Shopify development for brands in the UAE
Custom Shopify and Shopify Plus builds for UAE merchants, with right-to-left Arabic themes, local gateways and GCC expansion planned into the code from day one.
Shopify Development for UAE brands
Development for the UAE starts with the theme itself. Arabic needs a genuine right-to-left layout, where navigation, sliders, icons and product galleries mirror correctly, not just translated text dropped into an English design. Behind that, payments run through regional gateways, cash on delivery needs guardrails and many brands plan to add Saudi Arabia or other GCC markets soon after launch.
BOOST STAR Experts provides Shopify developers for UAE brands from our remote team in India. We build custom bilingual themes, set up regional payment providers and pay-later apps, connect couriers and fulfilment partners, and write custom Shopify apps where needed. India is 1.5 hours ahead of the UAE, so our developers are online for almost your entire working day, including launch windows.
- Bilingual RTL Shopify theme
- Regional gateway setup
- Tabby and Tamara integration
- COD verification rules
- Courier and delivery slots
- GCC markets with Shopify Markets
What shopify development in the UAE needs
True right-to-left Arabic themes
A good Arabic storefront mirrors the whole layout: menus, breadcrumbs, carousels, arrows and form fields. We build themes with logical CSS properties so the same code serves English and Arabic, choose Arabic web fonts that stay readable at small sizes and test every template in both directions.
Regional gateways and pay-later apps
UAE stores commonly use gateways such as Checkout.com, Tap Payments, Telr or PayTabs, alongside Tabby and Tamara for instalments. We help you choose providers based on fees and supported methods, set them up with Apple Pay where available and add instalment messaging to product pages and the cart.
COD verification and delivery slots
Cash-on-delivery orders can be confirmed by WhatsApp or SMS before dispatch, limited by order value or area, and charged a small fee. We build these rules, plus delivery date and time-slot pickers for same-day or scheduled delivery, and connect couriers such as Aramex or Quiqup for labels and tracking.
GCC markets and multi-currency setup
Expanding to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar or Oman means new currencies, different VAT rates and duties, such as Saudi Arabia’s 15% VAT. We configure Shopify Markets for each country with its own pricing and shipping rules, and plan Arabic and English content once so new markets reuse it.
Payments, delivery and compliance in the UAE
- Visa & Mastercard
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Tabby
- Tamara
- Cash on delivery
- Aramex
- Emirates Post
- Quiqup
- DHL Express
- FedEx
- UAE VAT (5%)
- Trade licence covering eCommerce
- UAE Personal Data Protection Law
- UAE Consumer Protection Law
How we work
Discovery call
We learn your goals, catalogue, tech stack and market, then agree what success looks like.
Audit & roadmap
A store, SEO and competitor audit turns into a prioritised roadmap with a timeline and fixed quote.
Design & build
UX, design and development in sprints, with a private preview store you review at every step.
Launch
QA across devices, redirects, tracking and a planned go-live with no downtime.
Grow
SEO, CRO and paid campaigns compound results month after month, with clear reporting.
Ongoing support
A dedicated team for fixes, new features and seasonal campaigns when you need them.
Frequently asked questions
Can you convert our English Shopify theme to Arabic?
Often, yes. Some themes support right-to-left layouts well and need only fixes for custom sections, while others need significant rework. We audit your current theme, list what breaks in Arabic and recommend whether to adapt it or build a bilingual theme from scratch.
Which payment gateway should a UAE Shopify store use?
It depends on your volume, the cards and wallets you need and where you plan to expand. Checkout.com, Tap Payments, Telr and PayTabs are common choices, and Shopify charges an extra fee on third-party gateways in some cases. We compare total costs and settlement terms before setup.
Can you add same-day delivery options to our store?
Yes. We add delivery date and time-slot selection at checkout, set cut-off times for same-day orders and show estimated delivery on product pages. Courier apps and APIs then receive the order details, so your team or logistics partner can plan routes.
How long does Shopify development take for a UAE brand?
A bilingual store with local payments and courier integration typically takes 5 to 9 weeks. Builds with a custom RTL theme, several GCC markets or Shopify Plus features usually take 8 to 12 weeks. Arabic translation and review are scheduled into the plan from the start.