Skip to content
Altany
العربيةStart a project

Shopify stores for UAE brands

Shopify development in Dubai, with a theme designed for your brand

Shopify gives you hosting, security and a working checkout. It does not give you a store that looks and sells like your brand. As a Shopify development agency in Dubai, we design custom themes, build Arabic storefronts and connect UAE payment options. We also keep the app list short, so pages stay quick.

Start a projectSee pricing

01What you get

  • A theme that belongs to you

    We design and code the theme for your products and your brand. A bought theme carries code for every shop it might be sold to. Yours carries only what your store uses.

  • An Arabic storefront that reads as native

    Layouts mirror right to left, Arabic type is chosen for the screen, and product copy is translated by a person. Shoppers can switch language on any page and stay on the same product.

  • Fewer apps, lower monthly bills

    Every app adds a subscription and code that loads on each visit. We build small features into the theme and install an app only when it earns its cost.

  • Pages your team can rearrange

    Home, collection and campaign pages are built from sections. Your team can add, reorder and edit them in the Shopify theme editor, so a sale page does not need a developer.

02What is included

  • Advice on the Shopify plan that fits
  • Custom theme design for phone and desktop
  • Theme development with editable sections
  • Arabic storefront with right-to-left layouts
  • Payment gateway, Tabby and Tamara set-up
  • Delivery zones, rates and cash on delivery rules
  • App audit and a short, justified app list
  • Product, customer and order migration
  • Redirects from every old address
  • Speed testing and staff training

03How we approach it

  1. 01

    Check that Shopify fits

    Shopify suits stores that sell physical products at set prices. It fits less well when prices are quoted per customer, when products are configured in many steps, or when the checkout itself must change. We tell you at the start, and point you to other ecommerce options if one would serve you better.

  2. 02

    Design the theme, do not dress one up

    A bought theme is a fair way to start on a small budget. It becomes a cost when you pay a developer to fight code written for someone else. We design from your products outward and build only the templates you need.

  3. 03

    Question every app

    For each app we ask four things. What does it do? What does it cost each month? What does it load on the page? What happens to your data if you remove it? Reviews, subscriptions and loyalty schemes often justify an app. A banner or a size chart rarely does.

  4. 04

    Rehearse the migration

    When you move from WooCommerce, Magento or another platform, we import products, customers and order history into a private copy of the store. You check it. Then we map each old address to its new one, so saved links and search listings keep working.

  5. 05

    Prove each payment path

    Card, instalments and cash on delivery are each tested with a real order, in Arabic and in English. Our guide to UAE payment gateways sets out the options open to a UAE merchant.

04Technology

  • Shopify
  • Shopify Plus
  • Liquid
  • Shopify CLI
  • Shopify Markets
  • Tabby
  • Tamara

Questions

Questions, answered

Is Shopify a good choice for an online store in the UAE?

For most stores, yes. Shopify handles hosting, security updates and checkout, so your team can concentrate on products and orders. It supports storefronts in several languages and connects to payment gateways that serve UAE merchants.

Its limits are real. You pay a monthly subscription. Shopify charges its own fee on orders paid through an outside gateway. Some features depend on Shopify's own payment service, which is not offered in every country. We check what is available to a UAE business, and the current terms, before you commit.

Should I buy a Shopify theme or pay for a custom theme?

A bought theme is a sensible start if the budget is small and the catalogue is simple. You can launch quickly and learn how your shoppers behave.

A custom theme is worth the cost when the brand must look distinct, when speed matters, or when you are already paying for apps and edits to work around the theme's limits. If a bought theme would serve you well for now, we will say so.

How many apps should a Shopify store have?

As few as it can run on. There is no fixed number, but each app adds a monthly fee, extra code on the page and another company holding your customer data.

We audit the list before and after a build. Anything the theme or Shopify's own features can do is moved there. Unused apps are removed, along with the code they leave behind.

Can you migrate my store from WooCommerce or Magento to Shopify?

Yes. Products, collections, customers and order history can all be moved. Passwords do not transfer between platforms, so customers are asked to set a new one the first time they sign in.

The move is run on a private copy first, so you can check the data before the switch. We plan the switch itself for a quiet trading day.

Can a Shopify store run in both Arabic and English?

Yes. One Shopify store can publish in several languages, and we build the theme so every template mirrors correctly for Arabic. Product names, descriptions, emails and policies are translated by a person and checked in place on a phone.

For how we handle type, layout and search in two languages, see Arabic and bilingual websites.

Related services

Ecommerce website development

Online stores with UAE payment gateways, pay later options, Arabic checkout and delivery rules for the Emirates and the Gulf.

Sectors we build this for

Luxury retail

Restrained online stores for luxury brands, with detailed imagery, concierge enquiries and delivery across the Gulf.

Startups and new businesses

First websites and first product versions for founders, built on a design system so nothing is thrown away later.

Updated

Let's build somethingDubai remembers.

Tell us what you are planning. We will reply with next steps, or a straight answer if we are not the right fit.

Start a projectSee pricing