
We work remotely from Pakistan (PKT, UTC+5), which is one hour ahead of the UAE. Our meeting slots run 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00 PKT, Monday to Friday, which is 09:00–11:00 and 13:00–15:00 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Since 2022 the UAE government has worked a Monday-to-Friday week with a Saturday–Sunday weekend, and most private businesses have followed, so our weeks match: you get same-day answers, live calls during your morning, and fixes shipped before your evening traffic peaks. We do not have UAE staff or an office; everything runs over video calls, Slack or email, and shared project boards.
Live call times, Dubai time (Mon–Fri)
9am–11am & 1pm–3pm
Written updates every working day, with a shared project board you can check any time.
Book a call in your time zone[ RELATED WORK ]
Shopify projects for brands selling to customers in United Arab Emirates and beyond.
01A luxury skincare storefront that pairs science-led products with an elegant, editorial shopping experience built for confidence and trust.
02A bright, story-driven home for The Glo Companies, bringing five sensory-play brands, wholesale and fulfillment together on one Shopify site.
[ FAQ ]
What United Arab Emirates brands ask us before starting a Shopify project.
Shopify has opened Shopify Payments in the UAE in stages, starting with Shopify Plus and then adding the Advanced plan, so availability depends on your plan and account. Many UAE stores still use a third-party gateway such as Checkout.com, Network International, PayTabs or Telr, plus Tabby or Tamara for instalments. We help you compare fees, payout times and checkout experience before choosing.
You must register with the Federal Tax Authority once your taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 over 12 months, or are expected to within the next 30 days. Voluntary registration is possible from AED 187,500. VAT is 5% and consumer prices should include it. We configure tax-inclusive pricing and invoices in Shopify; your accountant should confirm your registration position.
For most consumer brands, yes, at least at launch. Cash on delivery is still widely used, especially for first orders from a new brand. The trade-off is failed deliveries and returned parcels, so we pair COD with order confirmation via SMS or WhatsApp, sensible limits on order value, and BNPL options like Tabby and Tamara that move shoppers toward prepaid checkout.
Yes. We build RTL-ready Shopify themes, set up Arabic as a language in Shopify Markets, mirror layouts, icons and navigation correctly, and test checkout in both languages. We do not write Arabic marketing copy ourselves; your translator or a specialist Arabic copywriter provides it, and we make sure it displays cleanly on every template.
Pakistan is one hour ahead of the UAE, and both countries work Monday to Friday. Our call slots run 09:00–11:00 and 13:00–15:00 UAE time, so most questions get answered the same day and releases can be scheduled outside your peak trading hours. We work fully remotely and do not have a UAE office, which keeps the arrangement simple and transparent.
[ LET'S TALK ]
Tell us where your store is today and where you want it to go. We'll come back with clear next steps and a project scope.
