A restaurant in Dubai spent AED 50,000 on a website last year. The developer promised "SEO-friendly design" and "automated reservations". Today, the site still doesn’t show up in Google searches, and the owner manually texts customers whenever someone books online. This happens more often than you think. In my 7 years working with UAE businesses, I’ve seen smart owners burned by contracts they didn’t fully understand. Here are the questions that separate good deals from expensive mistakes.
What Exactly Are You Paying For?
I once worked with a clinic in Abu Dhabi that signed a contract for a “premium website package” costing AED 18,000. When they asked why their site still didn’t rank on Google, we discovered the package included exactly zero SEO services. The developer never mentioned it.
Every contract should clearly list what’s included. For example:
- •One-time setup vs. ongoing maintenance
- •Number of revisions included
- •Who handles content updates (text, images, videos)
- •Whether mobile responsiveness is standard (it should be)
Ask your developer to break down costs line by line. Most UAE business websites cost between AED 8,000–25,000. If the price seems too low or high, something in the details probably is.
How Long Will This Actually Take?
A real estate agency in Dubai rushed a launch ahead of Ramadan, assuming “4 weeks” meant final handover. When they got the site two days before Eid, the Arabic version wasn’t ready and online payments didn’t work. They lost nearly a quarter of their seasonal inquiries.
Timelines matter. Ask:
- What’s the exact launch date?
- What delays have you encountered with similar projects?
- Will you get periodic check-ins (weekly? biweekly)?
In my experience, most UAE websites take 4–8 weeks from contract signing to launch. Mobile apps like Greeny Corner — a plant care app I built — took 14 weeks because of testing requirements, but clients got weekly updates.
What Happens After Launch Day?
A law firm in Sharjah paid AED 12,500 for a website. Six months later, they got locked out of their own Google My Business listing because their contract said “ownership transfers after 1 year”. They had to pay double to fix it.
This isn’t about technical specs — it’s about control. Make sure your contract gives you:
- •Full ownership of domain name and content
- •Cancellation policies (monthly subscriptions vs. annual contracts)
- •Access to CMS admin (like WordPress or Shopify)
- •Exit clauses if the developer disappears
Many local developers require you to renew maintenance packages yearly. I include lifetime domain management in most of my contracts unless the client prefers month-to-month.
Who Handles the "Little Details"?
A client once asked me to fix their website’s booking form after the original developer stopped responding. The form collected deposits but didn’t send SMS confirmations. Three days before their busiest season, they were losing money.
The contract hadn’t mentioned support hours. Here’s what to ask:
- •Do you offer after-hours help during emergencies?
- •Who do we contact if something breaks overnight (common during Ramadan sales)?
- •Are local payment gateways like Telr or PayTabs included?
In one case, I rebuilt a clinic’s website in 72 hours during Ramadan because their original team vanished. Their online consultations never missed a beat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WordPress the best option for UAE businesses?
It depends. For most small businesses (restaurants, clinics, retail stores), WordPress works well because it’s affordable and easy to update. Enterprise clients like DAS Holding often need custom platforms for integrated systems across 14+ subsidiaries.
How do I know if my website is mobile-friendly?
Test it: open your site on a smartphone, zoom in/out, and tap buttons. If menus disappear or text spills off screen, you’ve got a problem. Over 80% of UAE users browse via mobile — read more about mobile-first design.
What if SEO never happens?
Define milestones. I include “first Google Search Console audit within 4 weeks” in most contracts. If the developer can’t guarantee measurable SEO tasks like proper page titles, internal linking, and local directory submissions (Bayut, Zomato UAE), remove that line item.
Do I need a mobile app if I have a great website?
Only if it solves a problem. A limo company I worked with — Tawasul Limo — needed push notifications for drivers. But retail stores should focus on strong websites first. Learn what makes a UAE website convert visitors.
If you’re reading this after getting a proposal from someone promising the moon for half your budget — don’t rush. I’ve sat across from owners who signed contracts blind just because the developer sounded confident. My process includes a 6-week trial phase for big projects, so you see working results before committing long-term. Book a free consultation to walk through your website goals (or nightmares).
METADATA:{"excerpt":"Ask these questions before paying any website developer in UAE. Don’t risk AED 10k+ on vague promises.","tags":["web development UAE","contract questions","UAE business websites","project timelines","Sarah Nasereldeen"]}`