Shopify in the UAE, checked 12 Oct 2026
Shopify developer for UAE stores, from payment route to the first Arabic order
Shopify works in the UAE, and since 26 August 2026 Shopify Payments takes UAE cards on the Advanced plan as well as Plus.
From AED 5,900excl. VATSee pricing →
- AED 5,900–49,000, fixed once scoped
- Arabic RTL with a bilingual QA pass
- Live test order before handover
- Store and every login in your name
- 6 months of free bug fixing
- ★ 4.9 on Google (76 reviews)Lucknow, India profile
- 200+ projects since 2017
- Top Rated on Upwork, 100% Job Success
Founder-led delivery
Overview
I build and fix Shopify stores for UAE sellers in Arabic and English, with cards and cash on delivery set up and tested on the live store before handover. A new store costs AED 5,900–49,000 before VAT, fixed once we agree the scope, and usually takes 2–6 weeks. I'm Ashish Sharma, and Codingclave works from Lucknow, India.
By Ashish Sharma, founder · Updated 12 October 2026
Quick answer
Does Shopify work in the UAE, and which plan lets a UAE business take cards through Shopify Payments?
Yes. Shopify works in the UAE and is not banned, and since its changelog of 26 August 2026 a UAE business on the Advanced plan can take cards through Shopify Payments "with no third-party gateway required"; before that only Plus could. To take card payments at all you need a trade licence or freelancer permit. The changelog names Advanced and Plus and no other plan, so a Basic or Grow store should expect a third-party gateway such as Telr or PayTabs and check Settings > Payments in its own admin.
- Shopify Payments UAE needs a CRN, an LLC or Sole Establishment (mainland or free zone) and a UAE address.
- Payouts go to an AED checking account with an IBAN starting AE.
- Advanced is USD 399 a month, about AED 1,465.
- On a third-party gateway Shopify keeps 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow.
- Cash on delivery carries no Shopify transaction fee.
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What each Shopify plan can do for a UAE store since 26 August
For a UAE store the four plans now fall into two groups, and the line between them is Shopify Payments.
Can Shopify process payments in the UAE?
Yes. Shopify's changelog of 26 August 2026 opened Shopify Payments to UAE merchants on Advanced, after a period when it "was previously available only to merchants on the Plus plan". Any plan can also take cards through a third-party gateway. Anything written before that date saying a UAE store needs Plus for Shopify Payments is out of date.
Fifteen staff accounts, and three features
Advanced gives 15 staff accounts against Grow's 5. On the UAE pricing page, "Show prices in local currencies", "Accept local payment methods" and "Built-in fraud analysis" each carry the footnote "*Requires Shopify Payments". So a Grow store on Telr can't use Shopify's own SAR or KWD prices for Saudi and Kuwaiti shoppers.
| Plan | Card payments run through | Shopify's cut on third-party gateway orders | Local-currency prices, local payment methods, built-in fraud analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | A third-party gateway such as Telr or PayTabs | 2% | Not available without Shopify Payments |
| Grow | A third-party gateway such as Telr or PayTabs | 1% | Not available without Shopify Payments |
| Advanced | Shopify Payments since 26 Aug 2026, no third-party gateway needed | None on Shopify Payments; 0.6% on any gateway you keep | Yes |
| Plus | Shopify Payments, which Plus had first | None on Shopify Payments; 0.2% otherwise | Yes |
On Shopify Payments a standard-card order costs 2.7% + AED 1.00 on Advanced and 2.5% + AED 1.00 on Plus; Amex and international cards cost 3.7% and 3.5% + AED 1.00. Shopify's UAE help page names no plan, so the final word is Settings > Payments in your own admin. Plan prices in AED are in the e-commerce cost guide.
Tell me your plan and monthly sales on WhatsApp and I'll say which payment route fits.
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Shopify development work we take on, and how each job is priced
A new store is the only job with a published price, AED 5,900–49,000. Fixes and add-ons depend on what is already built, so I quote them after a short discovery call.
A new store in Arabic and English
AED 5,900–49,000, typically 2–6 weeks. The price rises with products and variants, content in both languages, custom sections, each integration, and data moved from an old platform.
