The verdict in three sentences
For the operator of an inland port and logistics hub in Dubai serving Jebel Ali and the land corridors to Saudi Arabia and Oman, a bilingual corporate website with a tariff page, storage fee calculator and forwarder portal costs, as a 2026 estimate, 55,000 to 130,000 AED (about 15,000 to 35,000 USD). The brochure part alone is usually 35,000 to 65,000 AED, with the calculator and client area scoped as separate application work. The real payback comes from calls and visits avoided: every forwarder who finds the storage rate and document list unaided frees time at the commercial desk.
What freight forwarders and importers look for
A forwarder in Sharjah or an importer in Al Ain asks the same questions before sending a container to an inland hub: how much storage costs beyond free time, how long customs clearance takes, which documents to prepare, which hours apply for collection. Today those answers go through phone calls and WhatsApp, which saturates the sales desk.
The site should first be an operational information tool: an up-to-date, downloadable tariff, a storage fee calculator, procedures by customs regime, average lead times by corridor, a directory of approved forwarders and a quote request form.
| Functional block | 2026 market range (AED) | Indicative timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual EN/AR corporate site, 12 to 20 pages | 35,000 to 65,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Storage and handling fee calculator | 11,000 to 27,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Procedure pages by regime (transit, import, re-export) | 5,500 to 13,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Forwarder portal (documents, quotes, history) | 22,000 to 45,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Lightweight mobile version (pages under 500 KB) | 3,500 to 9,000 | 1 week |
| Local SEO and Google Business profiles | 4,500 to 11,000 | 2 weeks |
These are regional market estimates; a global agency will easily charge two to three times more. The most underestimated item is collecting the tariff data: without a rate card signed off by the commercial director, the calculator cannot ship.
The fee calculator: the most visited page
From the container type (20 or 40 foot), cargo class and number of days, the calculator estimates storage charges after the free period. It prevents disputes at collection and signals transparency.
| Parameter | Example rule | Effect on calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Free time | 7 to 10 days depending on contract | No charge during the period |
| Days 11 to 20 | Base daily rate per TEU | Full rate |
| Beyond 20 days | Rate increased by 50 to 100 % | Encourages fast collection |
| Dangerous goods | Flat surcharge | Dedicated line added |
| Reefer container | Power plug-in billed per day | Separate line |
| Handling | Flat fee per move | Added per number of moves |
These rules illustrate a structure only: each operator applies its own tariff. What matters is that the commercial team can update the calculator without a developer when rates change.
Mobile performance and hosting
Many drivers and forwarders check information from a phone in the yard or on the road. A corporate site heavy with full-screen video loses them before it renders. Good practice: information pages under 500 KB, WebP images, the tariff in HTML rather than a heavy PDF, and aggressive caching. Hosting in the region or behind a CDN costs roughly 150 to 450 AED per month.
Maintenance should be planned from day one: security updates, backups and small changes, typically 1,000 to 3,000 AED per month depending on the service level.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Omar, commercial director of an inland logistics hub in Dubai (illustrative scenario), receives about 40 calls and messages a day on rates and procedures, each taking 6 minutes of an agent's time. That is 4 hours a day, close to 90 hours a month.
If half of those requests move to the website and calculator, he saves 45 hours a month. At 90 AED per loaded hour, that is about 4,050 AED a month, or 48,600 AED a year. Add two collection disputes avoided per month at 2,500 AED of commercial credit each: 60,000 AED a year. On an overall budget of 95,000 AED, payback is around ten to eleven months.
FAQ
How much does an inland port website cost in Dubai in 2026?
As an estimate, a bilingual corporate site with a calculator and forwarder portal costs 55,000 to 130,000 AED. The brochure site alone is usually 35,000 to 65,000 AED.
Can our team edit the fee calculator?
It should: rates, free time and surcharges are entered in a back office. The module usually costs 11,000 to 27,000 AED depending on the number of rules.
Will the site work well on mobile networks?
That is a baseline requirement: pages under 500 KB, compressed images and an HTML tariff. A lightweight version costs 3,500 to 9,000 AED extra if it was not planned from the start.
Do we need a dedicated forwarder portal?
It pays off beyond 30 to 50 active forwarders: document upload, quote requests and history. Allow 22,000 to 45,000 AED and 3 to 5 weeks.
What timeline for a full launch?
Plan 8 to 12 weeks if the tariff is approved at kick-off. The brochure site can go live in 4 to 6 weeks, with the calculator and portal following.
Let's scope your project. Bilingual corporate site, storage calculator and forwarder portal: we set the scope, an indicative budget and a realistic schedule. 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.
