SAS ITThe IT Budget Question Every Dubai Business Owner Asks
Industry benchmarks: 2 to 5% of revenue on IT. But more useful is knowing what you actually get for it.
Annual IT Budget: 20-User Dubai Business
Hardware (annual provision): Laptops AED 12,000 to 20,000 + Server reserve AED 3,000 to 8,000 + Network equipment reserve AED 2,000 to 5,000 + CCTV maintenance AED 1,500 to 3,000 = AED 18,500 to 36,000.
Software and Licences: Microsoft 365 Business Standard (20 users) AED 25,200 + Antivirus/EDR AED 3,600 to 7,200 + Cloud backup AED 2,400 to 6,000 = AED 31,200 to 38,400.
IT Support (AMC): Basic AED 18,000 to 24,000 | Full AMC AED 24,000 to 36,000 | Managed IT AED 36,000 to 60,000.
Total Annual IT Budget Summary
| Scenario | Annual (AED) | Per User/Month (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum viable | 65,000 | 270 |
| Recommended | 90,000 to 110,000 | 375 to 460 |
| Well-protected | 115,000 to 140,000 | 480 to 580 |
Where Dubai Businesses Underspend (and Regret It)
1. Cybersecurity: basic antivirus only, no EDR, no email security — until ransomware hits
2. Backup: no cloud copy — until a server dies
3. IT support: no AMC, break-fix only — until a critical failure on a Friday night
Where Dubai Businesses Overspend
1. Over-specified servers for small teams (a NAS does what they need at 20% of the cost)
2. Enterprise software with features 90% of staff never use
3. Unused SaaS subscriptions
SAS IT helps Dubai businesses plan and optimise IT spend. Free IT audit with all new AMC contracts. Talk to us | +971-526716178
Related: IT AMC Dubai | Managed IT Services Dubai
Tags
About the Author
Reviewed by Mustafa Husain, Founder of SAS IT Services, with 10+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, networking, and security — alongside the same engineers who design, install, and support the work described on this site. SAS IT Services was founded on 22 February 2020 in Dubai and has since delivered 500+ projects for businesses across the UAE.
We specialize in Fortinet, Cisco, and Microsoft, among 17 vendor product lines we regularly install, configure, and support across networking, cybersecurity, CCTV, and cloud infrastructure — hands-on experience that informs the technical guidance in our articles.
Our work is independently rated 5.0 out of 5 from 17 verified Google Reviews. Every article is reviewed internally for technical accuracy before publishing and reflects practices we apply on real client deployments in Dubai and the UAE.
SAS IT Services — Dubai
Need expert IT support?
Our experienced engineers cover all of Dubai & UAE with same-day response and 24/7 support contracts.