Website developer · UAE
Web developer for Dubai businesses, in Arabic and English
Dubai websites need a real right-to-left Arabic build, enquiry flows that end in WhatsApp and the right data protection regime. Here is what to expect, and what a Nepal-based remote team can and cannot do.
Three things separate a capable web developer in Dubai from a generic one: an Arabic version built right-to-left from the start rather than mirrored at the last minute, enquiry paths that end in WhatsApp because that is where Dubai customers reply, and data protection that matches where your company is licensed. Time zones are the easy part. Dubai is on Gulf Standard Time, UTC+4, and Nepal is 1 hour 45 minutes ahead, so the working days almost line up.
Meritbyte Technologies, which wrote this page, is a Nepal-based company building websites, web apps and custom software. There is no Dubai office, UAE trade licence or local staff; our team works with Dubai businesses remotely, and the final section sets out the trade-offs honestly. For the UAE-wide view, see our UAE website developer page.
What does a proper Arabic and English website involve?
Two first-class versions of the site, not an English site with a translation plug-in. The technical checklist:
- Each language on its own URLs (for example /en/ and /ar/), linked with hreflang tags such as
ar-AEanden-AE, so Google shows the right version. - Arabic pages set
dir="rtl", and the CSS uses logical properties (margin-inline-startrather thanmargin-left) so layouts flip without a second stylesheet. - Direction-dependent icons, such as arrows, "next" chevrons and breadcrumbs, are mirrored; logos, video play buttons and phone numbers are not.
- An Arabic web font chosen for legibility, such as Noto Kufi Arabic or IBM Plex Sans Arabic, with line height adjusted for the script.
- One numeral style, used consistently; Western digits (0-9) are common in UAE Arabic content.
- Forms that cope with mixed-direction input, such as an Arabic name next to an English email address.
The copy matters as much as the code. Arabic pages should be written or reviewed by a native Arabic writer, and Arabic keyword research done on its own: the phrases people search in Arabic are often not literal translations of the English ones. Our international SEO guide covers the URL and hreflang setup.
Why do Dubai enquiries end in WhatsApp?
Because a large share of Dubai customers, from property buyers to salon clients, would rather message than fill in a form or call. A site that offers only a contact form loses some of them. The pattern that works:
- A click-to-chat link (wa.me) on every page, with a pre-filled message naming the page or listing, so your team knows what the enquiry is about.
- For higher volumes, the WhatsApp Business Platform, routing chats to the right agent and logging them in your CRM (Zoho CRM, HubSpot or Salesforce).
- Every WhatsApp click tracked as a conversion in GA4 and your ad accounts, so you know which campaigns start conversations.
- Marketing messages sent only to people who opted in, using approved templates, as WhatsApp's policies require.
Keep a form as well; some buyers, especially overseas investors, still prefer email. Our landing page conversion checklist covers the rest of the enquiry path.
What do Dubai property, hotel and retail sites need?
Real estate
Dubai property adverts, including listings on your own website and social media, need a valid advertising permit issued through the Dubai Land Department's Trakheesi system, shown alongside your broker details (ORN and BRN). Build the permit number into the listing template so nothing goes live without one, and check the current DLD and RERA requirements. Beyond compliance: XML feeds to Property Finder and Bayut, off-plan project pages with payment plans, prices in AED with optional currency display for overseas buyers, and lead routing by language and area, such as Dubai Marina, Business Bay or JVC. See real estate websites.
Hospitality
Show the full price before payment. UAE VAT rules expect consumer prices to include the 5% VAT, and Dubai hotels also add a service charge, a municipality fee and the Tourism Dirham, so guests should see the total rather than discover it at checkout.
Retail and e-commerce
Payment choice shapes conversion. Card options include Telr, PayTabs, Network International, Checkout.com and Stripe, alongside Apple Pay and buy-now-pay-later from Tabby or Tamara. Some shoppers still expect cash on delivery, so plan for it and for the refused deliveries that come with it. Shipping to other GCC countries raises customs and duty questions the product page should answer. Our e-commerce development service covers Shopify and WooCommerce builds for the UAE.
Which data protection law applies to your Dubai company?
