Cost of Manufacturing Clothing for Dubai Brands — Full Breakdown [2026]

Manufacturing cost per unit depends on five variables: garment type, fabric, decoration, order quantity, and shipping method. For a Dubai brand manufacturing in Portugal, a basic t-shirt lands in Dubai at €9–24 all-in, and a decorated hoodie at €18–48. This guide breaks down every component so you can build an accurate cost model for your business plan.

All figures below are based on production in Portugal with delivery to Dubai — the route most of our GCC clients use. Costs reflect 2026 pricing at volumes of 50–500 units per style.

How much does it cost to manufacture a t-shirt for a Dubai brand?

T-shirts (140–220 GSM cotton jersey):

Price range depends on fabric quality (conventional cotton at the low end, GOTS organic cotton at the high end) and GSM weight (140 GSM lightweight vs 220 GSM heavyweight). The most popular specification for Dubai streetwear brands is 180–200 GSM organic cotton with a small embroidered chest logo — typically €10–16/unit at 100 pieces.

Hoodies (320–500 GSM French terry / brushed fleece):

Heavyweight 400+ GSM hoodies sit at the top of these ranges. The hoodie manufacturing guide covers fabric selection in detail. For Dubai brands, 350 GSM French terry is the sweet spot — warm enough for air-conditioned interiors and evening wear, not excessive for the climate.

Sweatshirts (280–400 GSM French terry):

Joggers / sweatpants (280–400 GSM):

Polo shirts (180–220 GSM piqué cotton):

Fabric typically represents 35–50% of the total garment cost. Here are the key fabric families and their per-metre pricing.

OEKO-TEX certified fabrics add €0.50–1.50/metre over conventional equivalents. GOTS organic adds €1.50–3.00/metre. White Cotton sources certified fabrics across all families — see our sustainability approach.

How much does embroidery cost per garment?

Embroidery:

• —Small logo (up to 5,000 stitches): €0.80–2.00 per piece
• —Medium logo (5,000–15,000 stitches): €1.50–3.50 per piece
• —Large back embroidery (15,000–40,000 stitches): €3.00–6.00 per piece
• —Arabic calligraphy (complex curves, typically 8,000–20,000 stitches): €2.00–5.00 per piece
• —Digitisation setup: €30–80 per design (one-time cost)

Screen printing:

• —1 colour: €1.00–2.50 per piece
• —2 colours: €1.50–3.50 per piece
• —3+ colours: €2.00–4.50 per piece
• —Screen setup: €25–50 per colour (one-time cost per colourway)

DTG (Direct to Garment):

• —Full colour print (A4 size): €2.50–5.00 per piece
• —Full colour print (A3 size): €3.50–7.00 per piece
• —No setup fees — ideal for short runs with complex multicolour designs

Heat transfer / vinyl:

• —Single colour: €0.80–2.00 per piece
• —Multi-colour: €1.50–3.50 per piece

Puff print (3D raised):

• —€2.00–4.00 per piece — popular in Dubai streetwear

For a detailed comparison of decoration methods, see screen printing vs DTG vs embroidery.

Shipping is the most variable cost and the one most Dubai brands underestimate.

Per-unit shipping cost calculation:

A standard pallet holds approximately 400–600 t-shirts or 150–250 hoodies. For a first order of 150 hoodies shipped by air:

• —Air freight: $1,500 / 150 units = $10/unit (approximately €9.20)
• —Sea freight: $650 / 150 units = $4.33/unit (approximately €4.00)

For a first order of 300 t-shirts shipped by air:

• —Air freight: $1,400 / 300 units = $4.67/unit (approximately €4.30)

The full shipping guide covers documentation, Incoterms, and logistics in detail.

Import duty: Flat 5% on CIF value (Cost + Insurance + Freight). Applies uniformly across the GCC Customs Union (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman).

VAT: 5% UAE VAT applies at point of sale, not at import. You do not pay VAT when goods clear customs.

Duty calculation example:

• —150 hoodies manufactured at €20/unit = €3,000 (product value)
• —Air freight: €1,380 ($1,500)
• —Insurance: €15 (0.5% of product value)
• —CIF value: €4,395
• —Import duty (5%): €219.75
• —Customs broker fee: AED 500 (approximately €125)

No anti-dumping duties or quotas apply to clothing imported from Portugal/EU.

Budget €0.30–0.70 per unit for standard packaging (polybag, labels, hang tag). Premium packaging for gift-ready or direct-to-consumer adds €1.50–4.50 per unit.

Before bulk production, every style goes through sampling. Budget for this separately.

• —First sample: €50–150 per style (includes fabric, cutting, sewing, finishing)
• —Revision samples: €30–80 per round (typically 1–2 revisions needed)
• —Sample shipping (DHL to Dubai): $50–90 per parcel
• —Total per style: €100–300 for sampling before bulk order

Most brands sample 3–5 styles and produce 2–4 of them. The sampling guide covers the full process.

Here is a complete cost calculation for a Dubai-based streetwear brand ordering 100 embroidered hoodies in 2 colourways (50 per colour).

At a retail price of AED 350 (approximately €88), this gives a 2.7x markup on landed cost — or a 63% gross margin before marketing, operations, and platform fees.

At AED 450 retail (justifiable for premium embroidered, "Made in Portugal" positioning), the markup rises to 3.5x and gross margin to 72%.

Is it cheaper to manufacture in Portugal, Turkey, China, or India for Dubai?

The calculation that matters: Portugal's higher per-unit cost is partially offset by lower MOQs (less capital at risk), faster shipping, and the "Made in Europe" retail premium (15–30% higher retail pricing). A hoodie that costs €18 in Portugal and retails at AED 400 achieves a better absolute margin than a hoodie that costs €10 in China but retails at AED 250 due to origin perception.

Turkey wins on shipping speed and cost to the Gulf, and is competitive on wovens. China wins only at high volume (500+ units per style) where per-unit savings overcome the MOQ commitment and logistics complexity. For a detailed comparison, see Portugal vs Turkey for GCC brands.

Step 1: Pick your hero styles (start with 3–5). Use the per-unit tables above to estimate production cost.

Step 2: Add decoration costs based on your design.

Step 3: Add shipping (air freight for first orders, sea for reorders at volume).

Step 4: Add 5% UAE duty + customs broker fee.

Step 5: Calculate your retail price at 3–4x landed cost for healthy margins.

Step 6: Request a quote with your specific designs — we will return exact per-unit pricing within 48 hours, including decoration, packaging, and a shipping estimate to your location in the GCC.

Related reading: how to start a clothing brand in Dubai, shipping from Portugal to Dubai, clothing production costs breakdown, minimum order quantities explained.

Pedro Carreira

Founder of White Cotton, a textile manufacturer in Barcelos, Portugal. Producing custom clothing collections for brands across 15+ countries.

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