The verdict in three sentences
A Dubai family office or family business group with 5 subsidiaries (trading, construction, real estate) needs a group website that carries the family's reputation and a solid page per subsidiary, instead of each company keeping its own patchwork site. The realistic 2026 budget sits between 40,000 and 90,000 USD over 10 weeks, with 5 mini-sites under a group brand identity and a monthly maintenance fee of around 1,000 USD. The hard part is not technical: it is governance, with 3 approvers to align from week one.
Why one group site beats five separate sites
In Dubai, many family groups let each subsidiary order its own site from different vendors. The result: five hosts, five invoices, logos that do not match and a family name that appears nowhere. For a bank, an international partner or a government entity reviewing the group, that fragmentation weakens credibility.
| Criterion | 5 independent sites | Group site + 5 mini-sites |
|---|---|---|
| Combined build cost | 50,000 to 75,000 USD | 40,000 to 90,000 USD |
| Hosting and maintenance | 5 contracts, about 2,000 USD per month | 1 contract, about 1,000 USD per month |
| Brand consistency | Weak, diverging guidelines | Single group identity |
| Visibility of the holding | Almost none | Group page, governance, values |
| Updates | Depend on 5 vendors | One CMS, rights per subsidiary |
| Security | Uneven, outdated versions | Centralised monitoring |
Recommended structure: a group homepage (history, governance, key figures), one page per business line, then a mini-site per subsidiary (4 to 6 pages each) on subfolders or subdomains of the main domain.
Detailed 2026 budget for Dubai
2026 orders of magnitude for a 5-subsidiary group.
| Item | Range | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping workshop and group sitemap | 4,000 to 6,000 USD | 2 workshops with leadership |
| Group identity adapted per subsidiary | 8,000 to 18,000 USD | Group logo, colours per business |
| Group site (8 to 12 pages) | 10,000 to 22,000 USD | History, governance, ESG, careers |
| 5 subsidiary mini-sites | 13,000 to 32,000 USD | 2,600 to 6,400 USD each |
| Arabic version (right-to-left) | 3,000 to 6,000 USD | Useful for government relations |
| Photo and video of sites and stores | 2,000 to 6,000 USD | 2 shooting days |
| Total project | 40,000 to 90,000 USD | Delivered in 10 weeks |
| Maintenance and hosting | About 1,000 USD per month | Backups, security, small changes |
The top of the range fits a group that wants a central careers portal, an investor section or a tender submission form for the construction subsidiary.
The 10 weeks, week by week
| Weeks | Deliverable | Approval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scoping, sitemap, approval roles | CEO |
| 2 to 3 | Group identity and variations | CEO + head of communications |
| 4 to 5 | Group site and subsidiary template mockups | 3-approver committee |
| 6 to 8 | Development, content integration | Subsidiary heads |
| 9 | Testing, Arabic version, SEO | Committee |
| 10 | Go-live and editor training | CEO |
The classic trap: a family member who sees the mockups in week 8 and questions everything. Avoid it by formally naming the 3 approvers (for example the CEO, the chairman and the CFO) and setting one rule: each stage is approved within 5 working days, otherwise it is deemed accepted.
Mini case study
Khalid, CEO of a family business group in Dubai, runs 5 subsidiaries. Today the 5 existing sites cost about 2,000 USD per month in hosting and maintenance, i.e. 24,000 USD a year, for an inconsistent result.
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- Group project selected: 60,000 USD.
- New maintenance: 1,000 USD per month, i.e. 12,000 USD a year.
- Annual maintenance saving: 24,000 - 12,000 = 12,000 USD.
Over 5 years, the running cost saving reaches 60,000 USD, the full cost of the project. The image gain with banks and foreign partners comes on top.
FAQ
What budget should a family holding plan for its website in Dubai?
Between 40,000 and 90,000 USD for a group site and 5 subsidiary mini-sites. The amount depends mostly on pages per subsidiary and options such as Arabic or a careers portal.
How long does the project take?
About 10 weeks if the 3 approvers respond within 5 working days. Every week of approval delay pushes go-live back by the same amount.
Can each subsidiary edit its own pages?
Yes, the CMS assigns rights per subsidiary. The construction head updates projects without touching the trading pages, and the group keeps a review right.
What does the monthly maintenance cover?
Hosting, daily backups, security updates, monitoring and about 3 hours of changes per month. Major new sections are quoted separately.
Should the group publish its financial figures?
Not required for a private company. Many family groups show simple indicators (headcount, years in business, number of projects delivered) that reassure without exposing the accounts.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your scope, current tools and timeline: we scope the project lot by lot and agree the schedule with you. 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.
