Website redesign for an architecture firm in Abu Dhabi: budget, timeline and risks (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

An Abu Dhabi architecture firm usually redesigns because its portfolio has outgrown the site: new residential and cultural work, project pages that load slowly, and Arabic content that never kept pace with English. On a fixed grid of USD 2,900 (Starter), USD 4,900 (Growth) or USD 8,900 (Premium), the build takes 3 to 4 weeks once images, credits and texts are ready. The real risks are project pages that already rank, image rights and credits, and claims about titles or awards, so they belong in the plan before design starts.

When does an architecture firm in Abu Dhabi need a redesign?

• Project pages take several seconds to load on mobile because images are uploaded as full-size files.
• Recent work on Saadiyat, Al Reem Island, Yas or in Khalifa City is missing while old competition entries stay on the home page.
• Credits for photographers, consultants and partner firms are incomplete, and client permission for each project was never recorded.
• The firm now pursues larger public or cultural briefs and the site still reads like a small studio.
• The careers page cannot attract architects and designers because it is a single paragraph.
• The Arabic version is missing or out of date.

What does a redesign cost, and how do quotes compare?

Ranges are a 2026 ballpark from typical agency quotes and public rate pages in the UAE. AED figures are converted at the pegged rate of about AED 3.67 to USD 1.

Each tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support; maintenance afterwards is on quote. See the international offer for what each tier covers.

On quote, outside the grid: BIM viewers, project extranets, client portals, document rooms for tender submissions and integrations with practice management tools. They are linked or embedded, never rebuilt inside a fixed-grid site.

Which risks matter, and how likely are they?

Licensing of architecture and engineering practice in the emirate is handled by the competent authorities; keep the site factual about the firm's registrations and planning or permit processes described in general terms. Contact forms and analytics should respect the UAE Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021 on personal data protection, and the ADGM data protection framework only applies if the firm is an ADGM entity. This is not legal advice.

How long does it take, and what should you ask?

• Week 0, inventory: export indexed URLs, list every project page, draft the 301 map.
• Weeks 1 to 2, firm side: select projects, collect images, credits and client permissions, confirm team titles.
• Weeks 1 to 3, build: portfolio templates, project filters (residential, cultural, interiors), careers page, Arabic layout if in scope.
• Week 3, review: content check of titles, awards and project descriptions; no invented square metres, clients or press.
• Week 4, go-live: redirects live, Search Console and Google Business Profile updated.

Questions for any provider: How are 4,000 images optimised and who keeps the originals? Who owns the credit list? Will old project URLs map one to one? How is the Arabic version reviewed? What does month 4 cost?

When a local agency is the better choice: if the redesign is part of a full rebrand with art direction on site visits, film of completed buildings and Arabic-first PR for a major public commission, a large UAE agency has resources a remote studio does not replace.

Mini case study

Illustrative example, fictional firm. Mariam is managing partner of Ghaf Line Studio, an invented design practice in Khalifa City whose principals hold the protected architect title. The site shows 30 projects with about 20 images each, uploaded at around 3.5 MB per file.

• Current image weight: 30 x 20 x 3.5 MB = 2,100 MB
• After WebP conversion at about 0.35 MB per image: 30 x 20 x 0.35 MB = 210 MB, a 90 percent reduction
• Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote): USD 8,900
• Local architectural photographer for 4 new projects, third-party cost (assumption): 4 x USD 1,000 = USD 4,000
• Total: USD 12,900

Compared with a mid-range boutique studio quote of about AED 40,000, roughly USD 10,900, plus the same photography (USD 14,900), the gap is USD 2,000, and the Arabic scope is fixed upfront.

FAQ

Do we need to keep every old project?

No. Many firms keep 20 to 40 projects online; retired pages get a 301 to the closest category so no ranked URL is left as a 404.

Can we show client names and photos of private villas?

Only with each client's permission, recorded in the credit list. One missing permission is enough to hold a project back.

Is a BIM viewer or client extranet included?

No, they are on quote. The fixed grid covers the public site, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks.

How is Arabic handled?

Arabic sits in Premium at USD 8,900, the multilingual tier, with the RTL scope set in the quote.

Will the new site be faster?

With modern image formats and lazy loading, galleries often weigh 80 to 90 percent less; actual speed depends on hosting and content.

Let's scope your project. Send us your project list, current URLs and languages, and we will return a fixed tier, the on-quote items and a 3 to 4 week plan. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.