Better UAE addresses: landmarks, Makani numbers and delivery notes

Shopify's UAE checkout has no postcode field, so the courier finds the door using only what the shopper typed. Ask for the building or villa number, the flat number, the street, the area and a nearby landmark. In Dubai, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah, a 10-digit Makani number points to the building's entrance. For COD orders, confirm thin addresses with a map pin before you ship.

Why do UAE addresses fail?

For a UAE address, Shopify's checkout asks for the address, a second address line, the city, the emirate and, if you include it, the phone number. There is no postcode. The emirate comes from a dropdown, but everything else is typed, so the quality depends on the shopper.

Look at your own failed or late COD deliveries for gaps like these:

• a building name with no building number, or a tower name shared by two buildings
• no flat or villa number
• the area or community missing, or only the emirate given
• "near the mall" or "behind the mosque" without saying which one
• a phone number that is switched off or has a typing mistake

Each gap costs a call or a second trip. With COD, every extra day also gives the shopper more time to change their mind about paying.

What is a Makani number?

Makani is the official geographic addressing system used in Dubai, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. Its app is published by Dubai Municipality. Each building entrance has a 10-digit Makani number. You type the number into the free Makani app (in English or Arabic) and it shows the entrance on the map.

Useful details for a store:

• Shoppers can find their number on the Makani plate at their building, which has a QR code the app can scan. The app can also look up a Makani number from a land number or a traditional address.
• The app can share a location through other apps, so a shopper can send you their entrance in a message.
• It points to the entrance, not the flat. You still need the flat or villa number.

Abu Dhabi and Sharjah aren't in Makani's list. Abu Dhabi has its own smart addressing system, Onwani, which gives streets in Abu Dhabi city unique numbers and uses location QR codes that people can scan and send to visitors. For Sharjah, and anywhere a shopper doesn't know their number, rely on a landmark and a map pin.

What should you ask UAE shoppers for?

Ask for these, in this order:

1. Building or villa number, and the building name.
2. Flat, office or villa number, if it's not in line 1.
3. Street and area (the community or district, such as "Al Barsha 1").
4. A landmark the courier can see from the street.
5. A Makani number (in the five Makani emirates) or a map pin.
6. A phone number the courier can reach, ideally one with WhatsApp.

How should you set up Shopify's checkout fields for the UAE?

In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout and find the customer information options.

• Address line 2 (apartment, unit, etc.): set it to Optional. Shopify warns that Required or Don't include can stop some customers from buying, depending on their type of home. A villa has no flat number, and a flat needs one.
• Shipping address phone number: Shopify suggests Required when your shipping carrier needs a phone number. If your courier calls before delivering, use Required.
• Company name: choose Don't include unless you sell to businesses. It's one field fewer for the shopper.

These settings only change fields Shopify already has. Adding a new field such as "Makani number" to the shipping step needs a checkout UI extension, and Shopify makes those available only to Shopify Plus stores.

Where can shoppers add a landmark or delivery note?

Many Shopify themes can show a cart note (Shopify also calls it an order note) on the cart page. Shopify describes order notes as a way to collect special instructions about how to prepare and deliver an order. To turn it on:

1. In your theme editor, choose Cart from the page menu at the top.
2. Click Sections, then Subtotal under the Template section.
3. Check Enable cart note and save.

Change the note's label to ask for what you need, for example "Delivery notes: landmark, Makani number, a good time to call". Keep it optional so it doesn't block the order.

The cart note has one limit: only shoppers who open the cart page see it. Anyone who goes straight to checkout misses it, so your confirmation message has to catch those orders.

On Shopify Plus, a checkout UI extension can add a delivery instructions field in the shipping step itself. Shopify's developer tutorial shows how, and the answer is saved on the order.

How do you confirm an address before you ship?

For COD orders, check the address before the parcel leaves:

• If the address has a building number, area and landmark, ship it.
• If it's thin, send a short message asking for a map pin or Makani number. A reply also tells you the shopper is expecting the parcel.
• If the shopper doesn't reply and the courier can't find the place from what you have, hold the order or ask them to pay online first.

For message templates and the costs of calls, SMS and WhatsApp, see confirming COD orders by phone, SMS or WhatsApp.

If some areas keep failing even with good addresses, you can stop offering COD there. Khaleeji COD can hide COD by emirate or by city name, in English or Arabic. Read more in cash on delivery in the UAE and the wider checklist in ways to cut COD refusals before the order is placed.