Repairs and Arabic for a store already trading
A theme update broke your layout, the theme lacks a section you need, or pages load slowly. Adding Arabic to an English store belongs here too, worked on an unpublished copy of the theme so customers never see it half done.
Moving from WooCommerce, Salla or Instagram
Products, variants and images come across, and old URLs redirect so shared links and search results still land. Instagram sellers send product photos, prices and sizes, and we turn them into products with variants. Still choosing a platform? Shopify vs WooCommerce vs custom sets out the trade-offs.
Telr, PayTabs, Tabby, Tamara or a courier
Connected to an existing store on your own accounts, tested, then switched live. The provider-by-provider detail lives on payment gateway integration, and their fees in the cost guide.
The pages a payment provider reads
Before you apply to Shopify Payments, Telr or Tabby, I tell you which pages each one checks. We build your refund, shipping, terms and contact pages to match how you trade, so they are live before the application goes in, not written after a rejection.
Weighing Salla instead?
Get three answers from Salla in writing: which account and currency it pays out to, whether its checkout runs fully in Arabic, and every fee per order and per month.
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Is Shopify legal here, and can you sell on it without a licence?
Legal, yes: Shopify runs a UAE pricing page in dirhams and a payments programme written around UAE trade licences, Emirates IDs and AE IBANs. The licence is the real question, because every way of taking a card on the store asks for one.
Taking money needs a licence
Shopify Payments asks a Sole Establishment for a trade licence or freelancer permit, and an LLC for its trade licence and MoA. Telr's pricing page says "a valid trade license is mandatory". You can build a store without a licence, but you can't take cards on it.
Online trade sits under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on Modern Technology-Based Trade, which Middle East Briefing (July 2024) describes as covering trade through platforms such as websites, with traders needing the relevant approvals, permits and licences. Read the text itself on uaelegislation.gov.ae. Licence routes and fees are in the cost guide.
Starting a Shopify store in the UAE, in order
- Get a licence that covers online selling.
- Open an AED account at a UAE bank in the right name (see check 5 below).
- Pick the plan, using the Grow-or-Advanced sums further down.
- Apply for Shopify Payments on Advanced or Plus, or connect a gateway on Basic or Grow.
- Choose a theme that handles right-to-left text.
- Place a live test order before you announce the store.
Have a project in mind?
Send a few lines on WhatsApp or get a fixed AED quote.
04of 9
Will Shopify Payments accept your licence?
Shopify checks that everything lines up: the licence, the address, the bank account name and the people on the licence. One expired visa or a bank letter older than six months is enough to hold up an application.
| Check | What Shopify asks for | Where an application gets stuck |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Entity type | LLC, Free Zone LLC, Sole Establishment or Free Zone Sole Establishment | Non-profits, or any other legal form |
| 2. CRN | A commercial registration number | No registered business behind the store |
| 3. Address | Official physical address in the UAE where the business mainly operates, matching the licence or permit | An address abroad, or one that differs from the licence |
| 4. Payout account | AED checking account at a UAE bank, open to domestic and international transfers, IBAN starting AE. Payouts are mainly in AED; eligible merchants can take USD through Multi-Currency Payouts | Savings, flex-currency or wire-only accounts and money-transfer services; virtual accounts fail payouts more often |
| 5. Account holder | LLC: a business account in the company name. Sole Establishment: an account in the owner's legal name | An LLC paying out to a personal account |
| 6. Identity | UAE or GCC nationals living here: passport and Emirates ID. Foreign residents: both plus a residence visa. Non-residents: passport. All valid | An expired document, or a photocopy, scan or screenshot |
| 7. People verified | Sole Establishment: the owner, or the manager if no owner is listed. LLC: the representative, every licence manager (as Executive) and every owner at 25% or more | A 25% partner left off |
| 8. LLC documents | Trade licence, MoA or equivalent, and bank proof with holder name and account number issued in the past 6 months; a holding company at 25% or more needs its own MoA | A bank letter older than 6 months |
| 9. Authority | Power of attorney on company letterhead if the representative isn't a named manager or owner | An employee applying without one |
The freelancer-permit catch. Shopify accepts a freelancer permit for a Sole Establishment yet still requires a CRN, so confirm your permit carries one. Sharjah businesses can compare what each provider asks for there. The requirements page gives no payout schedule; check it in your admin after approval.
