The verdict in three sentences
For a corporate law firm in Dubai (corporate, arbitration, M&A), operating in the DIFC or onshore, an English and Arabic website costs USD 30,000 to 60,000 and ships in 8 weeks. The site must inform without soliciting: the DIFC Courts' code of conduct for registered practitioners and the UAE rules on legal profession advertising restrict promotional claims. With 70% of visits arriving from LinkedIn, the insights and partner pages matter more than the homepage.
What professional conduct allows and forbids
A law firm website in the UAE is professional information, not commercial advertising. Conduct review should happen before design, not after.
| Element | Allowed | To avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Practice areas | Factual description of expertise | Promising outcomes |
| Partner profiles | Background, admissions, languages | Unrecognized titles, superlatives |
| Client references | Only with written client consent | Logos or names without approval |
| Fees | Billing models explained | Discounts, price comparisons |
| Insights | Legal articles, client alerts | Targeted solicitation |
| Rankings | Restrained mention of recognized directories | Aggressive promotion |
| Contact | Form, address, phone | Automated follow-up of visitors |
Confidentiality also applies to the contact form. State that a message sent through the site does not create a lawyer-client relationship and avoid asking for confidential details before the first exchange.
Budget for a Dubai corporate law firm site in USD
Here are 2026 ballpark figures for a firm of 5 to 15 lawyers in Dubai.
| Work package | Content | Timeline | Budget (USD, excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery and content | Sitemap, practice area copy EN/AR | 2 weeks | 5,000 to 10,000 |
| Custom design | Brand guidelines, desktop and mobile mockups | 2 weeks | 6,500 to 13,000 |
| Bilingual build | 15 to 25 pages, CMS, Arabic RTL version | 3 weeks | 10,000 to 20,000 |
| Partner pages | 5 to 15 profiles, professional photos | 1 week | 3,500 to 7,000 |
| Insights hub | Articles, filters by practice, newsletter | 1 week | 2,700 to 6,000 |
| SEO and performance | Markup, speed, LinkedIn Insight | included | 2,300 to 4,000 |
| Total | 8 weeks | 30,000 to 60,000 |
Maintenance and hosting then run USD 500 to 1,300 per month depending on publishing volume and expected security level.
Why LinkedIn reshapes the site architecture
General counsels and foreign funds discover the firm through a partner's post or a shared article. They rarely land on the homepage.
| Traffic source | Share of visits | Main landing page | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% | Article or partner profile | Expert credibility | |
| Google search | 15% | Practice area page | Topical competence |
| Direct | 8% | Homepage | Check after a referral |
| Legal directories | 5% | Partner profile | Confirm ranking |
| Other | 2% | Contact | Book a meeting |
Every article should link to its author partner and the related practice, with visible contact. A high-quality Arabic version matters for onshore clients and government-related entities, who judge the firm on the precision of its legal Arabic.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
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Omar, managing partner of a 9-lawyer DIFC firm specializing in corporate law and arbitration, publishes 2 articles a month on LinkedIn. He targets foreign investment mandates billed on average USD 35,000.
He invests USD 45,000 in a bilingual site with insights hub and 9 detailed profiles, plus USD 900 a month in maintenance. If the site converts only 2 LinkedIn visitors into new mandates a year, it generates USD 70,000 in fees for USD 10,800 of annual maintenance. The project pays back with the second signed mandate, typically within 9 to 12 months.
FAQ
Can a DIFC law firm market itself through a website?
Yes, provided the site stays informative, restrained and compliant with the applicable conduct rules. Describing practice areas and backgrounds is accepted, while promising outcomes or soliciting is not.
Can we display client names?
Only with written consent, because of confidentiality duties. Many firms prefer anonymized deal descriptions, for example "acquisition of an industrial group valued at USD 110 million".
How much does the Arabic version cost?
Professional legal translation and RTL adaptation cost USD 5,000 to 11,000 for 15 to 25 pages. Unreviewed machine translation should be avoided: it damages credibility with local clients.
Do we need a French version too?
It helps if the firm advises North African or francophone African clients. Budget an extra USD 4,000 to 9,000 for translation and integration.
How long until the site is live?
Plan 8 weeks if partners approve copy quickly. In practice, sign-off on profiles and practice pages by each partner often adds 2 to 3 weeks.
Let's scope your project. We scope your firm's bilingual site with a conduct review, partner pages and an insights hub, for an indicative budget of USD 30,000 to 60,000 in 8 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.
