The verdict in three sentences
In Doha, some general counsel, boards and state entities now start shortlisting an international arbitration firm by asking AI assistants like ChatGPT, before checking directories or calling a peer. These tools cite firms whose public information is consistent, factual and echoed by third parties, and they ignore or misdescribe the rest. On the market, a diagnostic costs around USD 3,000 to 10,000 and ongoing work USD 2,500 to 8,000 a month in 2026, and no honest provider can promise a recommendation.
What clients in Doha ask AI assistants
The questions below are representative of what a buyer may type in English or Arabic. They are longer and more specific than a Google search, and they call for a short list of names.
| Question asked to an AI assistant | Who asks it | What the answer needs to find about you |
|---|---|---|
| "Which Doha firms have ICC arbitration experience in construction?" | General counsel of an engineering group | Construction sector page, institutional experience described soberly |
| "Arabic-speaking firm for an investment arbitration against a state?" | Counsel to a foreign investor | Partners' working languages, ICSID experience mentioned where public |
| "Who can represent a Qatari company in an LCIA arbitration in London?" | CFO of a family business | Home bars, seats covered, associated offices |
| "Corporate law firms in Doha for an energy joint venture?" | Head of business development | Separate corporate practice page, energy sector |
| "What is the difference between litigating at the QFC court and arbitrating?" | In-house lawyer | Explanatory content signed by a partner |
| "Doha partners appointed as arbitrators in Gulf disputes?" | Opposing counsel or co-arbitrator | Up-to-date partner profiles, public appointments |
| "Firm able to work in Arabic and English on a shareholder dispute?" | Board of directors | Arabic pages genuinely written, not machine-translated |
These queries do not target a keyword: they describe a situation. The firms cited are those whose pages and external mentions match the situation.
Why some firms appear and others do not
| Factor | What the AI assistant finds | Common mistake by firms |
|---|---|---|
| Consistent public information | Same name, same partners, same practices everywhere | Departed partners still listed in directories |
| Third-party mentions | Articles, conferences, institutional publications | Visibility limited to the firm's own site |
| Clear factual pages | Sentences that say who does what, where and in which language | Vague positioning copy |
| Structured data | Organisation, people, addresses readable by machines | No structured data, text locked in images |
| Freshness | Dated, updated publications and profiles | Latest news item two years old |
| A real Arabic version | Usable content for questions asked in Arabic | Arabic missing or machine-translated |
The common thread: AI assistants like ChatGPT summarise what is published and repeated. A firm that is discreet by culture, which is common in arbitration, can stay well described without disclosing anything confidential, provided it publishes clearly what can be published.
What this work covers, and what it costs on the market
In broad terms, AI visibility work for a firm covers a baseline of what AI assistants say about you today, aligning your public information (site, directories, partner profiles), strengthening the pages that answer clients' situations, and tracking third-party mentions. It builds on the existing site and SEO; it does not replace them.
Lawyer marketing rules remain the boundary: in Qatar as in your partners' home bars (the SRA in England, state bars in the US), no invented rankings and no promised outcomes. Data collected through your forms falls under Law No. 13 of 2016 on personal data privacy, or the QFC's own rules if you are established there. This is not legal advice.
2026 ballpark figures, in a still-emerging market, based on typical quotes from Gulf and international agencies:
- One-off diagnostic: USD 3,000 to 10,000 depending on the number of questions, languages and practices.
- Ongoing monthly work: USD 2,500 to 8,000.
- Programme combined with press relations and publications: USD 6,000 to 15,000 a month.
At Kolonell, this work is priced on quote after a first conversation.
How to measure without fooling yourself
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The only honest measure is a dated record: the same questions, asked at regular intervals, in the same languages, with the answers archived. Track three indicators: the share of answers citing the firm, the accuracy of what is said (partners, practices, offices), and whether the right pages appear among cited sources when the tool shows them. Answers vary from day to day; only the trend over several months means anything.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Corniche Disputes LLP, five partners in Doha, has 30 questions recorded (15 in English, 15 in Arabic). In the first record, the firm is cited in 4 answers out of 30, about 13%, and two of those answers name a partner who left in 2024. Budget committed: a USD 5,000 diagnostic and six months of follow-up at USD 3,500, so 5,000 plus 6 times 3,500, or USD 26,000 (market ballpark). Reading the dashboard: if the firm moves to 9 answers out of 30, the share rises to 30%; if it stays at 4 but the errors disappear, the work has still removed a reputational risk. None of these figures is a promise.
FAQ
Do AI assistants like ChatGPT really recommend arbitration firms?
They often cite three to six names when the question is specific. They draw on available public information, hence the importance of factual pages and third-party mentions.
How much does a diagnostic cost?
Around USD 3,000 to 10,000 in 2026 depending on languages and the number of practices. At Kolonell it is priced on quote.
How long before anything changes?
Accuracy corrections can show within a few weeks; a shift in citation share is better read over 3 to 6 months of records.
Can we be visible without disclosing confidential matters?
Yes. Sectors, seats, languages and partner profiles are enough to feed the answers, without naming a single client.
Can a provider guarantee that AI assistants will recommend us?
No, and that promise should make you wary. The work improves the quality and consistency of available information; the answer is still decided by the tool.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. A dated record of what AI assistants say about your firm, in English and Arabic, with a clear reading of the gaps. Request a diagnostic quote: reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