Not sure your permit has a CRN? Send me the licence type and issuer on WhatsApp.
05of 9
Is Grow plus Telr cheaper than Advanced? It depends on your monthly sales
If your store sells less than about AED 140,000–265,000 a month by card, Grow with Telr usually costs less than Advanced, unless you need SAR or KWD prices for Saudi and Kuwaiti shoppers.
Advanced adds roughly AED 1,127 a month on top of Grow (AED 845 on yearly billing). On Grow with Telr's Medium plan, a domestic card order costs about 3.36% + AED 0.53 once you add 5% VAT on Telr's fee and Shopify's 1%. On Advanced, Shopify Payments charges 2.7% + AED 1.00. Each order saves about two-thirds of a percent, less roughly half a dirham, so small orders barely save anything and large ones add up quickly.
Small baskets and foreign cards
At AED 100 orders the saving is under 20 fils, so break-even moves to about AED 450,000–600,000 a month, near the AED 500,000 mark above which Telr quotes its own rates. Assuming Telr's 0.50% international-card surcharge, an AED 400 order on a foreign card saves only about AED 0.28 on Advanced.
Instalments on the same checkout
Shopify Payments is new on Advanced in the UAE, so before you switch we test on your store that Tabby or Tamara still shows at checkout alongside it.
| Average order | Monthly billing (plan gap AED 1,127) | Yearly billing (plan gap AED 845) |
|---|---|---|
| AED 200 | About AED 265,000 a month (about 1,330 orders) | About AED 199,000 (about 990 orders) |
| AED 400 | About AED 207,000 (about 520 orders) | About AED 155,000 (about 390 orders) |
| AED 800 | About AED 187,000 (about 235 orders) | About AED 140,000 (about 175 orders) |
Telr's rates come from its pricing page, read on 11 October 2026 for our cost guide and checked again on 12 October. The cost guide's own break-even compares plans on one gateway; this one compares Telr with Shopify Payments, so the figures differ.
Send your numbers on WhatsApp and I'll run this sum for your store.
06of 9
Where Arabic breaks on Shopify
Arabic on a Shopify storefront is workable. The trouble sits in older themes and in the checkout, and you only find it if someone places an order in Arabic before launch.
The theme
Shopify's language requirements page says the latest Horizon-family themes support right-to-left languages such as Arabic, Hebrew and Urdu. On any other theme, paid ones included, confirm right-to-left support before you buy it. Custom sections we add follow the store's text direction instead of assuming left to right.
The checkout has no ready Arabic
Shopify's checkout has pre-translated content for 33 languages, and Arabic is not on that list. Once you add Arabic to a compatible theme, customers can pick it, but the checkout wording is yours to translate, and Shopify says further changes to checkout language need third-party apps. Budget for the checkout strings as their own piece of translation.
Checkout apps
The Checkout Blocks app can't translate blocks set up directly in the checkout editor; its Dynamic content block is the way round that. And merchants can't override or add translations to checkout UI extensions, so an app's checkout text is only as Arabic as its developer made it. Every checkout app goes into the scope with an Arabic question next to it.
How we test Arabic before launch
We build Arabic and right-to-left stores and run a bilingual QA pass on every page before launch. For Arabic layouts designed before the build, see UI/UX design in Dubai.
Send me your store link and I'll go through your theme and checkout apps for right-to-left problems.
07of 9
Cash on delivery costs you nothing in Shopify fees. The app might not be free
Shopify's manual payments page names cash on delivery as a common manual payment and says "You aren't charged third-party transaction fees for manual payments." That holds on every plan.
Use Shopify’s own COD option
COD is set up as a manual method under Settings > Payments. "Cash on Delivery (COD)" is one of the names Shopify reserves, so pick Shopify's option rather than creating a custom method with that label.
A COD app may charge per order
A third-party COD or order-form app can carry its own per-order or monthly fee. If the store uses one, its name and cost go in the scope.
