The verdict in three sentences
For a Dubai property developer marketing several residential projects, a bilingual Arabic-English website with RTL support costs 18,000 to 45,000 USD in 2026. The upper range covers interactive floor plans, live unit availability and CRM integration with Salesforce or HubSpot. RTL adds 15 to 25 % to the budget, and delivery takes 10 to 14 weeks.
Why Arabic-English costs more than a translation
An Arabic site is not an English site translated. Right-to-left script mirrors the layout: menus, sliders, arrows, table alignment and forms. Arabic fonts need dedicated typographic work to stay readable on mobile. Figures, areas and prices must display consistently in both languages. And SEO has to target distinct Arabic searches, not a literal translation of English keywords.
| RTL item | What it involves | Indicative extra cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Mirrored layout | Reversed components, directional icons | 1,800 to 3,500 |
| Arabic typography | Web font selection and subsetting | 600 to 1,200 |
| Professional translation | 15 to 25 pages and project sheets | 2,500 to 4,500 |
| Arabic SEO | Keyword research, hreflang tags | 1,200 to 2,500 |
| Mobile testing | iOS, Android, Gulf browsers | 600 to 1,200 |
| Bilingual forms | Validation, error messages, emails | 500 to 900 |
2026 price grid for a developer in Dubai
The figures below are 2026 orders of magnitude for Dubai agencies and remote studios. They include design, development, bilingual content and launch. For comparison, an Arabic-French site for a developer in Rabat costs 70,000 to 220,000 MAD excl. VAT (about 7,000 to 22,000 USD).
| Package | Scope | Price (USD) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilingual showcase | 10 pages, 3 project sheets, RTL | 18,000 to 24,000 | 8 to 10 weeks |
| Extended showcase | 15 to 20 pages, galleries, drone video | 24,000 to 30,000 | 9 to 11 weeks |
| Sales platform | Interactive plans, unit availability | 30,000 to 38,000 | 10 to 12 weeks |
| Sales platform + CRM | Same + booking and Salesforce or HubSpot | 38,000 to 45,000 | 12 to 14 weeks |
| Extra language (Russian or Chinese) | Key pages for investors | 4,000 to 7,000 | +2 weeks |
| Maintenance | Updates, units, backups | 400 to 900 per month | ongoing |
Features that sell apartments
For an off-plan or ready project, the site should let a buyer shortlist a unit without calling. Interactive floor plans filterable by type (studio, 1BR, 2BR, 3BR), area and view cut qualification calls. Booking a sales centre visit or a video call matters for overseas investors in London, Mumbai or Riyadh. A payment plan simulator showing the post-handover schedule reassures buyers on cash flow.
| Feature | Indicative cost (USD) | Expected commercial effect |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive floor plans | 6,000 to 11,000 | -30 % qualification calls |
| Live unit availability | 2,500 to 5,000 | Fewer visits on sold units |
| Booking and video call | 1,500 to 3,000 | Overseas conversion x1.5 |
| Payment plan simulator | 1,200 to 2,200 | Better-prepared leads |
| 360° virtual tour | 3,000 to 6,000 | Remote reservations |
| Salesforce or HubSpot integration | 4,000 to 8,000 | Lead routing per broker |
Mini case study
Omar, sales director at a developer launching three residential projects in Dubai, receives 400 leads per month, 40 % of them unqualified. He invests 42,000 USD in an Arabic-English site with interactive plans, booking and HubSpot integration. Six months later, unqualified leads drop to 20 % and overseas buyers account for 30 % of reservations. With an average unit price of 450,000 USD, 3 extra sales per quarter mean 1,350,000 USD in revenue. At a 12 % net margin, the site pays for itself with the first additional sale.
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FAQ
One bilingual site or two separate sites?
One site with two language versions and hreflang tags is enough. It is 20 to 30 % cheaper to maintain than two separate sites.
Does RTL slow the site down?
Not if Arabic fonts are optimised and subset. The target is an LCP under 2.5 seconds on mobile.
Can our team update unit availability?
Yes, through a simple back office. Updating a unit takes under a minute and appears in both languages, and can also sync from the CRM.
Which CRM integration should we choose?
Salesforce suits large broker networks, HubSpot suits mid-size teams. Integration costs 4,000 to 8,000 USD depending on lead routing rules.
How long does a full sales platform take?
Plan 10 to 14 weeks, including 3 weeks for interactive plans and translation. Project 3D renders must be delivered early.
Let's scope your project. A bilingual Arabic-English developer site of 10 to 20 pages with RTL, indicative budget of 18,000 to 45,000 USD depending on interactive plans and CRM, live in 8 to 14 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
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.
