A branded t-shirt in Dubai starts at AED 4 per shirt for a plain promotional round-neck and reaches AED 48 for a fully recycled performance polo. The garment is only half the cost — the branding method decides the rest, and the three methods available in the UAE (DTF transfer, silk screen and embroidery) have completely different break-even points. This guide gives you real garment prices from our fabric printing collection, tells you which branding method to specify at which quantity, and covers the fabric choices that actually survive a Dubai summer.
The garment first: what AED 4 buys versus AED 35
Promotional t-shirts — AED 4 to 10.50
At the bottom of the range, the SELECT 180 Roundneck T-shirt sits at AED 4–5 depending on colour and size, and our plain Promotional White T-Shirt is AED 7. These are single-jersey cotton shirts built for one purpose: to be printed and handed out at scale. They fit loosely, they are light, and after several hot washes they will show it. That is fine — for a road show, a mall activation or a volunteer team, nobody expects otherwise.
One step up, the Giftology SALAMA Anti-microbial Roundneck at AED 10.50 adds an anti-microbial treatment, which matters more than it sounds in UAE conditions: it keeps odour down through a long outdoor shift. It is the sensible upgrade for event staff who will wear the shirt for eight hours in August.
Performance and premium t-shirts — AED 13 to 22
This band is where uniform buyers should be looking. The All Day Sports Roundneck at AED 13 uses DryNCool moisture-wicking fabric, and the Core365 Adult Performance Roundneck at AED 14.50 is a blended-cotton crew that holds its shape through repeated laundering — it is our highest-volume shirt for exactly that reason.
For quality people notice, the Nextt Level Bio-Washed Round Neck at AED 18.50 has a softened hand-feel from the bio-wash process, and the BioOne80 by Santhome at AED 22 is 100% long-staple cotton — the difference is immediately obvious in the hand and it is the shirt to choose when the t-shirt is a gift rather than a uniform.
Polo shirts — AED 29 to 48
Polos are the default for customer-facing staff across Dubai: reception, retail floor, F&B service, sales teams at exhibitions. The range:
- Santhome TERRA Recycled Polo — AED 29. Recycled fabric, everyday workhorse.
- Santhome COMO Premium Texture Knit Polo — AED 33. Textured knit that reads as retail rather than uniform.
- CoolTex Polo, 100% cotton 220 GSM — AED 35 in 13 colours. The heavyweight cotton option.
- NEXTT LEVEL Polo, 100% recycled — AED 35 in six colours. The pick when you need a sustainability line in the tender response.
- Santhome PRO EARTH Women's Fully Recycled Polo — AED 48. Properly cut for women rather than a smaller men's shirt.
That last point deserves emphasis. Ordering "unisex small" for female staff is the most common uniform complaint we hear in the UAE, and it costs nothing to fix at the ordering stage.
Real garment prices in Dubai (2026)
All prices per piece, VAT inclusive, before branding.
| Garment | Fabric | Price (AED) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SELECT 180 Roundneck T-shirt | Cotton jersey | 4–5 | Mass giveaways |
| Promotional White T-Shirt | Cotton | 7 | Sublimation & events |
| Giftology SALAMA Roundneck (anti-microbial) | Treated cotton | 10.50 | Long outdoor shifts |
| All Day Sports Roundneck | DryNCool performance | 13 | Sports & active events |
| Core365 Adult Performance Roundneck | Blended cotton | 14.50 | Everyday team wear |
| Nextt Level Bio-Washed Roundneck | Bio-washed cotton | 18.50 | Soft-feel premium tee |
| BioOne80 by Santhome Roundneck | 100% long-staple cotton | 22 | Gift-quality t-shirt |
| Santhome TERRA Polo | Recycled | 29 | Daily staff uniform |
| Santhome COMO Texture Knit Polo | Premium knit | 33 | Front-of-house, retail |
| CoolTex Polo, 220 GSM | 100% cotton | 35 | Heavyweight cotton polo |
| NEXTT LEVEL Polo | 100% recycled | 35 | Sustainability-led brands |
| Santhome PRO EARTH Women's Polo | Fully recycled | 48 | Women's fit uniforms |
Caps to match the uniform start at AED 8.50 for the NARVA 5-panel and TARTU 6-panel brushed cotton caps, rising to AED 22 for the recycled RPET DryNCool sport cap and AED 41 for the seamless performance cap.
DTF vs silk screen vs embroidery: the decision that sets your price
DTF (direct-to-film) transfer
Artwork is printed onto film, then heat-pressed onto the garment. Full colour, gradients and photographs all reproduce accurately, and there is no screen setup cost — which is why DTF wins decisively below roughly 50 shirts. A ten-shirt run with a complex logo is a DTF job every time. The print has a slight sheen and sits on top of the fabric, so it is less breathable across large areas; keep DTF placements to chest, back-panel and sleeve rather than full-front floods on performance fabric.
