A wooden plaque award in Dubai costs AED 38 to AED 133 per piece, presentation box included on most models. A rectangle plaque with a wooden gift box starts at AED 39 in small, a shield plaque at AED 42, a Spanish-plate plaque at AED 105, and an aluminium A4 plaque with stand at AED 133. The thing that trips up most buyers is not the price — it's that the branding plate and the wood are two separate decisions, and getting them wrong means a beautiful plaque with an unreadable name on it. This guide covers every plaque family we stock, the exact sizes, how engraving and sublimation differ, and what to order for which occasion.
Wooden plaque prices in Dubai: the real numbers
Live per-piece prices from our catalogue, VAT inclusive. Presentation box is included where stated.
| Plaque | Format | Price per piece (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| DOLE FSC Beech Wood Memento Award | Solid upcycled beech, freestanding | 38 |
| Portrait Wooden Plaque with Stand & Box — S | Vertical, stand + presentation box | 39 |
| Horizontal Wooden Plaque with Box — S | Landscape, presentation box | 39 |
| Shield Shaped Wooden Plaque — M (WPL-01) | 17 × 21 cm, with box | 42 |
| Portrait / Horizontal Wooden Plaque — M | Mid size, with box | 48 |
| Shield Shaped Wooden Plaque — L (WPL-02) | 21.7 × 28.7 cm, with box | 49 |
| Vertical Matt Veneer Plaque (WPL-06-V) | Velvet-lined vertical opening box | 49 |
| Horizontal Matt Veneer Plaque (WPL-06-H) | Velvet-lined horizontal opening box | 49 |
| Portrait / Horizontal Wooden Plaque — L | Large, with box | 53 |
| NOVARRA FSC Beech Wood Award | Sculpted upcycled beech | 74 |
| MODICA Beech & Recycled Aluminium Award | Wood + recycled aluminium | 77 |
| VITTORIA FSC Beech Wood Award | Sculpted upcycled beech | 88 |
| TIRANA Recycled Aluminium / Wood Award | Recycled cans + FSC beech | 99 |
| Wooden Plaque with Gold Spanish Plate | Flat wood + embossed metal plate | 105 |
| Wooden Plaque with Silver Spanish Plate | Square wood + embossed metal plate | 105 |
| ROLLE Beech, Recycled Aluminium & Plastic Award | Three-material sustainable award | 105 |
| Wooden Plaques with Spanish Plate (1242 / 1243) | Gold or silver plate, larger format | 119 |
| Aluminium Award Plaque with Stand — A4 | 210 × 297 mm, 2 mm sheet, hard box | 133 |
| Aluminium Award Plaque with Gold Plate — A3 | A3 with stand and gold plate | 133 |
The four plaque families, and when to use each
Rectangle plaque with presentation box — AED 39 to 53
The default corporate plaque. Premium wood body, laser-engraved or sublimated front, supplied with a matching wooden keepsake box. Available portrait or landscape in three sizes (S, M, L) at AED 39, 48 and 53. Portrait suits a single name and a title; landscape suits a longer citation line or a wide logo lockup.
Choose this for long-service awards, retirement, partner recognition and annual staff awards — anywhere the plaque is handed over in front of an audience and needs to look substantial coming out of the box. At 50 pieces, the large portrait version totals AED 2,650, which is usually the whole awards budget for a mid-size company's annual night.
Shield plaque — AED 42 to 49
The shield-shaped plaque is the traditional Gulf recognition format: wood body, maroon border outline, and an aluminium sheet with gold foiling carrying the text. Two sizes: 17 × 21 cm (M, AED 42) and 21.7 × 28.7 cm (L, AED 49), both boxed. The whole shield face is plain, so you have a large uninterrupted area for a crest, an Arabic and English bilingual layout, or a long dedication.
This is the right pick for government-facing recognition, MOU signings, visiting-delegation gifts and sports presentations. Note that the aluminium foiled sheet is specified separately from the wood body — confirm it is on your quote.
Spanish-plate plaques — AED 105 to 119
A step up in perceived value. A flat or square hardwood body carrying an embossed metal Spanish plate in gold or silver. The metal catches light in a way sublimated aluminium does not, and the weight in the hand is noticeably different. AED 105 for the standard gold or silver plate versions, AED 119 for the larger 1242 and 1243 formats.
Use these where the recipient count is small and the occasion is senior: board recognition, a 20-year milestone, a founding-partner award. The economics change here — 20 pieces at AED 119 is AED 2,380, so you can give a genuinely premium object to a short list for the price of a mid-tier plaque for everyone.
Aluminium plaques — AED 133
Not wood, but they compete for the same budget and win on print quality. The A4 aluminium plaque is a 2 mm high-grade aluminium sheet at 210 × 297 mm with an elevated A5 front panel and a built-in tabletop stand, packed in a black hard box with a foam die-cut insert. The A3 version with gold plate is the same AED 133.
The matte aluminium surface takes sublimation and UV DTF printing, which means full-colour photographs, gradients and complex logos reproduce sharply — something wood engraving cannot do. If your award includes a photo, a colour crest or a sponsor lockup, this is the format.
