FAQ — delivery, returns, custom orders

Everything below is checked against how the shop actually behaves. If something here disagrees with what you see at checkout, the checkout is right and we have a mistake to fix — tell us.

1. What do you make? Handcrafted Arabic calligraphy and Arabic-inspired décor, made to order in the UAE: serving trays, boxes and jars, tissue boxes, wall art, mabkhara, and personalised name pieces. You can also design your own piece from scratch in Mashq Studio, free.

2. How do I place an order? Add what you want to the cart and check out on this site. For bespoke or bulk work, contact us before ordering so we can confirm the design and the timing.

3. What payment methods do you accept? Visa, Mastercard and American Express, and Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers them. Payment is taken in AED. We do not take cash on delivery, bank transfer or Shop Pay — if that changes, this line changes with it.

4. Is it safe to pay on your site? Yes. Checkout runs on Shopify over SSL and card details are handled by the payment provider — they never reach us.

5. Can I order a custom-designed piece? Yes, that is most of what we do. Design it yourself in Mashq Studio and order it directly, or contact us with what you have in mind.

6. How much does delivery cost? It depends on what you order, and both answers are simple. Ready-made décor — trays, boxes, jars, tissue boxes, frames — is AED 25 per order anywhere in the UAE. Calligraphy prints and paints are AED 50 per order in the UAE, whatever the quantity. Outside the UAE everything travels by Worldwide Express at a flat AED 250 per order, delivered within 8 days. The exact amount is shown at checkout before you pay.

7. Do you ship outside the UAE? Yes — we ship worldwide: a flat AED 250 per order by tracked courier, delivered within 8 days. Unframed prints travel rolled in a tube, which is both safer for the piece and far cheaper than shipping glass. The rate is shown at checkout before you pay.

8. How long will my order take? Everything is made to order rather than picked off a shelf. Most pieces are produced within five to seven working days before dispatch, and personalised work adds a step for confirming the spelling and approving the layout. Each product page states its own time.

9. How do I track my order? You will get an email with tracking as soon as your order is dispatched.

10. What is your return policy? Returns are accepted on unused items in original condition within the period set out in our refund policy. Personalised and made-to-order pieces are the exception — see below.

11. Are there items that cannot be returned? Yes. Custom-made and personalised pieces cannot be returned, because they were made for one person and cannot be resold. This is standard and it is written into our refund policy.

12. What if my order arrives damaged? Contact us with photographs as soon as it arrives and we will replace or refund it. Photographs matter — they let us take it up with the courier as well as put it right for you.

13. Can I cancel or change an order? If it has not gone into production yet, yes — contact us immediately. Once a made-to-order piece is being cut or printed it cannot be changed.

14. How do I use a discount code? Enter it at checkout. A valid code applies to the total straight away.

15. Can you gift-wrap it? Yes. Gift wrapping and a written note are both options at checkout.

16. Do prices include VAT? Yes. All prices shown include VAT where it applies.

17. Do you have a shop I can visit? Not at the moment. We work online so that pieces are made to order across the UAE without the cost of a showroom.

18. Can I read reviews from other buyers? Not yet. We are a young shop and there are no reviews on the product pages — we would rather tell you that than show you an empty row of stars. What we can show you instead: who wrote the piece, on the calligraphers' page, and where it is made, on about us. When your piece arrives, tell us what you think at connect@mashq.ae — it reaches the people who made it.

19. Do you take corporate or bulk orders? Yes — see corporate gifting. Order in one batch where you can: handcrafted pieces vary slightly between production runs, so fifty made together match in a way that two runs of twenty-five may not.

20. How do I contact you? By email, phone or WhatsApp — the details are on our contact page.