The short answer
Manicure prices at UNIQUE PERSONA run from AED 85 to AED 275 before VAT, depending on the salon, the technique and, at Downtown Dubai, the finish. Downtown Dubai sells a Russian manicure at AED 155 with no polish, AED 235 with regular polish and AED 275 with gel polish. Dubai Marina has six manicure types on its booking system, from an Express manicure at AED 85 to a File manicure at AED 200. Palm Jumeirah has a Classic and an Apparat manicure from AED 170 each, and a File manicure from AED 220.
The three salons do not use the same names. Only Downtown Dubai says Russian manicure. Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah say classic, apparat and file, and Dubai Marina also lists an SPA and an Express manicure.
Downtown Dubai also has a combined Russian gel manicure and gel pedicure for AED 520, done by two masters at the same time.
What are the types of manicure?
A classic manicure usually begins with a soak, softens the cuticle, pushes it back and trims the loose edge with nippers. Colour then goes on with a small visible margin between the product and the skin.
A Russian manicure is dry. There is no soaking bowl, and an electric file does the work the nippers would otherwise do, clearing the cuticle area right up to the skin fold so colour can sit closer to the base of the nail. The Russian manicure explainer covers the technique, the risks and how to tell it was done well.
Apparat is the Russian trade word for a machine manicure, one worked with an electric file. It is the word Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah use on their lists, so if you are booking there, ask for the technique rather than the label.
The lists do not say what a File manicure includes, what an SPA manicure adds, or what sets an Express manicure apart. Each has its own price and slot length, and the salon explains what each includes when you book.
What does a manicure cost in Dubai?
| Manicure | Downtown Dubai | Dubai Marina | Palm Jumeirah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russian manicure, no polish | AED 155 | ||
| Russian manicure with regular polish | AED 235 | ||
| Russian manicure with gel polish | AED 275 | ||
| Express manicure | from AED 85 | ||
| Classic manicure | AED 135 | from AED 170 | |
| Apparat manicure | from AED 155 | from AED 170 | |
| SPA manicure | AED 180 | ||
| File manicure | AED 200 | from AED 220 | |
| Manicure, podology section | AED 185 |
Prices on the salon's lists are before VAT, and 5% is added to the final bill. A "from" price rises with the specialist's grade: at Palm Jumeirah a Classic or Apparat manicure is AED 170, AED 190 or AED 220, and a File manicure AED 220 or AED 260. At Dubai Marina the Apparat manicure is AED 155 or AED 185, and the Express manicure AED 85 or AED 105.
Downtown Dubai prices the polish into the manicure row. All three salons also list colour on its own:
| Colour | Downtown Dubai | Dubai Marina | Palm Jumeirah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polish application | AED 80 | from AED 80 | from AED 90 |
| Gel polish application | AED 120 | from AED 120 | from AED 130 |
| Gel polish removal | AED 35 | from AED 35 | from AED 40 |
Full menus, including nail art and design, are on the Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah price pages.
How long does a manicure take?
At Downtown Dubai the Russian manicure is booked for an hour with no polish, an hour and a half with regular polish, and two hours with gel polish. At Dubai Marina the Express manicure takes thirty minutes to an hour, the Classic and Apparat an hour, the SPA an hour and a quarter, and the File manicure an hour and a half. Palm Jumeirah books its Classic and Apparat manicures for an hour and the File manicure for an hour and a half.
Can you have a manicure and pedicure at the same time?
Yes, at Downtown Dubai. Its four-hands combo, a Russian manicure and a pedicure both finished in gel polish, is AED 520. Two masters work at the same time, one on the hands and one on the feet, and the booking takes two hours. The booking system lists it for women only.
Booked one after the other, the same two treatments are AED 570: a Russian manicure with gel polish at AED 275 and a Smart pedicure with gel polish at AED 295, each booked for two hours. The combination is AED 50 less and takes half the time.
At Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah the manicure and the pedicure are booked as two separate treatments:
| Pedicure | Downtown Dubai | Dubai Marina | Palm Jumeirah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart pedicure, no polish | AED 175 | ||
| Smart pedicure with gel polish | AED 295 | ||
| Classic pedicure | from AED 175 | from AED 190 | |
| Apparat pedicure | from AED 175 | from AED 190 |
The pedicure guide covers the foot menu in full, including the podology section at Dubai Marina.
Where can you get a manicure in Dubai Marina?
The Dubai Marina salon is at Marina Gate 1 and carries the longest manicure menu of the three: Express, Classic, Apparat, SPA and File manicures, plus a manicure in its podology section. Its Express manicure, at AED 85 and booked for thirty minutes to an hour, is the lowest-priced and shortest manicure at any of the three salons. The Classic manicure is AED 135.
Downtown Dubai is the salon to book if you want the technique by the name Russian manicure, priced with the polish already included. The Russian manicure service page sets out what the appointment involves.
How can you tell a machine manicure was done well?
With an electric file working close to the skin, there should be no soreness afterwards and no bleeding at any point. The nail plate should not look white or dusty, and the skin around the cuticle should look clean rather than raw or red. If your nails hurt the following day, the technician worked too close or too hard, whatever the finish looks like. The Russian manicure explainer goes through the risks in detail.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a manicure cost in Dubai?
At UNIQUE PERSONA, manicure prices start at AED 85 for an Express manicure at Dubai Marina. A Russian manicure at Downtown Dubai is AED 155 without polish and AED 275 with gel polish. A Classic manicure is AED 135 at Dubai Marina and from AED 170 at Palm Jumeirah. All prices are before 5% VAT.
Is gel polish included in the price?
At Downtown Dubai it depends on the row you book: the Russian manicure comes with no polish, regular polish or gel polish, each at its own price. Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah list gel polish application as a separate row, from AED 120 and from AED 130.
Is a Russian manicure the same as a gel manicure?
No. Russian manicure describes how the cuticle and nail plate are prepared. Gel polish is what goes on afterwards. You can have a Russian manicure with regular polish, gel polish, or no colour at all.
Can I book a manicure and pedicure together?
At Downtown Dubai, yes, as one booking: the gel manicure and gel pedicure for AED 520, done by two masters in two hours. At Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah you book the two treatments separately.
In short
Manicure names differ from one salon to the next, so compare by technique and price rather than by label. Downtown Dubai sells the Russian manicure with polish priced in, and the four-hands manicure and pedicure for AED 520. Dubai Marina has the widest choice, from AED 85. Palm Jumeirah's manicures start at AED 170 and rise with the specialist's grade.
Wherever you book, ask for the technique by name and check whether colour is included.
