The verdict in three sentences
In 2026 in Dubai, a corporate website rebuild costs between AED 25,000 and 65,000 depending on scope, plus a headless CMS (+AED 14,000 to 32,000) and Arabic RTL support (+AED 8,000 to 19,000). Trilingual EN/AR/FR is the main cost driver: it can add 30 to 40% in copywriting, integration and testing. Expect 8 to 12 weeks of lead time and maintenance of AED 1,100 to 3,300/month.
The line items of a corporate rebuild
A rebuild is not a fresh build: you must audit the existing site, migrate content and preserve earned SEO. These three invisible tasks weigh heavily.
| Item | 2026 range (AED) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Audit & strategy | 4,500 - 11,000 | UX, SEO, existing content |
| Design & mockups | 8,000 - 22,000 | brand, language variants |
| Development | 14,000 - 38,000 | build, responsive |
| Headless CMS | 14,000 - 32,000 | Sanity, Strapi, editorial workflow |
| Content migration | 3,300 - 10,000 | reuse + 301 redirects |
| Hosting | 1,600 - 5,000 / year | CDN, SSL, business email |
| Maintenance | 1,100 - 3,300 / month | updates, support |
301 redirects are non-negotiable: skipping them destroys earned rankings and can cut traffic by 30 to 50% in a month.
The real cost of trilingual EN/AR/FR
Arabic forces an RTL (right-to-left) layout that doubles display testing and complicates every component. Here is the quantified impact.
| Element | EN-only site | Add FR | Add AR (RTL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy / translation | included | +AED 3,300-8,000 | +AED 4,500-11,000 |
| Technical integration | included | +AED 2,200-4,500 | +AED 5,500-14,000 |
| Testing & QA | included | +AED 1,100-2,200 | +AED 2,800-5,500 |
| Monthly maintenance | base | +10% | +20% |
Arabic RTL is structurally more expensive than French: reading direction, adapted fonts, mirrored alignment. Never budget Arabic as a mere translation.
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Mini case study
Ms. Al-Suwaidi, communications lead of a Dubai industrial group (350 staff), plans a trilingual rebuild. Chosen quote: rebuild AED 42,000 + headless CMS AED 22,000 + RTL support AED 14,000 = AED 78,000, plus AED 2,200/month maintenance. First-year investment: 78,000 + (2,200 x 12) = AED 104,400. The old site lost 45% of mobile visitors for lack of responsiveness; the new one, twice as fast, doubles time-on-site and surfaces 3 institutional tenders per quarter. A single won contract covers the rebuild several times over.
FAQ
Rebuild or full reconstruction? If your CMS is over 5 years old or not responsive, reconstruction (AED 25,000-65,000) beats patching. Under 3 years, a partial rebuild (AED 11,000-22,000) often suffices.
Why does a headless CMS cost more? It separates content from presentation, delivering speed, security and multi-level editorial workflow. The AED 14,000-32,000 premium is justified for a group with several contributors.
Can trilingual wait for phase 2? Yes, and it is often smart: launch in EN/FR, add Arabic later (+AED 8,000-19,000). This smooths cash flow without blocking go-live.
How long for a corporate rebuild? Expect 8 to 12 weeks: 2 audit, 3 design, 4-5 development, 1-2 QA. Trilingual adds 2 to 3 weeks.
How do I protect my SEO during migration? URL mapping, systematic 301 redirects, updated sitemap and 30-day monitoring. Without it, expect to lose 30 to 50% of organic traffic.
Let's scope your project. Tell us page volume, target languages and your current CMS: we will price the rebuild and the SEO migration plan. 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.