When refused parcels hurt
A COD value cap or a COD charge can push buyers towards card. Decide that in the scope, along with whatever app it needs. Courier collection charges are in the cost guide.
Want a fixed AED price for this?
Tell us what you need and get a quote in writing, excluding VAT.
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A salaried Shopify developer in Dubai against a one-off store build
Indeed puts the average developer salary in Dubai at AED 6,574 a month, from 144 salaries, updated 29 September 2026. That covers developers in general, not Shopify specialists. Twelve months comes to about AED 78,900 before a visa, medical insurance and the other costs an employer carries, which our hiring page adds up. Whether you hire a Shopify expert or a Shopify development company, you are weighing a cost that never stops against a one-off price: AED 5,900–49,000 for a new store from us, fixed when the scope is agreed.
When a salaried hire makes sense
If you change the theme, launch collections and fix apps every week, someone on staff earns the salary. If the store needs a build and then occasional work, a project costs less.
Freelancers and agencies
On Upwork you choose and manage the person, and Upwork's escrow holds the money. Dubai agencies rarely publish prices, so ask for a fixed figure in writing before you compare.
Checking a Shopify Partner claim
If an agency says it is a Shopify Premier or Plus Partner, search its name in Shopify's own Partner Directory. We make no Partner claim, so judge us on a written scope, a fixed price and a checkout you watch work.
Checking a portfolio
Open any store in a portfolio, view the page source and search for cdn.shopify.com. If it isn't there, the store isn't on Shopify, and that is worth a question. The same check tells you whether a UAE store you admire runs on Shopify.
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The store stays in your name; the work comes from Lucknow
The person who prices your store
Codingclave Development LLP, which I founded in Lucknow, India, in 2017. I price every store myself, and the figure in the scope is the figure you pay unless the scope changes. The record: 200+ projects since 2017, 4.9 on Google (76 reviews), Top Rated on Upwork; see reviews and our work. We have no UAE office or entity; the hub explains who signs your contract. The money side stays in dirhams: each invoice is issued in AED and paid with a bank transfer to our dirham account, the same currency your store's payouts arrive in, so nothing is converted on your side.
Who holds the Shopify subscription and the KYC
You do. The store, the Shopify Payments verification, the gateway and the domain sit in your business's name from day one, and we build on your store. Theme code, custom code, content and data become yours when the final payment clears, and every login is handed over. Turn down any developer who offers to open the store in their own account.
Gulf hours, Saturday included
Monday to Saturday, 10:00–19:00 India time, which is 08:30–17:30 Gulf Standard Time. The UAE is 1 hour 30 minutes behind India, so that covers 8.5 hours of a 9:00–18:00 UAE day, Saturday included.
Pricing in AED
A new store has a band; repairs, Arabic and moves are quoted
Each figure is fixed once we have both agreed the written scope, and holds unless you add to that scope. Three instalments: 40% to start, another 40% at a milestone the scope names, 20% at launch. Try the website cost calculator or ask for a quote.
E-commerce store
AED 5,900 – AED 49,000
Excl. VATE-commerce store (Shopify, WooCommerce or custom) · Typical timeline: 2–6 weeks
A new Shopify store in Arabic and English: theme set-up, products, payments, policy pages and a live test order, usually 2–6 weeks.
Get a quote for this plan
Theme repairs, speed work and custom sections
Fixes after a theme update, slow pages, and sections the theme doesn't have.
Adding Arabic and right-to-left to a live store
Theme direction, translations, checkout wording and app checks, with a bilingual QA pass.
Moving to Shopify from WooCommerce, Salla or Instagram
Product and image import and redirects from old URLs, with a test order before the switch.
Gateway, Tabby or Tamara, or courier on an existing store
Connection on your own accounts, testing and the live switch-over.
- Fixed price in AED
- Free scoping call
- No obligation
Shopify, your apps and your gateway bill you directly, never through us; the cost guide has their fees in AED.
Ask for a fixed store price on WhatsApp with your rough product count.
