Is Strapi a common web development platform in Dubai?

Is Strapi a common web development platform in Dubai?

I started website development around 3 decades ago and started with simple HTML and Javascript. Even after several years, HTML and Javascript still remain the base for website development. But hundreds of frameworks and CMS platforms evolved during the last 20+ years.

As of 2024, nearly half of the world's websites are developed using "WordPress". Even though numerous CMS platforms came up, none of them was a competitor to WordPress till now.

But the playground may be changing now. Over the past 2 years, Strapi has become a big player. Even though their market share is still relatively low, I can see that a lot of new web developers are switching from WordPress to Strapi or Webflow.

I have used WordPress for several years and also started using Strapi for many new websites in 2023. Once I started using Strapi, I believe I may not go back to WordPress any more. 

What is Strapi?

Strapi is an open-source headless CMS (Content Management System) designed for building flexible, API-driven applications. Unlike traditional CMS platforms like WordPress, which come bundled with a front-end presentation layer, Strapi focuses purely on content management and delivers data via RESTful or GraphQL APIs. This makes it a perfect fit for modern web architectures, particularly the JAMstack approach, where the front-end and back-end are decoupled.

Having worked with WordPress and custom-built solutions for over two decades, I can confidently say that Strapi addresses many pain points associated with legacy systems:

1. Customization & Extensibility: While WordPress offers extensive plugin ecosystems, customizing beyond the conventional scope can become a tangled mess of hooks and filters. Strapi, on the other hand, provides a clean, modular architecture that allows developers to extend functionality through custom plugins or middleware without compromising the core system.

2. Performance & Scalability: WordPress, although highly flexible, often suffers from performance bottlenecks due to its monolithic nature and reliance on PHP. Strapi, built on Node.js, inherently benefits from non-blocking, event-driven architecture, resulting in better performance and scalability for high-traffic applications.

3. API-First Approach: In the era of multi-platform applications—web, mobile, IoT devices—Strapi's API-first design is a game-changer. It allows seamless content distribution across multiple channels without the need for additional layers or complex integrations.

4. Developer Experience: Unlike the sometimes cumbersome development experience with WordPress (especially when dealing with legacy PHP codebases), Strapi offers a modern development workflow with full TypeScript support, intuitive CLI tools, and a customizable admin panel built with React.

5. Database Agnostic: Strapi supports multiple databases like PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, and SQLite. This flexibility is a boon for projects with specific data storage requirements, unlike WordPress, which is tightly coupled with MySQL.

6. Security & Role-Based Access Control: Managing permissions in WordPress often requires third-party plugins and can become a security risk if not handled carefully. Strapi has built-in role-based access control (RBAC) for both the admin panel and API, giving granular control over who can access what.

7. Content Modeling: Strapi’s content-type builder is intuitive yet powerful. While WordPress relies on custom post types and meta fields that can become unwieldy over time, Strapi's structured approach to content modeling ensures data integrity and makes content management straightforward for non-technical users.

8. Self-Hosted with Full Ownership: While platforms like WordPress.com or other CMS SaaS solutions often come with hosting restrictions, Strapi gives you full control over your data and infrastructure. You can self-host Strapi on any environment, from a local server to a cloud platform like AWS or DigitalOcean.

In summary, Strapi is a modern, flexible, and developer-friendly CMS that bridges the gap between traditional content management and the demands of today’s decoupled, API-driven web development. For those of us who have navigated the evolution of the web from hand-coded HTML to CMS-heavy ecosystems, Strapi feels like a natural progression—offering the freedom of custom development with the efficiency of a robust CMS.

Challenges of Strapi

Don't think that Strapi will solve all the problems. It comes with some challenges as well. As of 2025, the biggest challenge I see is a shortage of experienced Strapi developers in Dubai. We tried to hire Strapi developers for some of our upcoming website development projects but had a tough time getting experienced Strapi developers in the UAE.

if there is anything holding Strapi to become a widely used web development platform, that is the shortage of Strapi developers in Dubai and the hesitation of web development agencies in Dubai to adapt to this new web development culture. 

Is Strapi a common web development platform in Dubai?

Let me answer this: Strapi is a well-accepted web development platform in Dubai but it is still not very common yet. Web development companies in Dubai are slowly adopting this new headless CMS platform.

I've been working in Dubai's web development industry for quite some time, and while Strapi isn't as widely adopted as platforms like WordPress or Contentful, it is gaining traction among developers who prefer a headless CMS for API-driven projects.

My Experience with Strapi in Dubai

I’ve come across Strapi mainly in projects where flexibility and custom APIs are key, particularly in sectors like e-commerce and fintech. I’ve seen some developers in Dubai experimenting with Strapi for custom applications that require seamless frontend-backend separation.

Market Presence in Dubai

Compared to more established CMS solutions, Strapi remains relatively niche in Dubai. You won’t find many job postings explicitly looking for Strapi developers, but companies focused on headless architectures, especially those dealing with React, Next.js, or Vue.js, have shown interest in it. Some digital agencies and startups are beginning to adopt Strapi for content-heavy web apps and multi-platform content distribution. However, it’s still overshadowed by platforms like Contentful, which has stronger enterprise adoption.

Comparison to Other Platforms

Dubai’s web development market is still largely dominated by WordPress for traditional websites, while enterprise clients lean towards Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore, or Contentful. Strapi offers great flexibility as an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Contentful, making it appealing to companies looking for cost-effective and customizable solutions. However, many businesses in Dubai prefer fully managed SaaS platforms that require less DevOps effort, which might be a reason for its slower adoption.

Why Strapi is (or Isn’t) Popular in Dubai

Strapi’s API-first approach makes it ideal for projects that integrate with multiple platforms, which is useful in industries like e-commerce and media. However, its lack of widespread adoption in Dubai could be due to:

1. Limited awareness – Many businesses default to WordPress or enterprise CMS platforms without exploring alternatives.
2. Hosting and maintenance – Strapi requires a backend setup, which can be a hurdle for companies preferring fully managed solutions.
3. Lack of local expertise – Unlike WordPress, which has an established developer community in Dubai, Strapi doesn’t have many local meetups or agencies specializing in it.
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Advice for Those Considering Strapi in Dubai

If you’re thinking about using Strapi in Dubai, I’d recommend:

• Checking local agencies that have experience with headless CMS setups.
• Exploring hybrid solutions – If Strapi’s self-hosting is a concern, consider managed alternatives like Contentful.
• Joining global Strapi communities – Since local resources are limited, online communities and GitHub discussions are valuable for troubleshooting and best practices.

While Strapi isn’t the go-to CMS in Dubai yet, it’s an excellent choice for developers building scalable, API-driven web applications. If you’re working on a project that demands flexibility and don’t mind managing the backend, it’s definitely worth exploring.