Silk screen printing
A separate screen is burned per colour, so setup cost is real but one-time. Past roughly 100 shirts, the per-piece cost drops well below DTF and stays there. Colour coverage on dark fabric is superior, the print breathes better, and it survives industrial laundering — which is why hotel and facilities uniforms are almost always screen printed. Practical limit: 1–4 spot colours. A six-colour logo on a screen job is a false economy; convert it to DTF or simplify the artwork.
Embroidery
Stitched thread, not ink. It is the only method that reads as "permanent uniform" rather than "printed shirt", it never cracks or peels, and on polos it is the expected finish. Cost is driven by stitch count, not colour count — so a two-colour logo with heavy fill can cost more than a five-colour outline design. There is a one-time digitising fee to convert your logo into a stitch file, after which repeat orders carry no setup.
What embroidery cannot do: fine text below about 4 mm, thin lines and gradients. If your logo has a tagline in 6pt type, expect it to be dropped or enlarged — we will flag this at proofing rather than stitching an unreadable blur.
Quick decision rule
- Under 50 pieces, any artwork: DTF.
- Over 100 pieces, 1–3 solid colours: silk screen.
- Polos, caps and anything worn daily as a uniform: embroidery on the chest, screen or DTF on the back if you need a large graphic.
- Photographic artwork on white garments: DTF, or sublimation on 100% polyester.
Our fabric printing guide covers sublimation and the technical detail behind each method.
Fabric choices that work in UAE conditions
Two practical notes that come up in every uniform conversation in Dubai.
Cotton versus performance polyester. Cotton feels better and prints better, but it holds sweat. Performance fabrics like DryNCool wick moisture away and dry fast, which matters for outdoor roles, delivery teams, event crew and anyone working between May and September. For indoor, air-conditioned roles, cotton at 180–220 GSM is the more comfortable and better-looking choice.
Colour and heat. Dark shirts absorb heat. If staff will be outdoors, white, light grey and light blue are not just a design preference — they measurably reduce complaints. They also cost less to print on, because dark garments need a white underbase layer under any coloured artwork.
How to order t-shirts and polos in Dubai
- Confirm your size curve. Send a breakdown by size, and by men's and women's fit where relevant. Ordering a flat spread across S–XXL is the fastest way to end up with unworn stock — for most UAE teams the bulk sits at L and XL.
- Request a sample garment before committing to a large uniform order. Fit and fabric weight are things nobody can judge from a photograph.
- Send vector artwork. AI, EPS or outlined PDF, with Pantone references. For embroidery, we will return a digitised stitch proof for approval.
- Approve placement. You will get a mock-up showing exact print size and position — left chest, full front, back or sleeve.
- Production and delivery. Roughly 3–5 working days for DTF and screen printing on stocked garments, 5–7 for embroidery on larger runs. Delivery is next-day across Dubai and Sharjah once produced.
For a rush uniform requirement, call 0522100909 — we will tell you which garments and colours are in stock today rather than quoting a lead time we cannot hit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for printed t-shirts in Dubai?
With DTF you can order from a handful of shirts, because there is no screen setup. Silk screen realistically starts at 50–100 pieces before the setup cost stops distorting the per-shirt price. Embroidery has no hard minimum, but the one-time digitising fee is easier to absorb across 20 or more garments.
Which lasts longer, DTF or embroidery?
Embroidery, without question — it is thread stitched into the fabric and it outlives the garment. A good DTF print will survive 40–50 washes if washed inside out at 30°C, but industrial laundering shortens that considerably. For hotel, healthcare and facilities uniforms that go through commercial laundry, specify embroidery or silk screen.
Can you print on both the front and the back?
Yes, and it is standard practice for event crew: a small chest logo and a large back panel with the company name or event branding. Each print position is priced separately, so a two-position job costs more than one — but at volume the second position is the cheapest visibility you can buy.
Do you supply matching caps and bags?
Yes. Caps start at AED 8.50 for brushed cotton 5-panel and 6-panel styles, and branded totes start at AED 1.94 for non-woven — see our tote bag printing guide. Ordering garments, caps and bags together means one artwork setup and one delivery instead of three.
What GSM should I look for in a polo shirt?
180–200 GSM is comfortable for daily indoor wear; 220 GSM — like our CoolTex polo — gives a more structured, substantial shirt that holds its collar shape longer, which is what you want for front-of-house roles. Below 160 GSM a polo will look thin after a few washes.
Are the prices VAT inclusive?
Yes. Every price on our site and in the table above includes VAT, so what you see is what you pay.
Ready to order?
Browse garments and branding options in our fabric printing collection, or build a complete team kit with items from corporate gift items. If the shirts are part of a new-hire pack, our employee onboarding kits guide covers what to include and what it costs, and the corporate gifts guide shows how logo branding works across our full catalogue.
Send your logo, quantities and size breakdown on WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909 or call 0522100909 for a mock-up and a firm price the same working day.
