A complete branded medal in Dubai costs less than most event organisers assume. A glass medal with ribbon and presentation box is AED 13, a 50 mm metal medal is AED 17, a UAE flag medal badge is AED 4, and a replacement ribbon is AED 2.80. For a school sports day of 120 medals you are looking at roughly AED 1,560 all-in on the glass line — less than most people budget for the trophy table alone. The decisions that actually matter are glass versus metal, whether you need a box, and how much lead time you leave for engraving names.
Glass or metal? The choice that sets everything else
Almost every medal order in the UAE comes down to these two materials, and they behave completely differently.
Glass medals — AED 13
The glass medal with ribbon and box is 8 cm in diameter, typically 10 mm thick, polished clear and weighs about 184 g. It comes supplied with a branded ribbon and a rigid black presentation box with a soft cushion interior. At AED 13 it is the best value in the whole awards catalogue, and the reason is counter-intuitive: the glass is cheaper to brand than metal, because UV printing and laser engraving both work directly on it with no die or mould.
The weight is the point. At 184 g a glass medal feels substantial in the hand in a way a stamped metal medal of the same diameter does not — and perceived value in awards is almost entirely about weight and finish. The trade-off is fragility: glass chips if dropped on tile, which is a real consideration for a children's sports day where medals get thrown around.
The glass medal with a metal frame and 3 cm white ribbon is also AED 13 and solves part of that: 78 × 7 × 78 mm, 117 g, clear glass centre set into a metal frame in Indochine Gold, Silver or Coral Red, supplied in a blue textured box with black foam. The frame protects the edge, which is where glass chips first. It packs 120 pieces per 49 × 37.5 × 26.5 cm carton at 15.1 kg — useful if you are shipping to a venue.
Metal medals — AED 4 to AED 17
The standard 50 mm metal medal at AED 17 is the traditional sports medal: high-quality metal, round, with a central area for a digitally printed logo and a rectangular plate that can be engraved with a name. Branding is digital printing with an epoxy dome over it, which is why it survives handling better than glass.
Below that sit the flag-format medal badges. The UAE flag and medal badge at AED 4 is 44 × 25 mm in gold-finish metal with a UAE flag and a customisable circular area — the cheapest recognition item in the catalogue and the obvious choice for National Day, long-service pins and large staff ceremonies where every attendee gets something. The flag design medal and the medal pin badge are both AED 14.
The third option people miss — AED 4.40
The GRADO lightweight bamboo medal at AED 4.40 is worth knowing about. It is laser-engravable, almost weightless, and it is the right answer for two specific jobs: fun runs and charity events where the sustainability story is part of the brand, and children's events where you want 400 medals and do not want 400 pieces of glass. It is not a prestige award — at 4.40 it is not pretending to be.
Real prices (AED, VAT inclusive)
Live store prices, per piece unless stated. Packs are priced as sold with the per-unit calculated for comparison.
| Item | Specification | Price (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| UAE Flag & Medal Badge | 44 × 25 mm, gold-finish metal, digital print | 4.00 |
| GRADO Bamboo Medal | Lightweight bamboo, laser engravable | 4.40 |
| White Medal Ribbon | Replacement / standalone ribbon | 2.80 |
| UAE Medal Ribbon Lanyard | UAE colours | 2.80 |
| Glass Medal with Ribbon & Box | 8 cm dia, 10 mm thick, ~184 g, black rigid box | 13.00 |
| Glass Medal, Metal Frame & Ribbon | 78 × 7 × 78 mm, 117 g, gold/silver/coral frame, 3 cm ribbon, blue box | 13.00 |
| Flag Design Medal | Gold-finish metal, digital print with epoxy | 14.00 |
| Medal Pin Badge | Metal pin format | 14.00 |
| Metal Medal | 50 mm, metal, digital print + epoxy, engravable name plate | 17.00 |
| Wooden Medal Box | Presentation box, single medal | 11.00 |
| 50 Medal Packaging Box | Pack of 50 (AED 6.40 each) | 320 |
| 50 Wooden Medal Box | Pack of 50 (AED 13.80 each) | 690 |
| Small Cup Trophy | Removable ribbon on both handles | 28.00 |
| Star Design Wooden Trophy | Wooden, engravable | 49.00 |
| Crystal Trophy, Round Black Base | Premium fiber box included | 84.00 |
| Crystal Trophy in Wooden Box | Crystal with wooden presentation box | 175.00 |
| 50 Plastic Button Badges | 44 mm, pack of 50 (AED 3.80 each) | 190 |
| 50 Round Black Metal Badges | Pack of 50 (AED 6.00 each) | 300 |
| 50 UAE Flag Badges, Pin | Pack of 50 (AED 6.00 each) | 300 |
| 50 Gold Pin Badges | Pack of 50 (AED 7.00 each) | 350 |
| 50 Metal Injected Name Badges | Pack of 50 (AED 9.40 each) | 470 |
Browse the full crystal and trophy awards range and the name tags and badges collection.
Branding: UV print, laser engraving or sublimation
Three methods cover every medal in the catalogue, and the choice follows the material and the artwork.
- UV printing — full colour, CMYK plus white. This is the one to pick for a school crest, a sponsor logo or anything photographic. The trick on clear glass is to print white ink behind the colour; without it the artwork goes translucent and disappears against whatever is behind the medal.
