Metal business cards are exactly what they sound like: a 85 × 55 mm card cut from metal instead of paper, with your details laser-marked into the surface. In Dubai they cost AED 0.70 per card — about AED 70 for 100 — which puts them in the same price bracket as a top-end 760 micron paper card, not in the AED 20-a-card luxury bracket people expect. They do not bend, they do not absorb water, and they will not look tired at the bottom of a bag six months later. What they cannot do is print a full-colour logo. This guide covers the finishes, the honest trade-offs, and the situations where metal genuinely earns its place over premium card stock.
What a metal business card actually is
The card is stamped from thin metal at the standard 85 × 55 mm business card size, in horizontal or vertical layout, and weighs about 2 grams — roughly three times a paper card, which is enough for the weight to register in the hand without feeling like a coin. It is rust-free, and water does nothing to it. Cards ship 100 to a carton, so 100 is the practical minimum order.
The branding method is laser marking. A laser burns your logo and details into the metal surface, leaving a permanently contrasting mark that cannot rub off, fade in the sun, or scratch away. It is the same technique used on premium pens and awards, and it produces a clean, precise line — but it is a single-tone process. This is the one constraint that decides whether metal is right for you.
The colour question, answered honestly
A laser-marked metal card is a one-tone card. Logos with fine gradients, photographic elements or three brand colours will not reproduce; they have to be simplified into a single-weight mark. If your identity is a clean wordmark or a solid geometric logo, this looks superb. If your logo is a full-colour illustration, you have two options: simplify it for metal, or stay on paper and spend the money on Spot UV and foiling instead. Any print supplier who tells you a metal card will match your brand PDF exactly is selling you a disappointment.
Metal vs premium paper: real Dubai prices (2026)
This is where the decision gets interesting. Metal is not the expensive option — high-end paper cards cost the same or more.
| Card | Quantity | Price | Per card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal business card, laser marked | 100 | AED 70 | 70 fils |
| Metal business card, laser marked | 500 | AED 350 | 70 fils |
| 760 micron, velvet lamination + Spot UV | 500 | AED 279 | 55.8 fils |
| 760 micron, gold foil + Spot UV + velvet | 500 | AED 389 | 77.8 fils |
| 760 micron, gold foil + Spot UV + velvet | 1,000 | AED 489 | 48.9 fils |
| 760 micron PET, glossy laminated | 1,000 | AED 289 | 28.9 fils |
| 700 gsm ultra-thick, velvet + Spot UV | 100 | AED 740 | AED 7.40 |
| Matt laminated 350 gsm — the Dubai standard | 1,000 | AED 119 | 11.9 fils |
| Gold foil on matt lamination, 350 gsm | 1,000 | AED 299 | 29.9 fils |
Three things fall out of that table. First, metal at 70 fils sits between the velvet Spot UV card (55.8 fils) and the gold-foil velvet card (77.8 fils) — it is a premium card, priced like one, not a luxury indulgence. Second, if you only need 100 cards, metal at AED 70 is dramatically cheaper than the 700 gsm short-run paper card at AED 740, because paper carries a setup cost that metal does not. Third, if what you actually want is impact per dirham across a whole sales team, the standard matt-laminated card at 11.9 fils is still six times cheaper than anything on this list and will do 90% of the work.
Finishes and colours
The metal card is stocked in black, gold, purple and blue; stock on individual colours moves, so confirm the colour you want when you order rather than assuming. Black is the most-requested finish in the UAE market — the laser mark reads clearly against it, and it photographs well, which matters more than people expect now that cards get posted to LinkedIn and Instagram.
Design rules that make the difference between a card that looks expensive and one that looks like a novelty:
- Give the mark room. Metal cards look best with generous empty space. A layout that works on paper at 8 pt type will feel cramped in metal.
- Set type at 8 pt or above. Laser marking is precise, but very fine serif type at 6 pt fills in on a metal surface in a way it does not on coated paper.