It depends on where the company is licensed:
| Where you are licensed | Main law | Practical notes |
|---|---|---|
| DIFC | DIFC Data Protection Law, DIFC Law No. 5 of 2020 | Notification to the DIFC Commissioner of Data Protection; GDPR-style rights and notices |
| ADGM (Abu Dhabi) | ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021 | Relevant if your group also has an ADGM entity |
| Mainland Dubai and most other free zones | Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 (PDPL) | Consent and transparency duties; check the current status of its implementing regulations |
| Healthcare providers | Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 on ICT in health fields, plus the above | Health data generally has to be stored inside the UAE |
Whichever applies, the website basics are the same: a clear privacy notice in Arabic and English, a cookie banner that genuinely controls non-essential cookies, forms that collect only what you need, and hosting you can explain. For health data, AWS and Azure both operate UAE cloud regions. Confirm the legal position with your adviser; a developer should build to it, not rule on it.
Dubai and Nepal working hours
Neither the UAE nor Nepal uses daylight saving, so the gap stays at 1 hour 45 minutes all year, with Nepal ahead.
| Dubai time | Nepal time |
|---|---|
| 9:00 am | 10:45 am |
| 1:00 pm | 2:45 pm |
| 4:15 pm | 6:00 pm |
| 6:00 pm | 7:45 pm |
If both sides work 9:00 am to 6:00 pm local time, the shared window runs from 9:00 am to 4:15 pm in Dubai: 7 hours 15 minutes.
The week needs more thought than the clock. Since January 2022 the UAE federal government has worked Monday to Friday, with Friday a half day, and many Dubai companies follow a similar pattern while others keep different weekends. Agree working days and response times in writing at the start.
What to look for in a web developer in Dubai
- Right-to-left Arabic work shown on a live page, reviewed by a native speaker, not a screenshot.
- A clear view of which data protection regime applies to you and what it changes on the site.
- WhatsApp integration with conversion tracking, not just a floating green button.
- Hands-on experience with the payment gateway you have chosen.
- For property firms, permit numbers built into listing templates and portal feeds.
- Domain, hosting, code, WhatsApp Business account and ad accounts in your company's name.
- Core Web Vitals (LCP ≤ 2.5 s, INP ≤ 200 ms, CLS ≤ 0.1) met on both the Arabic and English versions.
If you are hiring remotely, our guide on how to hire a remote web developer sets out further checks.
Remote from Nepal: the honest trade-offs
| What you give up | What you get |
|---|---|
| Nobody attends meetings in Business Bay, visits your showroom or photographs your units | Working hours that overlap for most of the Dubai day |
| No UAE trade licence, so no place on vendor lists that require one | Free scoping, with a scope, timeline and price in writing before you commit to anything |
| Arabic copy has to come from a native writer you trust; we build and test the right-to-left templates | A fixed-price first milestone, then fortnightly demos, with the option to end the engagement after any two-week block |
| No local account manager to call in for a same-day visit | A single project manager, a weekly written report and a staging site you can check whenever you like |
Everything, from the domain to the ad accounts, is registered to your company, with documentation at handover, and enquiries get an answer from a person within one business day. Our web development services describe the work in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours ahead of Dubai is Nepal?
Nepal is 1 hour 45 minutes ahead of Dubai all year, because neither country uses daylight saving. When it is 9:00 am in Dubai it is 10:45 am in Nepal. With a normal working day on both sides, the overlap is 7 hours 15 minutes, which makes live calls and same-day fixes easy to schedule.
How much more does an Arabic and English website cost than English only?
More than a translation fee. Expect extra design and testing for right-to-left layouts, Arabic fonts, separate URLs and hreflang, plus native-quality Arabic copy and keyword research. The increase depends on page count and how often content changes. Ask for the Arabic build to be priced as its own line so you can compare quotes fairly.
Which payment gateways work for Dubai e-commerce websites?
Common choices include Telr, PayTabs, Network International, Checkout.com and Stripe, plus Apple Pay and buy-now-pay-later options such as Tabby and Tamara. The right one depends on your licence, the currencies you sell in, settlement times and fees. Test the full checkout on staging, including refunds and failed payments, before launch.
Does my Dubai company follow the UAE PDPL or the DIFC law?
If your company is licensed in the DIFC, the DIFC Data Protection Law 2020 applies. Mainland companies and most other free zones fall under the federal PDPL, Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021. ADGM entities have their own regulations, and healthcare providers have extra data-localisation rules. Confirm with your legal adviser, then build the privacy notice and cookie controls to match.