- Laser engraving — permanent etching that produces a frosted white effect on clear glass and a dark burn on bamboo. No colour, so it suits text, a single-colour logo or a minimalist mark. It is the more premium-looking finish and the right choice for commemorative and long-service awards.
- Sublimation — available on the metal-framed glass medal, useful for full-bleed colour across the whole face.
- Digital print with epoxy — the method on metal medals. The epoxy dome over the print gives a glossy raised finish and protects the artwork from scuffing.
The pairing that works best in practice, and it costs nothing extra to specify: UV print the event branding on the front, laser engrave the recipient's name on the back. You get colour where colour matters and permanence where it matters.
Budgeting three real events
School sports day, 120 medals
120 glass medals with ribbon and box at AED 13 = AED 1,560. Boxes and ribbons are already included, which is the thing people miss when comparing to a cheaper headline price elsewhere. If the medals are for under-eights and will be handled roughly, switch to the metal-framed version at the same AED 13 for the protected edge, or the AED 4.40 bamboo medal if the count is 400 rather than 120.
Corporate 5K or football tournament, 300 participants plus podium
300 bamboo participation medals at AED 4.40 = AED 1,320, plus 9 podium glass medals at AED 13 = AED 117, plus three cup trophies at AED 28 = AED 84. Total AED 1,521 for a full three-tier award structure. The lesson in that split is the important one: separate the participation medal from the podium medal. Giving everyone the AED 13 glass medal would cost AED 3,900 and make the podium mean nothing.
National Day staff ceremony, 250 employees
250 UAE flag medal badges at AED 4 = AED 1,000. Add 15 crystal trophies with round black base at AED 84 = AED 1,260 for the long-service recognitions. Under AED 2,300 for a ceremony that covers the whole workforce and still has real awards at the top. Our wooden plaque and memento awards guide covers the alternative at the trophy end.
How to order
- Split your quantities by tier first — participation, podium, special recognition. This is where almost all the money is saved or wasted.
- Decide whether you need the box. The glass medals include one. Metal medals do not: budget AED 6.40 each in packs of 50, or AED 11 to AED 13.80 for a wooden box. For a sports day where medals go straight round a neck, skip the box entirely.
- Send vector artwork — AI, EPS or PDF with fonts outlined — plus Pantone references. We prepare the artwork free and show a proof before production.
- Send names as a spreadsheet, spelled exactly as they should appear, if you want individual engraving. Name lists are the single most common cause of delay and reprints on medal orders; one column, correct spelling, final.
- Allow 3–5 working days after artwork approval. Individual name engraving adds time proportional to the count — it is a per-piece operation, not a batch one. For a school prize day, send the name list a week before you think you need to.
FAQ
Does the AED 13 glass medal really include the ribbon and box?
Yes. The glass medal with ribbon and box at AED 13 is supplied with a branded ribbon and a rigid black presentation box with a soft cushion. The metal-framed version at the same price comes with a plain white 3 cm ribbon and a blue textured box with black foam. This is why the comparison with cheaper-looking metal medals is misleading — add a box and a ribbon to a AED 17 metal medal and you are at AED 25 or more.
Can you engrave individual names on each medal?
Yes, by laser engraving on glass and bamboo, and on the engravable name plate of the metal medal. Supply the names as a single spreadsheet column, spelled exactly as they should appear. Engraving is a per-piece operation, so 200 individually named medals takes meaningfully longer than 200 identical ones — factor that into your deadline rather than your budget.
What is the minimum order for medals?
Most medals here are priced per piece, so there is no hard product minimum. The constraint is branding setup, and because UV printing and laser engraving carry no per-colour setup cost, small runs are genuinely viable — a 20-medal order is not penalised the way a 20-piece screen-printed order would be. See how printing MOQs work in Dubai.
Are glass medals too fragile for a children's event?
They chip if dropped on a hard floor, and at a children's event some will be. Two mitigations: specify the metal-framed version, since the frame protects the rim where glass fails first; or order 5% spares, which at AED 13 each is cheaper insurance than a rush reorder. For under-sevens, the bamboo medal at AED 4.40 is the safer specification.
Can I reuse ribbons or buy them separately?
Yes. A white medal ribbon or a UAE medal ribbon lanyard is AED 2.80 each. Schools running an annual prize day often keep the medals generic, engrave the year on the back, and simply reorder ribbons — it is the cheapest way to run a recurring programme.
Medal, trophy or plaque — which for which recognition?
Medals for the many, trophies for the one. A medal is worn and photographed and suits participation and placing; a trophy at AED 28 to AED 175 is the single object that marks a winner; a plaque or crystal award suits a career or service milestone, where the engraved text matters more than the shape. Our crystal awards and trophies guide compares the trophy end in detail.
Do prices include VAT and delivery?
All displayed prices include 5% VAT. Delivery is free within Dubai on orders over AED 800; outside Dubai and across the GCC, shipping is charged by destination and quantity — note that glass medals are heavy, at roughly 15 kg per 120-piece carton. Collection is available from 32 Sheikh Zayed Road, Office 706, Dubai, open daily except Sunday, 09:00–21:00.
Get your medals priced
Send us your quantities split by tier, your logo, and your name list if you need individual engraving, and we will come back with a per-medal price and a production date that works back from your event. WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909 or call 052 210 0909, or start from the awards and trophies collection. If the event also needs lanyards and delegate passes, our lanyard and ID card guide covers that side.
