Shopify development for Saudi brands, with payments that work in the Kingdom.
Shopify works in Saudi Arabia, but not out of the box. Shopify Payments is not available to Saudi-based stores, so mada, Apple Pay and buy-now-pay-later run through third-party providers. We build Arabic and English Shopify stores for Saudi and GCC brands, connect those providers, set up shipping and VAT, and migrate you from WooCommerce or Salla.
Page updated · by the Origin Ecommerce team
- Shopify Payments for Saudi-based stores
- Not available
- Shopify fee on third-party gateways: Basic / Grow / Advanced
- 2% / 1% / 0.6%
- Standard VAT rate in Saudi Arabia
- 15%
Shopify in KSA starts with the payment gateway.
Saudi Arabia is not on Shopify's list of countries where Shopify Payments is offered; the UAE is. Shopify's guidance for unlisted countries is to use a third-party payment provider, which means a Saudi store connects mada, cards, Apple Pay and BNPL through apps from local providers.
That choice has costs. When you use a third-party provider, Shopify adds its own transaction fee on top of the provider's fees: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus at time of writing. Shopify's Markets documentation also says multi-currency checkout needs Shopify Payments (or Adyen in some setups); with other providers, orders are processed in your store's default currency.
| Provider | What it adds | How it connects |
|---|---|---|
| Tap Payments | mada, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay in Shopify's checkout; Tabby and other local methods on Tap's checkout page | Two Tap apps installed from the Shopify App Store |
| Tabby | Buy now, pay later for customers with KSA or UAE billing addresses | Tabby payment app, using live API keys from a Tabby KSA merchant account |
| Tamara | Buy now, pay later for Saudi shoppers | Free Tamara payment app from the Shopify App Store, after registering as a Tamara partner |
An Arabic storefront that reads right to left.
Shopify's help centre says the latest themes in its Horizon family support right-to-left languages, including Arabic. For any other theme, Shopify advises confirming RTL support first, and many third-party themes need work before Arabic layouts look right.
Selling in more than one language is available on all Shopify plans except Lite, with content translated through Shopify's Translate & Adapt app or a compatible third-party app. Shopify notes that product URLs and tags cannot be translated, so we plan URL structure for both languages before building.
With Shopify Markets, each country or region can have its own domain or subfolder, and Shopify generates hreflang tags for them automatically. International domains must be custom domains, not the default myshopify.com address.
The Saudi setup Shopify won't do for you.
- Shipping: we connect the carriers you use in the Kingdom through their Shopify apps or integrations, and plan how delivery details, including the Saudi national address where your carrier needs it, are captured at checkout.
- VAT: the standard VAT rate in Saudi Arabia is 15%. We configure tax-inclusive pricing and invoices so customers see the price they will pay.
- ZATCA e-invoicing: plan this alongside the store. Shopify order data usually needs to reach a ZATCA-compliant e-invoicing or ERP system; see e-commerce, ERP and ZATCA integration.
- Store documentation: since March 2023 the Ministry of Commerce documents online stores through the Saudi Business Center's Business Platform (business.sa) instead of Maroof.
- Business details: Saudi rules expect your store to show its name, address, contact channels and registration number, which we build into the footer and policy pages.
When Shopify is the right call, and when it isn't.
We recommend Shopify when its strengths outweigh the extra payment and setup work in the Kingdom. For a full side-by-side comparison of fees, payments and shipping, read our Salla vs Zid vs Shopify guide.
- Shopify tends to win for brands selling across the GCC or internationally from one store, using Markets for country-specific domains and pricing.
- Shopify tends to win when you need its large global app and theme ecosystem, or your team already runs Shopify in another country.
- Shopify tends to win for brands with a UAE entity, where Shopify Payments is available.
- Salla or Zid tend to win for Saudi-only merchants who want local payments, carriers and ZATCA tools built in, without Shopify's extra fee on third-party gateways.
Shopify services for the Saudi market.
This page covers Shopify for Saudi and GCC brands. For our wider e-commerce work, see E-commerce Development.
- Store build: Arabic and English Shopify stores on an RTL-ready theme, customised to your brand.
- Payments: choosing a Saudi-capable gateway, preparing for its approval and testing mada, Apple Pay, Tabby and Tamara with real transactions.
- Markets and languages: country-specific domains or subfolders, translations and hreflang for Saudi and wider GCC audiences.
- Migration from WooCommerce or Salla: products, customers and content moved across, with 301 redirects from every old URL that matters.
