Last year, a restaurant owner in Dubai paid AED 30,000 for a 'fully custom website'. It promised online ordering, multilingual support, and SEO. Three months later, the owner couldn’t update the menu themselves, Arabic text formatting broke, and the booking system crashed during Ramadan traffic. The contract hadn’t clarified ownership, post-launch changes, or what "custom" actually meant. I’ll explain how to avoid this — and what to ask instead.
**Who Really Owns the Website After Payment?**
You’d be surprised how often businesses pay in full, then realize they can’t access their own domain or hosting account. One client, a clinic in Abu Dhabi, spent AED 18,000 on a site built in WordPress — but the developer kept the login details. When they wanted to switch providers after a redesign, they were told "data migration costs" were extra.
Ask these 3 things:
- Which components am I purchasing outright? (Domain name, hosting package, website files, CMS licenses)
- Which parts will be tied to monthly subscriptions? (Third-party tools like review platforms or WhatsApp chatbots)
- When does ownership transfer? (Some developers hold access until final payment clears)
A contract that ignores these details leaves you dependent on your developer — not ideal if their prices go up or they disappear.
**What Happens When You Need Changes After Launch?**
I had a law firm client sign a contract that included "one month of support" but didn’t define what that covered. They asked for a simple change — updating service page text — and got hit with a AED 3,000 "hourly maintenance fee".
Clarify:
- •Whether revisions are capped (e.g., up to 5 hours/month) or unlimited
- •The hourly rate for out-of-scope requests
- •Expected response times for bug fixes (e.g., 24–48 hours for broken booking forms)
- •Who handles hosting renewals after the project ends
One real estate client I worked with added these specifics. After their site launched, they asked to integrate a live chat widget — a change that took 2 hours. Because their contract defined post-launch work clearly, the cost was transparent and manageable.
**How to Avoid Paying for Features You Don’t Need**
I once helped a retail store owner in Sharjah choose between a WordPress site or a fully custom platform. Their brief: "I just want a gallery of products and WhatsApp inquiries." The first bid they got included API integrations, a membership area, and custom analytics — features for a regional chain, not a single-store business.
Ask your developer to explain each feature in plain language and how it connects to your goals.
If they propose "headless CMS" or "progressive web app", say: "Walk me through how this helps me get more repeat customers compared to a standard Shopify store?" A real contractor will explain trade-offs simply. The store owner I mentioned saved AED 12,000 by choosing WordPress over an overengineered custom option — and tripled their online sales in 4 months.
Here’s a deeper breakdown of WordPress vs custom builds if you’re still deciding.
**Why Your Contract Must Include Clear Payment Terms**
Half of the disputes I’ve seen started with vague payment schedules. One client, a car rental agency, paid 70% upfront for an app, only to find out "payment processing compatibility" was excluded from the scope. They ended up paying twice — once for the app, once for third-party integration.
Your contract should specify:
- •Milestone-based payments (e.g., 25% on contract approval, 25% once the home page is functional, 50% at launch)
- •Extra costs for scope changes (and the approval process)
- •Whether payment gateway integration (like Telr or PayTabs) is included
At my agency, no project passes 50% upfront — if we fail to deliver, you’re not paying for an unusable product.
**Does Your Business Need a Bilingual Arabic–English Website?**
If you’re targeting UAE audiences, this isn’t optional. One of my clients, a real estate firm in Dubai, launched a rental platform with both languages active by default. Enquiries from Arabic speakers jumped 70% in 2 weeks.
Check:
- •Whether the developer has built bilingual Arabic–English sites before (some Arabic formatting breaks basic templates)
- •How multilingual SEO is handled (you want separate URLs like domain.com/ar/ and domain.com/en/)
- •If the Arabic version is culturally appropriate (colors, images, and even call-to-action buttons differ)
The Tawasul Limo website I built for DAS Holding went full-screen for their launch because we tested Arabic–English switching under heavy traffic. If your developer treats this as an afterthought, you’ll have a slower, frustrating experience for half your audience.
A full guide on multilingual website basics covers the basics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a web development contract last for a small UAE business?
Most UAE projects take 6–10 weeks from start to finish. Rush jobs can go live in 3 weeks but cost 20–30% more. For small businesses, avoid contracts longer than 6 months — priorities change too fast.
What’s the minimum budget to build a website in UAE?
Realistically, you'll pay AED 8,000–15,000 for a professional site (WordPress or Shopify) with hosting, SSL, and one-year security included. Custom sites start at AED 25k.
Should I include local payment gateway support in the contract?
Absolutely. If you're selling anything online, your contract should guarantee support for UAE-specific payment methods like PayTabs or Telr. Testing them in Arabic and English is key.
What happens if I want to cancel the contract?
Check when cancellation fees apply. A fair contract lets you exit with 30 days notice and pay only for completed work. Some developers charge 100% cancellation fees after the first month — those are red flags.
I’ve seen enough Dubai and Abu Dhabi businesses lose time and money because they skipped these questions. You wouldn’t buy office space without checking the lease fine print — why do the same with your website? When you’re ready to move forward with someone who’s built dozens of UAE-facing sites, including a mobile app for repeat orders, I’d love to hear from you.