Prices are in UAE dirhams (AED) and exclude VAT. Project prices are converted from our GBP price list at GBP 1 = AED 4.90 (11 October 2026) and rounded; monthly plans are set in AED. Codingclave is an India-based supplier and is not registered for UAE VAT. VAT-registered UAE businesses usually account for VAT on imported services under the reverse-charge mechanism; confirm with your tax adviser.
Fixed AED quote
Where is your Shopify store today?
Tell me what you sell and where your store is today. You get back the payment route that fits your licence and plan, then a written scope with one fixed AED price. No licence yet? Say so, and I'll set out what to file first.
Ashish Sharma
Founder, Codingclave
Ashish or the team replies on WhatsApp or email during our hours, Mon–Sat, 8:30am–5:30pm GST.
- ★ 4.9 on Google (76 reviews) · Lucknow, India profile
- 200+ projects since 2017
- Top Rated on Upwork, 100% Job Success
- Founder-led delivery
Prefer WhatsApp?
WhatsApp AshishWhat you sell and where your store is, on WhatsApp
Send your store URL (or "not started"), roughly how many products, and your licence type, or "none yet".
A scope that names every app and policy page
The scope lists the apps the store will use, the pages each payment provider will check, and a fixed AED figure.
Accounts in your name, then the first 40%
You open or keep the Shopify store, Shopify Payments or the gateway, and the domain in your business's name. We build on that store.
Build and bilingual QA, then the second 40%
We build the store and run the bilingual QA pass. The second 40% falls due at the milestone the scope names.
A live test order together, then launch and the last 20%
Before handover, you watch one real order go through the live store. Every login is handed over, and the final 20% is paid at launch.
Bugs in our code fixed free until month six
Anything in our work that breaks in the six months from launch is fixed without charge. From month seven, a care plan that keeps the theme and apps updated and handles small changes runs AED 600–1,800 a month (VAT not included); a new feature is still priced as its own job.
FAQ
Questions UAE businesses ask us
Can’t see yours? Ask Ashish directly — you’ll get a straight answer, not a sales script.
Ask Ashish directly
Is Shopify legal in the UAE, and do I need a licence to sell on it?
Which Shopify plan do I need for Shopify Payments in the UAE?
Should a UAE store stay on Grow with Telr or move to Advanced?
Can I show SAR or KWD prices on a UAE Shopify store?
Can a Shopify store and checkout run fully in Arabic?
Does Shopify charge a fee on cash on delivery orders?
A Shopify developer on a Dubai salary, or one store project: what does each cost?
Can I sell to UAE customers on Shopify with a business registered outside the UAE?
Ashish Sharma · Founder
Which payment route does your licence allow?
Tell me what you sell and where your store is today. You get back the payment route that fits your licence and plan, then a written scope with one fixed AED price. No licence yet? Say so, and I'll set out what to file first.
- WhatsApp us or fill in the form
- Free scoping call
- Fixed AED quote, no obligation
- ★ 4.9 on Google (76 reviews) · Lucknow, India profile
- 200+ projects since 2017
- Top Rated on Upwork, 100% Job Success
- Founder-led delivery
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E-commerce cost in Dubai: plans, gateway fees, licence
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- Sharjah
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Hire a dedicated developer
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Arabic UI/UX design in Dubai
- Guide
Shopify vs WooCommerce vs custom
- Tool
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- UAE
Get a free quote
Ashish Sharma
Founder, Codingclave · Updated 12 October 2026
Ashish founded Codingclave in Lucknow, India, in 2017 and still leads delivery on every project.
Sources (12)· public sources cited on this page
- Shopify Changelog – Shopify Payments in the UAE available on the Advanced plan
- Shopify Help Center – Shopify Payments in the United Arab Emirates
- Shopify Help Center – Shopify Payments requirements in the UAE
- Shopify – UAE pricing
- Shopify Help Center – Language requirements and considerations
- Shopify Help Center – Checkout language
- Shopify Help Center – Checkout Blocks settings
- Shopify.dev – Localised checkout UI extensions
- Shopify Help Center – Manual payment methods
- Telr – Pricing
- Indeed – Developer salaries in Dubai
- Middle East Briefing – UAE e-commerce regulation and licensing (secondary)