- Integrations: shipping apps, marketing tools and connections to your ERP or accounting system.
From brief to launch in six steps.
- 01
Confirm Shopify fits your markets, catalogue and budget
- 02
Choose gateway, BNPL and shipping providers
- 03
Design the Arabic and English storefront
- 04
Build, migrate data and map redirects
- 05
Test payments, VAT and delivery with real orders
- 06
Launch, monitor rankings and hand over documentation
Who this is for, and who it isn't.
- A good fit: brands entering Saudi Arabia that already sell on Shopify elsewhere and want a proper Saudi storefront.
- A good fit: Saudi and GCC brands selling across borders who need country-specific domains, languages and pricing.
- A good fit: WooCommerce or Salla merchants who have outgrown their platform and want a planned migration.
- Probably not a fit: Saudi-only stores with a simple catalogue. Salla or Zid will usually cost less to run, and we will tell you so.
Also searched as
Questions answered.
Does Shopify work in Saudi Arabia?
Yes, Shopify works for stores selling in Saudi Arabia, but it needs more setup than Saudi platforms. Shopify Payments is not available to Saudi-based stores, so payments run through third-party providers such as Tap, Tabby and Tamara, and Shopify adds its own fee on those transactions. Arabic storefronts, VAT and local shipping also need configuring. Done properly, a Shopify store can serve Saudi shoppers well.
Is Shopify Payments available in Saudi Arabia?
No. Saudi Arabia is not on Shopify's list of supported countries for Shopify Payments at time of writing, although the UAE is. Saudi stores use third-party payment providers instead. Shopify then charges an extra transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus, on top of the provider's own fees, so plan your plan choice around order volume.
Can a Shopify store accept mada and Apple Pay?
Yes, through a Saudi-capable payment provider. For example, Tap Payments' Native Checkout app for Shopify supports mada, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay inside Shopify's checkout. Your business must be approved by the provider first, and Apple Pay depends on the customer's device and browser. We test every method on real Saudi cards before launch, because a payment that fails silently costs sales.
Can I offer Tabby and Tamara on Shopify?
Yes. Tabby has a Shopify payment app that accepts orders with Saudi or UAE billing addresses, connected using live API keys from your Tabby merchant account. Tamara offers a free Shopify payment app once you register as a Tamara partner. Each provider approves your business and agrees its fees with you directly, so we start those applications early in the project.
Should I use Shopify or Salla?
Use Salla if you sell mainly within Saudi Arabia and want local payments, carriers and ZATCA tools built in. Use Shopify if you sell across the GCC or internationally, need its global app ecosystem, or already run Shopify elsewhere. Shopify costs more to run in the Kingdom because of its fee on third-party gateways. Our Salla vs Zid vs Shopify guide compares them in detail.
Can you migrate my store from WooCommerce or Salla to Shopify?
Yes. We move products, variants, images, customers and content where the platforms allow it, then map 301 redirects from your old URLs so search rankings carry over. Order history and some custom fields may need special handling, which we confirm during scoping. Before switching your domain we test payments, VAT, shipping and Arabic layouts end to end.
Talk to us about your project.
Tell us what you sell, the systems you use and your timeline. We reply with initial recommendations and a suggested next step for a free consultation.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. Rules and prices change, so confirm anything critical with the source.
- Shopify Help Centre: Shopify Payments supported countries (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Shopify: Pricing (third-party payment provider fees by plan) (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Shopify Help Centre: Markets requirements and considerations (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Shopify Help Centre: Managing international domains (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Shopify Help Centre: Localization and translation (RTL support in Horizon themes) (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Tap Payments: Shopify plugins (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Tap Support: Can I enable Apple Pay for a Shopify website? (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Tabby Docs: Shopify plugin installation (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Tamara: Shopify payment app for Saudi merchants (accessed 16 October 2026)
- ZATCA: VAT Implementing Regulation amendments (15% standard rate) (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Ministry of Commerce: E-stores registered via Business Platform instead of Maroof (29 Mar 2023) (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Saudipedia: E-Commerce Law in Saudi Arabia (store disclosure obligations) (accessed 16 October 2026)
Ready to start?
Book a free consultation. We review your goals and current setup, recommend the right approach and follow up with a written proposal covering scope, timeline and cost.
Prefer to talk first?
Email info@originsoftwares.com. Share your goal and we will suggest the fastest route to launch.