Printed lanyards in Dubai start at AED 2.45 per piece with a safety buckle, plain PVC ID cards at AED 0.63, and a full 20-lanyard branded run at AED 500 for 20 mm four-colour printing. The decisions that actually change your cost are strap width, printing method (screen versus sublimation) and which attachment you choose at the bottom. This guide breaks down widths, materials, hooks and clips, ID card types and staff name badges — with live VAT-inclusive prices, MOQs and delivery across the UAE.
The anatomy of a lanyard: four parts, four decisions
Buyers usually think they're ordering one item. A lanyard is four:
- The strap — the printed fabric loop. Width and material go here.
- The attachment — the metal or plastic fitting that holds the card. Hook, carabiner, clip or clasp.
- The safety breakaway — a plastic buckle at the back of the neck that pops open under pull. Increasingly non-negotiable for schools, factories and anywhere with machinery.
- The card holder or ID card — the PVC card or transparent pouch that actually carries the name.
Quotes from different suppliers rarely match because they bundle these differently. When you compare prices, confirm which of the four are included.
Strap widths: 10 mm to 25 mm
- 10 mm — thin, cheap, and only usable for a short company name in one colour. Fine for a giveaway, wrong for a conference.
- 15 mm — the economy standard. Room for a name plus a short tagline in one or two colours.
- 20 mm — the sweet spot for corporate and event use, and the width of our standard branded run. Wide enough for a logo with a gradient, a sponsor mark and a URL, printed edge to edge on both sides.
- 25 mm — used for sponsor-heavy events and premium conferences where the lanyard is genuinely a media surface. Costs more per metre and looks slightly heavy on a small card.
A practical note: text below roughly 8 pt on a 15 mm strap becomes unreadable at arm's length, which is the only distance a lanyard is ever read from. If your brand name is long, go to 20 mm rather than shrinking the type.
Materials: polyester, rPET, cotton and tubular
Woven polyester is the default — durable, holds colour well, and the cheapest to produce at volume. Our double-hook cord lanyards are 370 × 5 mm polyester at AED 190 for 50 pieces, though note these are supplied non-printable and are meant for access cards and keys.
rPET (recycled polyester) is made from recycled plastic bottles and prints identically to virgin polyester. At AED 2.45 each including hooks and safety clip, it costs the same as standard — which makes it an easy sustainability line item for a CSR report with no budget penalty. For UAE companies reporting on ESG this is the single cheapest credible swap in the whole giveaway category.
Organic cotton at AED 2.80 has a softer, matte, more premium hand-feel. It suits hospitality, wellness and design-led brands. Colours print slightly muted compared to polyester — that's the nature of the fibre, not a print fault.
Tubular is the shoelace-style round cord: cheapest of all, but printing is limited to simple single-colour text.
Screen printing vs dye sublimation
Two methods, and the choice is dictated by your artwork, not your budget.
Silk screen pushes ink onto the surface of the woven strap. Sharp, saturated spot colours, excellent for a one- or two-colour logo, and cheapest at volume. Limits: no gradients, no photographs, and the ink sits on top of the weave so the reverse side stays plain.
Dye sublimation (heat transfer) turns dye to gas and bonds it into the fibre. This is what allows full-colour, edge-to-edge, both-sided printing with gradients and patterns — the specification on our 20 mm branded lanyards. The dye becomes part of the fabric, so it doesn't crack or peel with wear. Choose sublimation whenever your logo has more than two colours or your design runs to the edge of the strap.
Attachments: what goes on the bottom
All prices per piece, VAT inclusive.
| Attachment | Best for | Price (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Bulldog clip, silver | Slotted ID cards, quick removal | 0.63 |
| Metal lobster claw clasp | Card holders and keys | 0.63 |
| Crocodile clip | Badge holders, fabric-safe | 0.84 |
| Lanyard buckle | Detachable lower section | 0.91 |
| Safety breakaway lock | Schools, factories, sites | 1.05 |
| Oval hook | General ID card use | 1.75 |
| Sling snap carabiner, black matt | Premium and technical looks | 1.75 |
| Carabiner | Keys and heavier items | 2.10 |
Two add-ons worth knowing about: a mobile holder at AED 0.70 and a bottle opener at AED 2.80. Both turn a lanyard from an access tool into something people keep after the event ends.
ID cards and card holders
The card itself is a separate decision. Plain PVC works for the majority of jobs; metallic finishes are for VIP, speaker and management tiers where visual hierarchy at an event matters.
| Card | Description | Price (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra ID Cards | Glossy white PVC, UV or digital printing | 0.63 |
| Metal Business Cards | Black, gold, purple or blue finish | 0.70 |
| Silver Ultra ID Cards | Metallic silver PVC | 1.40 |
| Gold Ultra ID Cards | Metallic gold PVC | 1.40 |
| 4-in-1 lanyard charging cable, 60 W, 120 cm | Doubles as a charging cable with an ID hook | 12.00 |
| GPS tracker + NFC digital business card | Anti-loss tracker with tap-to-share contact details | 56.00 |
PVC cards are printed by UV or digital printing, are rigid enough to resist bending and tearing, and take a glossy coating. If cards will be re-issued to new staff each quarter, print the company side and leave the name field for a laminated insert — cheaper than reprinting a full card per person.