- Send vector artwork. AI, EPS or a vector PDF. A JPEG logo will have to be traced, and the trace is where fidelity is lost.
- Use one side properly. Two-sided metal cards are possible but double the marking; most strong designs put the logo on one face and the details on the other, or put everything on one face and leave the reverse clean.
- Test the layout on paper first. Print it at actual size, cut it out, hold it. If it does not work in your hand at 85 × 55 mm on paper, metal will not save it.
When metal is genuinely worth it
Metal earns its place when the card is part of the transaction rather than a formality. Luxury real estate, private wealth and family offices, high-end interiors and architecture, aesthetic clinics, luxury car sales, private aviation and yacht charter — settings where the client is spending a large sum and the card is a small proof of standards. It also works well for founders and senior partners who hand out a small number of cards per month and want each one to land.
It is the wrong choice for a 40-person sales team doing volume outreach, for exhibition handouts, and for anyone whose logo depends on colour. It is also the wrong choice if you change job titles frequently: a metal card is a permanent object, and there is no cheap way to update it. In those cases, order the standard matt-laminated card and put the saved budget into a better follow-up process.
One increasingly common combination worth knowing about: a metal card for the handful of people you want to impress, plus an NFC tap card for one-to-one networking, plus 1,000 printed cards for everything else. The whole set costs under AED 250 and covers every situation a Dubai professional meets.
How to order metal business cards in Dubai
Send the artwork as a vector file, tell us the colour and the quantity, and we come back with a marking proof showing exactly how the logo will read once simplified to a single tone. Approve the proof and the cards go into production. Because metal cards are a stocked item finished to order, lead times are quoted per job rather than following the standard 3–5 working day print cycle — ask when you enquire, especially if you have an event date.
Message WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909 or call 0522100909. All prices include VAT, delivery is free across the UAE on orders over AED 800, and collection is available from 32 Sheikh Zayed Road, Office 706, Dubai. Metal cards are also ordered as a corporate gift — laser-marked with a recipient's name rather than a company's, they make a genuinely unusual executive gift.
Frequently asked questions
How much do metal business cards cost in Dubai?
AED 0.70 per card — AED 70 for 100 cards, AED 350 for 500. Cards ship 100 to a carton, so 100 is the minimum order. Prices include VAT.
Can I print full colour on a metal business card?
No. Metal cards are branded by laser marking, which produces a single-tone permanent mark. Multi-colour logos have to be simplified to one tone. If full colour is essential, a 760 micron velvet card with Spot UV at AED 279 per 500 gives you the premium feel and keeps your brand colours.
Are metal business cards worth it?
They are worth it when a card is part of closing a high-value deal and you hand out relatively few — luxury property, private clients, senior partners. They are not worth it for volume distribution, exhibitions, or brands whose identity depends on colour, where a matt-laminated card at 11.9 fils each does the job.
What size are metal business cards?
85 × 55 mm, the standard UAE business card size, available in horizontal or vertical layout. They fit any wallet or cardholder that takes a normal card.
Do metal cards scratch or rust?
They are rust-free and unaffected by water. The laser mark is burned into the surface rather than printed on top, so it does not rub off with handling — which is the main practical advantage over any laminated paper card.
What artwork do you need?
A vector file — AI, EPS or vector PDF — so the logo can be marked at full precision. If you only have a raster logo we can trace it, but the trace is where detail is lost, so send vector where possible. Design help is available if you do not have artwork.
Can I get my name engraved on each card individually?
Yes. Because laser marking is done per piece rather than from a plate, individual names cost the same as identical cards — which is why metal is unusually well suited to small runs for several people, unlike paper where each different layout is a separate setup.
Get a marking proof first
The right way to decide on metal is to see your own logo as a single-tone mark before you commit. Send the artwork to WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909 and we will show you the proof — if it does not do your brand justice, we will say so and point you at the paper card that will. Browse the full business card range to compare finishes side by side.
Related reading: Best paper for business cards and Silk screen vs UV vs laser engraving.
