How to Start a Shopify Store in Dubai? – Tutorial 

Is Shopify legal in the UAE? A question asked by many. 

The simple answer is yes.

Learn here how to start a Shopify store in Dubai while staying within the legal laws to start selling online. 

Create a Shopify Store in UAE: Requirements 

Before you start a Shopify Store in UAE, here are a few things you need beforehand:

• A business license from the Economic Development in Dubai (DED) or any free zone for your e-commerce license.
• A local business bank account to collect payment for your online store.
• Register for VAT with the Federal Tax Authority if your annual revenue exceeds AED 375,000. 
• A domain name that will help your customers to find your store online. 

Besides these, you will need to set up the logistics and a payment gateway, which we will discuss in the next point. 

How to Start a Shopify Store in Dubai?

Step 1: Select Your Shopify Plan

Head to Shopify and click on the Start free trial.  

You will be asked a few questions about your business; fill those in and then select a Shopify plan that fits your business needs. 

Step 2: Choose & Customize Your Theme

Now, head to Sales Channels > Online Store > Themes to add to select a Shopify theme that fits your brand identity. 

Shopify offers a theme library for you to select the best one for your store. You can also customize a theme, but you will need to have a technical skill set for that. However, hiring a Shopify developer is a flexible option as they directly start working on execution with the right knowledge and skills. 

Step 3: Add Product & Create Collections

From this step onwards, you can start adding products and create product categories famously called Collections in Shopify. 

To add products, head to Products > Add Product. 

Make sure to spend a good time here as whatever you add here will reflect to your customers, so carefully add:

• Product title, description, and category
• Quality image of your product
• Set the pricing, inventory, and shipping
• Variants if your product has any
• SEO-details

Then, Save the product. 

Now, navigate to the Collections tab and create a collection. For example, if you are into retail you can have collections like Men, Women, Kids, and more.  

Go ahead and add collection details like: 

• Collection Title 
• Collection Description
• Collection Type
• Image (if any)

Create collections based on your requirements and give a structured look to your product listing. 

Now, head to Online store > Theme > Customizer to create and add media with a text section, edit your header and footer, and make the rest of the changes on every page of your store.

Step 4: Integrate with a Payment Provider 

From the Payments tab under Settings, you can integrate the UAE payment gateway to accept payments for your localities. Since Shopify Payments is not yet available in the UAE, you have options like Telr, Stripe, Paypal, and more.  

Whichever payment you opt from, keep in mind the transaction charges, and it is compatible with your local bank.

You can also select payment offline (cash or cheque) using manual payment methods. 

Step 5: Set Up Shipping & Taxes

Shopify easily integrates with carriers like UPS, FedEx, USPS, and DHL to manage the shipping of your orders. 

You set different shipping rates based on weight, location, and more. Here, you also have an option to work with a third-party provider. 

Step 6: Add Your Store Domain 

Head to Domains, where you have two options: you can either Buy a new domain or Connect an existing domain. 

By default, Shopify uses a sub-domain ending with myshopify.com. So, here, your domain will look something like this your-store-name.myshopify.com, which is not ideal. You can buy a new domain name with Shopify or connect if you have one already. 

Step 7: Launch Your Store

Now, when everything looks perfect, take a preview of your store to see if everything is working as expected. If it seems good to go, head to the Preferences tab and remove the password protection. This way, your store will be available to the public. 

Hire a Shopify Developer in Dubai

Building an online Shopify store needs to have a solid foundation to stand the competition and other challenges that can come over a period of time. 

Using the method mentioned above, you can create a Shopify website, but there is a chance of missing out on adding elements that are crucial for long-term success.

Here, a Shopify developer can become your helping hand. 

An experienced Shopify developer will build a solid and sustainable store as they would: 

• Customize and build your store as per your business needs.
• Optimize your store with SEO and advanced SEO features to rank well on search results.
• Handle various compatibility issues that might affect your Shopify store performance.
• Implement security patches to protect your store from unseen vulnerabilities. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is Shopify successful in the UAE?

Yes, Shopify is successful in the UAE. Museum of the Future, INITIO Parfums Privés, and SQUAT WOLF are some popular brands built on Shopify serving the UAE market. 

Can I Start Dropshipping in the UAE?

You can easily start dropshipping in the UAE using Shopify. Using dropshipping services like Oberlo and DSers in Shopify, you can start your business seamlessly. 

Do You Need a License for Shopify in the UAE?

Yes, you must have a business license to start your Shopify store. 

Get Started With Your Shopify Stores in UAE

With this tutorial in hand, now you know how to create a Shopify store in the UAE without breaking any laws and conditions. 

While building a store is half the battle won. Your theme customization, SEO efforts, and marketing will play a key role in leveling up your newly launched store.