When requesting quotes from five curtain suppliers in Dubai, expect different prices for the same window. This variation arises not just from inflated costs, but also from factors like fabric type, material amount, lining, and hanging hardware. Additionally, many quotes don’t clarify which factors influence the total cost.
This floorland guide breaks down what actually moves the price of custom curtains, with real Dubai numbers, so you can tell whether a quote makes sense before you commit to it.
Quick answer: Fabric alone typically starts around AED 70 per meter for basic sheer, rising to AED 89 per meter for blackout, and climbing well into premium territory for linen, silk, or velvet. Add roughly AED 950 to AED 3,500+ per window if you want a motorized system, that figure usually bundles the motor, track, fabric, and installation. The three things that move your total most: fabric choice, how much fullness the heading style needs, and whether you add lining.
What Actually Drives Curtain Pricing
Fabric cost, heading style, and lining are the three variables that explain almost all of the price difference between two curtain quotes for the same window.
Fabric is the obvious one, sheer costs less than blackout, which costs less than silk or velvet. Less obvious is that the heading style changes how much fabric you actually need, a pencil pleat or wave heading needs more material for the same window width than a simple eyelet, because it has to gather. Lining adds cost on top of the base fabric rate, and it’s often quoted separately rather than bundled in, which is where a lot of quote confusion comes from. Hardware and installation add to the total too, more on what those actually run further down.
Price by Fabric Type
| Fabric | Typical Use | Price Position |
| Sheer / Voile / Chiffon | Living rooms, layering with blackout | Starts around AED 70 per meter |
| Blackout | Bedrooms, kids’ rooms, offices needing full darkness | Starts around AED 89 per meter |
| Cotton / Linen | Living areas wanting a relaxed, breathable look | Starts around AED 150 per square meter |
| Silk | Formal spaces, villas, statement rooms | Starts around AED 200 per square meter |
| Velvet | Premium, Formal, & Best | Starts around AED 50 per square meter |
Prices reflect starting rates at the time of writing and are subject to change. Get an exact quote for your specific windows before budgeting a final figure. Sheer and blackout have clear starting rates. Cotton, linen, silk, and velvet vary more by weight and origin, so it’s worth asking for an exact rate on those rather than assuming a number based on the categories above.
Understanding Heading Style and the Fullness Ratio
A curtain doesn’t use one meter of fabric per meter of window; it typically requires two to two-and-a-half times that amount. This fullness ratio, standard in the soft furnishing industry, explains why curtain quotes are often higher than expected based on fabric price alone. Styles like pleated or wave headings need more fabric, while simpler eyelet or tab-top styles can use less.
A standard 1.5-meter bedroom window with a 2.5x fullness ratio requires about 3.75 meters of fabric, costing AED 334 at Floor lands rate of AED 89 per meter. Wider windows or sliding doors will increase this cost. To estimate fabric costs, use: window width × fullness ratio × fabric rate. Note that additional costs for lining, hardware, and installation will apply.
Motorized Curtains: What the Upgrade Actually Costs
Motorized curtain systems in Dubai typically start around AED 950 per window for a basic setup, rising to AED 1,800 to AED 3,500+ for premium fabric and larger installations.
Floor lands’ published rate for this bundles the motor, track, fabric, and installation into one figure with a one-year warranty included, which is worth confirming when comparing quotes, since some suppliers quote motorization as a separate line item on top of a fabric price rather than as one all-in number. Ask exactly what’s included before comparing two motorized quotes side by side; a lower number that excludes the track or installation isn’t actually cheaper.
Additional Costs Homeowners Forget to Budget For
Lining, hardware, and installation are the three costs most likely to appear as a surprise on a final invoice rather than the original quote.
Blackout or thermal lining is often priced separately from the base fabric rate rather than bundled in by default, so a fabric price that looks attractive can climb once lining is added. Hardware, the rod or track the curtain actually hangs from, is a real cost that’s easy to overlook when you’re focused on fabric, and heavier blackout fabric needs sturdier hardware than a light sheer does. Installation is usually included in a Dubai custom curtain quote, but it’s worth confirming explicitly rather than assuming, since not every supplier bundles it the same way.
Getting an Accurate Quote
The fastest way to get a number you can actually budget against is an in-home measurement, not a phone estimate, since window size and mounting style change the total more than almost anything else.
Floor lands offers a free home visit where a consultant brings fabric samples and measures your actual windows, which matters because the same fabric can look different in your room’s lighting than it does in a showroom. When you get the quote, ask directly whether it includes lining, hardware, and installation, or whether any of those are separate line items, that one question resolves most of the confusion between a quote that looks cheap and one that’s actually complete.
Getting Your Curtain Budget Right
The number you should walk away from this with isn’t a single price, it’s a formula: your window width, times the fullness ratio your chosen heading needs, times the fabric rate, plus lining and hardware if you want them. That gets you close enough to budget honestly before you ever book a home visit.
For an exact figure tailored to your actual windows, Floor lands offers a free home visit with fabric samples and transparent quotes covering sheer, blackout, eyelet, and motorized curtains across Dubai.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do custom curtains cost per meter in Dubai?
Fabric alone typically starts around AED 70 per meter for basic sheer and AED 89 per meter for blackout, rising toward AED 200 to AED 400+ per meter for premium linen, silk, or velvet. Remember that a curtain needs roughly 2 to 2.5 times the window width in fabric, so the per-meter rate isn’t your final cost, multiply it by the fullness ratio first.
Is it cheaper to buy ready-made curtains instead of custom?
Upfront, yes. Ready-made panels cost less per piece than custom work. The catch is that ready-made sizing rarely matches Dubai’s actual window dimensions, especially in villas or older buildings, which means gaps, bunching, or a curtain that doesn’t quite reach the floor. Custom costs more but is measured to your specific window.
How much extra does motorization cost?
Roughly AED 950 to AED 3,500+ per window depending on fabric and system quality. A bundled quote like Floorlands’ typically includes the motor, track, fabric, and installation in that figure, which is worth confirming since some suppliers quote motorization as a separate add-on rather than an all-in price.
Does the quote include installation?
It depends on the supplier, and it’s worth asking directly rather than assuming. Installation is commonly included in custom curtain quotes in Dubai, but hardware, lining, and installation are sometimes itemized separately, which is where a quote that looked cheap can end up costing more than expected.
Why do curtains for the same window sometimes cost so differently?
Almost always fabric, heading style, or lining. Two quotes for the same window can differ significantly if one uses a fuller pleat style that needs more fabric, includes blackout lining the other doesn’t, or specifies a heavier-duty track for the added weight. Ask what’s included, not just the bottom-line number.
How much fabric do I actually need for one window?
Roughly 2 to 2.5 times the width of your window, this is the fullness ratio, and it’s standard practice, not an upsell. A 1.5-meter-wide window needs approximately 3.75 meters of fabric at a 2.5x ratio, regardless of which fabric you choose.
What’s the average cost for curtaining a full villa or apartment?
This varies too much by window count and size for a single number to be meaningful, a two-bedroom apartment with four to six standard windows will cost considerably less than a villa with floor-to-ceiling glass throughout. The window-width × fullness-ratio × fabric-rate calculation above, applied to each window and added together, gives a far more accurate estimate than any flat “apartment price.”
Are blackout curtains worth the extra cost in Dubai?
For bedrooms, most homeowners find it worthwhile. Dubai’s daylight hours run long for much of the year, and a room that stays bright in the early morning cuts sleep short. Blackout starts only slightly above sheer per meter, so the cost difference is smaller than the sleep-quality difference it makes.