Complete printed lanyard runs and kits
| Product | Specification | Quantity | Price (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lanyard with safety buckle | Standard polyester, breakaway buckle | Per piece | 2.45 |
| rPET lanyard, hooks + safety clip | Recycled polyester | Per piece | 2.45 |
| Organic cotton lanyard | Soft matte cotton | Per piece | 2.80 |
| Lanyard with double hook | Two attachment points | Per piece | 2.80 |
| Double hook cord lanyards | 370 × 5 mm polyester, non-printable | 50 pcs | 190 |
| Lanyards with metal hook | 20 mm, 4-colour print, both sides, quick release | 20 pcs | 500 |
| Employee onboarding kit | 50 notebooks + 50 pens + 50 lanyards | 50 sets | 649 |
That onboarding kit is worth a second look at AED 12.98 per new hire for three branded items. If you're hiring in batches, it removes three separate purchase orders from your process. See the full breakdown in our employee onboarding kits guide.
Name badges: the other half of staff identity
A lanyard identifies that someone belongs. A name badge tells a customer who they're speaking to. For retail floors, restaurants, clinics and hotels you want both. Prices from our name tags and badges collection, all per 50 pieces:
| Badge type | Best for | 50 pcs (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic button badges, 44 mm | Campaigns, events, giveaways | 190 |
| Oval button badges | Events with longer wording | 200 |
| Lens cover name badges | Everyday staff badges | 320 |
| UAE flag badges, pin | National Day and official events | 300 |
| PVC injected name badges | Durable branded staff badges | 350 |
| Reusable name badges | High staff turnover, temp teams | 370 |
| UAE falcon badges with magnet | Formal wear, no pin holes | 430 |
| Metal injected name badges | Hotels and premium retail | 470 |
| Metal name badges | Executive and front-of-house | 640 |
The attachment matters as much as the badge. A magnet attachment at AED 200 per 50 costs AED 20 more than a standard pin at AED 180 — and it's the difference between a hotel uniform lasting a season or ending up perforated. For any tailored or high-value uniform, specify magnets.
How to order lanyards and ID cards in Dubai
- Fix the four decisions: width, material, attachment, and whether you need a safety breakaway.
- Count honestly. Add 10% to your headcount for an event — replacements, walk-ins and speakers always appear.
- Send vector artwork (AI, EPS or PDF) with Pantone references. Sublimation reproduces gradients; screen printing needs solid spot colours.
- Decide on personalisation. Per-person names on cards need a clean spreadsheet — one column per field, correct spelling, and a final locked version. Name changes after the print run are the number one source of event delays.
- Approve the digital proof and produce. Standard delivery is 5 business days after final approval, UAE-wide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for printed lanyards in Dubai?
Custom printed runs start at 20 pieces — our 20 mm four-colour lanyard set is AED 500 for 20. Unbranded accessories, hooks, clips and PVC cards are sold per piece, so you can order 30 ID cards at AED 0.63 each without a minimum. Per-piece prices drop substantially at conference volumes; send us your quantity for an exact figure.
Which lanyard width should I choose for a conference?
20 mm. It carries a logo plus a sponsor mark legibly at reading distance, prints full colour edge to edge on both sides, and doesn't look bulky against a standard 86 × 54 mm badge. Go to 25 mm only if you're selling lanyard space to multiple sponsors.
Do you offer eco-friendly lanyards?
Yes. rPET lanyards made from recycled bottles are AED 2.45 per piece including hooks and safety clip — the same price as standard polyester. Organic cotton is AED 2.80 and gives a softer, matte finish. Both print full colour.
Can you print both sides of the lanyard?
With dye sublimation, yes — both sides, edge to edge, at no extra plate cost, because the dye bonds into the fibre. With silk screen printing, the reverse side is a separate print pass and adds cost. This is usually the deciding factor between the two methods.
Can I get names printed on individual ID cards?
Yes. Send a spreadsheet with one row per person and we'll variable-print each card. Alternatively, print a company-branded card and use a clear pouch with a printed insert, which lets you replace a name in minutes rather than reordering a card.
How long does production take, and do you deliver outside Dubai?
Five business days after final artwork approval is standard, and we deliver across the UAE including Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi. For an event, place the order two weeks out — that buffer absorbs one round of name corrections without touching your delivery date.
Order your lanyards and ID cards
Browse the full range on our Lanyards & ID Cards collection, or pair them with staff name badges. Send us your headcount, strap width and logo and we'll quote the same day.
Call or WhatsApp: 0522100909 (WhatsApp +971522100909)
Planning an event? Read our exhibition printing checklist for Dubai and 20 event giveaway ideas under AED 5.