Eco-certified wood awards — AED 38 to 105
If your company reports on procurement sustainability, the eco-neutral range answers the question before it's asked. All are FSC-certified upcycled beech, several combined with RCS-certified recycled aluminium cans or recycled bottle caps:
- DOLE — AED 38, 100% FSC upcycled wood. The cheapest credible award in the catalogue and the volume choice for large recognition programmes.
- NOVARRA — AED 74, and VITTORIA — AED 88, both sculpted solid beech.
- TIRANA — AED 99, recycled aluminium cans on FSC beech.
- ROLLE — AED 105, beech plus recycled aluminium plus recycled plastic bottle caps.
Engraving vs sublimation: what actually goes on the plaque
Two methods, and the plaque you pick decides which you get:
- Sublimation on the metal plate. Used on shield plaques, Spanish-plate plaques and aluminium plaques. Full colour, photographic detail, sharp small type. The plate is printed separately and fixed to the wood.
- Laser engraving into the wood. Used on rectangle plaques and solid-wood awards. Monochrome, burnt into the surface, permanent and tactile. Logos with fine hairlines or tight counters lose definition — send a simplified single-colour version.
The practical rule: if your artwork has more than two colours or includes a photo, choose a plate-based plaque. If it's a clean single-colour mark and you want the warmth of real wood, engrave. Our comparison of silk screen vs UV vs laser engraving goes deeper on how each behaves across materials.
Wood or crystal? A straight comparison
Both sit in the same budget band, so the decision is about tone rather than cost. Wood reads as heritage, service and longevity; crystal reads as achievement, performance and prestige. For reference, from the crystal and trophy awards range: a round clear crystal award is AED 49, a crystal award with black base in a wooden box is AED 84, and a square crystal award is AED 109.
A pattern that works well: crystal for the winners, wood plaques for the nominees and finalists. Same ceremony, two clearly different tiers, and the total cost stays controlled. Full detail on the crystal side is in our crystal awards and trophies guide.
Lead times, MOQs and delivery
- Minimum order: plaques are stocked, so small runs are possible — but engraving setup means 10 pieces is the practical floor for a cost-effective per-unit price.
- Lead time: 4–7 working days after final artwork approval for engraved or sublimated stock plaques.
- Variable names: individually named plaques add 1–2 days. Supply the name list as a spreadsheet in packing order.
- Delivery: free in Dubai and Sharjah on corporate orders; add a day for Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Northern Emirates.
Stock on individual models moves, so if your ceremony date is fixed, confirm availability on your chosen SKU before you circulate the design internally for approval.
How to order
- Decide the format first, then the size. Portrait for a single name, landscape for a citation line, shield for bilingual or ceremonial text, aluminium if a photo is involved.
- Write the text before you choose the plaque. Count the characters. A long award title plus a name plus a date needs the L size, not the S.
- Send vector artwork. AI, EPS or PDF. For engraving, include a single-colour version.
- Approve a layout proof. You'll receive a mock-up with exact plate dimensions and text placement. Read every name out loud — misspelled names on an award are the one mistake that cannot be fixed on the night.
- Confirm the box. Most models include one; the eco-neutral solid-wood awards are supplied differently. Check the line on your quote.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest wooden plaque award in Dubai?
The DOLE FSC beech memento award at AED 38 per piece, followed by the small portrait and horizontal plaques at AED 39, both supplied with a presentation box. Below that price point you are no longer buying solid wood.
Can the plaque carry Arabic and English together?
Yes. Sublimated plates handle bilingual layouts cleanly because the text is printed, not burnt — which matters for Arabic, where engraved letterforms can lose the thin connecting strokes. If your text is bilingual, choose a shield, Spanish-plate or aluminium plaque and supply the Arabic as outlined vector text so the font does not substitute.
Do I need a separate plate for the shield plaque?
Yes — on the shield plaque, the gold-foiled aluminium sheet that carries your text is specified separately from the wood body. It is a small line item but it is the part everybody reads, so confirm it appears on your quote before approving.
How many characters fit on a standard plaque?
As a working guide on a medium rectangle plaque: one award title line of up to about 40 characters, one recipient name, one short citation of up to two lines, and a date. Push past that and the type has to shrink below comfortable reading size. If you need more, move up a size rather than reducing the font.
What's the turnaround if I need plaques this week?
Engraved stock plaques can be produced in 4 working days from approved artwork, and faster runs are possible on small quantities if artwork is print-ready on arrival. Message us with the date and the quantity and you'll get a straight yes or no, not a maybe.
Can you produce one-off plaques rather than a batch?
Yes. Single plaques are produced regularly for retirements, MOU signings and visiting delegations. The per-unit price is higher than a batch because the setup is the same either way, but there is no batch requirement blocking a single piece.
Order your plaque awards
Send the award text, the recipient count and your logo file, and you'll get a layout proof plus a firm delivery date. Browse the full range in gift items and crystal and trophy awards.
WhatsApp: +971 52 210 0909 | Phone: 0522100909
Related reading: Crystal Awards & Trophies in Dubai · Certificate Printing in Dubai
