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Launching an online store in the UAE follows a clear sequence: define what you sell and to whom, get a trade licence with an e-commerce activity, open a business bank account and a payment gateway, build the website or app and connect it to a delivery partner, then publish your policies and start marketing. This guide walks through each step, what to prepare, and the order that saves you time and rework later.
1. The groundwork: products, audience, licence and bank account
Define your products and audience before anything technical
Most of the decisions that follow, from the payment gateway to the courier to the layout of your product pages, depend on the answers you settle here. Before you approach anyone, be clear on:
- What you sell: physical products that need shipping, digital products, or services booked by appointment.
- How many products: a store with ten items is very different from one with a thousand items in multiple sizes, colours and changing stock levels.
- Who buys: individuals in the UAE, other businesses, or customers across the GCC.
- How they like to pay: by card, in instalments, or cash on delivery.
- Your typical order value: it decides whether free shipping, instalments and promotions make financial sense.
Put these answers on a single page. You will reuse it when you request a quote from a development company, when you apply for a payment gateway and when you negotiate with a courier.
A licence that includes an e-commerce activity
Selling online in the UAE requires a trade licence that includes an e-commerce activity matching what you sell. It is issued by the relevant authority in your emirate, such as Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, or by a free zone authority. Licence types, permitted activities, fees and processing times vary by emirate, authority and product, so always confirm the details directly with the authority before you commit. Some categories, such as food, cosmetics and supplements, may also need approvals from other bodies.
A bank account in the company's name
Once you are licensed, open a business bank account in the company's name. Payment gateways settle your sales into this account, and most will not accept a personal account for a commercial activity. Keep clean copies of your licence, the owner's ID and any memorandum of association to hand: the payment gateway and the courier will ask for the same documents.
2. Choosing payment gateways and buy-now-pay-later
A payment gateway accepts the customer's card payment and settles the money into your bank account. The well-known options in the UAE each fit a slightly different situation:
- Telr: a payment gateway widely used by online stores in the region, supporting multiple cards and payment methods; a common choice for new and growing stores.
- Network International: one of the largest payment providers in the region, working directly with banks and merchants; a good fit if you prefer an established local provider.
- Stripe: a global payments platform available to UAE businesses, known for clean developer integration; useful if you sell to customers in several countries or run recurring subscriptions.
Buy now, pay later: tabby and Tamara
Instalment services such as tabby and Tamara let customers split an order into several payments, while you are paid by the provider according to the terms of your agreement with them. They do not replace your main gateway; they sit alongside it as an extra option at checkout. They tend to help most in categories with higher order values, such as electronics, furniture and fashion.
What to prepare before you apply
- A valid trade licence that includes the right activity.
- Bank details for the account in the company's name.
- ID for the owner or authorised signatory.
- Your website or app link, with clear policy pages already published, since many providers review them before approval.
Each provider's fees, commission and settlement period depend on your activity and sales volume, so compare the official offers each provider sends you rather than relying on figures quoted online.
3. Website, app, or both?
The right answer depends on the stage of your business and how your customers buy:
| Option | When it fits |
|---|---|
| E-commerce website | You are starting out, relying on Google Ads and search traffic, with a limited budget |
| Store app | Customers buy repeatedly, and you need push notifications and loyalty programmes |
| Both | An established store with steady sales that wants more repeat orders across every channel |
As a cost reference, our e-commerce website offer starts from AED 2,800, and our store app for iPhone and Android starts from AED 9,000. These are offer prices and may change; the final quote depends on the scope and the features you need. See the e-commerce website offer and the store app offer for details.
Arabic and English
The UAE audience is diverse, and a bilingual store serves both Emiratis and residents. What matters is that each language is properly written rather than machine-translated, and that the design handles right-to-left Arabic correctly on every page, including checkout, invoices and order confirmation messages.
4. Delivery, shipping and cash on delivery
Integrating your store with a courier means each order flows automatically from your dashboard to the delivery company, and the customer receives a tracking number without anyone on your team typing it in. When choosing a delivery partner, ask about:
- Coverage of the emirates you want to sell in, and whether they ship to other GCC countries.
- An API or plugin that lets your store create and track shipments automatically.
- Same-day and next-day delivery options.
- How they handle returns and failed deliveries.
Cash on delivery: useful, with conditions
Some customers still prefer to pay cash on delivery, but it comes with real costs: orders refused at the door, shipping paid in both directions, and waiting for the courier to remit the cash it has collected. You can reduce the risk by verifying phone numbers with a one-time code, capping the order value allowed for cash on delivery, or nudging customers towards online payment with a small incentive.
5. VAT-ready invoicing and policy pages
If your business is required to register for VAT, or chooses to register voluntarily, you must issue tax invoices with the required details, and your store must calculate VAT correctly in the cart and on the invoice. Registration rules and invoice requirements are set by the Federal Tax Authority, so check its guidance or speak to an accountant before launch, and ask your developer to make tax and invoice settings configurable for your situation.
Before you go live, publish clear pages covering:
- Returns and exchanges: the time window, the accepted condition of the item, and who pays for return shipping.
- Privacy policy: what data you collect, why, and how you protect it.
- Terms and conditions: pricing, delivery, payment methods and how disputes are handled.
- Contact details: a phone number, an email address and the company's address.
6. Launch checklist, then marketing
- Place a real order with every payment method, then test a refund.
- Confirm that order confirmation messages reach both the customer and your team.
- Test the store on different phones and screen sizes.
- Review prices, stock, images and descriptions in both languages.
- Create a test shipment with your courier and check the tracking number.
- Connect analytics and conversion tracking before your first ad campaign.
After launch, do not wait for customers to find you. Google Ads reaches people searching for your product right now, while Meta, Snapchat and TikTok campaigns build interest and retarget visitors who left without buying. The key is conversion tracking connected properly to the store, so you can see which campaigns produce actual sales rather than just clicks. Over the longer term, search engine optimisation builds steady traffic to your product and category pages without paying for every visit.
Next step
At Comedia we guide you from the trade licence through to connecting payment gateways such as Telr, Network International, Stripe, tabby and Tamara, and your delivery partners, then hand over the source code, files and accounts in your name. We have worked from Dubai since 2012 and delivered +500 websites and +200 apps. Your first consultation is free: explore our e-commerce development service or get in touch and we will map out the right steps for your store.
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