The verdict in three sentences
An interior design studio website in Dubai from a local agency typically costs 8 000 to 40 000+ USD as a 2026 ballpark, while freelancers usually quote 2 500 to 10 000 USD. Kolonell builds a portfolio site with project pages, services and qualified enquiry forms for 2 900 USD (Starter), 4 900 USD (Growth) or 8 900 USD (Premium), with the domain in your name and a project manager on Gulf hours. In a market where clients judge you on visuals in seconds, the quote that wins is the one that gets fast, beautiful project pages live quickly and lets you publish new work yourself.
What do Dubai agencies and freelancers charge for an interior design site?
The ranges below are prudent orders of magnitude based on public rate cards of UAE agencies, minimum project sizes listed on Clutch.co profiles and freelance platform rates (Upwork and similar). Dubai pricing is very spread: branding studios serving luxury developers sit at the top, small web shops at the bottom. Arabic content and right-to-left layout usually add to the bill.
| Option | 2026 ballpark | Delivery | Usually included | After launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai luxury branding and digital studio | 15 000 to 40 000+ USD | 10 to 16 weeks | Brand strategy, art direction, custom design, CMS, often EN/AR | Monthly retainer |
| Dubai mid-size web agency | 8 000 to 15 000 USD | 6 to 10 weeks | Theme-based design, CMS, contact forms | Paid hours or annual package |
| Freelancer | 2 500 to 10 000 USD | 4 to 12 weeks | Build, limited copywriting | Variable |
| Kolonell Starter | 2 900 USD | 3 to 4 weeks | Compact studio site, selected projects, enquiry form, native English copywriting | 3 months support |
| Kolonell Growth | 4 900 USD | 3 to 4 weeks | Full portfolio, project pages, services, journal, analytics | 3 months support |
| Kolonell Premium | 8 900 USD | 4 to 6 weeks, written schedule | Advanced animations, bilingual FR/EN, deeper SEO structure | 6 months support |
If you need a full rebrand, a printed portfolio and a photo production in the same contract, a luxury studio at the top of the range can make sense. If your identity is set and you mostly need a site that converts referrals and social media traffic into briefs, you are paying for brand work you already have.
What does an interior design studio site need in Dubai?
Your buyers are villa and penthouse owners, off-plan investors furnishing a new unit, developers commissioning show apartments, and hospitality and F&B groups. Many are international residents briefing in English, some prefer French or Arabic.
- Project pages with large images in modern formats (WebP, AVIF) that load fast on mobile, plus the brief, the surface and the timeline.
- Services by segment: residential, show units for developers, hospitality, commercial fit-out, styling and furniture procurement.
- Process and fees logic: phases, what is delivered at each step, how design and execution are separated.
- Qualified enquiry form: property type, community, surface, budget band and timing, so you only call serious leads.
- Social proof you control: published projects with the owner's consent, press mentions, awards you have actually received.
- Languages: Kolonell writes natively in English and French. Arabic content is supplied by you or quoted separately, together with the right-to-left layout.
As a real reference in the same city, Kolonell built the trilingual FR/EN/AR site of Orven Properties, an off-plan real estate advisory in Dubai, with project pages and investor guides. The other public reference is TR Signing Group in New Jersey, a bilingual EN/FR site with quote requests, booking calendar and back office.
On data, the UAE has a federal Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), and free zones such as DIFC and ADGM run their own data protection regimes, so the rules depend on where your company is licensed. Practical steps: a short form, a privacy notice, consent for non essential cookies, and image releases from homeowners. This is not legal advice: check with your adviser.
What does each option cost over three years?
| Cost line (3 years) | Dubai mid-size agency | Freelancer | Kolonell Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial build | 12 000 USD | 6 000 USD | 4 900 USD |
| Hosting and licences (assumed) | 1 080 USD | 1 080 USD | 1 080 USD |
| Maintenance and updates (assumed) | 4 320 USD | 2 880 USD | Quoted after 3 included months, 2 880 USD assumed |
| Copywriting | Often extra | Usually by the studio | Native English included |
| Publishing new projects | Often billed | Depends on CMS | Done by your team in the CMS |
| Estimated 3-year total | 17 400 USD | 9 960 USD | 8 860 USD |
How do you compare quotes from Dubai agencies?
| Question | Good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Whose name is the domain under? | The studio's company | The agency's account |
| Can my team add projects? | Yes, with a short training | Every upload is a paid ticket |
| How are large images handled? | Automatic compression, modern formats | Heavy files slowing mobile pages |
| Is Arabic included? | Priced line by line, with RTL testing | Vague promise, machine translation |
| What support is written in the contract? | A defined period | Nothing specified |
| Payment terms? | Staged, for example 50 % and 50 % | 100 % upfront |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Kolonell's terms are simple: bank transfer or Wise, 50 % to start and 50 % at delivery, domain registered in your name, all access handed over, Google Meet calls at a time that suits you and a written weekly update. A private client area for mood boards and approvals is a custom application, quoted on request, as is ongoing search work. Compare the tiers on our international website offer.
Mini case study
Illustrative example, fictitious: Layla runs a five-person interior design studio in Dubai Design District focused on villas in Arabian Ranches and Dubai Hills. She has a quote from a Dubai studio at 18 000 USD plus 200 USD per month, and a Kolonell Premium proposal at 8 900 USD for a bilingual EN/FR site, with Arabic translation quoted separately. Over 36 months, the agency route costs 18 000 + (200 x 36) = 25 200 USD. Kolonell Premium includes 6 months of support; budgeting the same 200 USD per month for the remaining 30 months gives 8 900 + (200 x 30) = 14 900 USD. The 10 300 USD gap pays for the Arabic translation and a full photo shoot of her two latest villas.
FAQ
How much does an interior design website cost in Dubai?
As a 2026 ballpark, Dubai agencies quote 8 000 to 40 000+ USD and freelancers 2 500 to 10 000 USD. Kolonell charges 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD.
Can the site be in Arabic?
Yes. Arabic content is supplied by you or quoted separately, including the right-to-left layout; Kolonell writes natively in English and French, and Premium at 8 900 USD includes a bilingual FR/EN site.
How long does it take?
Starter and Growth are delivered in 3 to 4 weeks; Premium usually takes 4 to 6 weeks, with a schedule written at kickoff.
Do I own the website?
Yes. The domain is registered in your company's name and all access is handed over at delivery, after the second 50 % payment.
Can you add a client portal for approvals?
A portal for mood boards and approvals is a custom application, quoted on request. Many studios launch a Growth site at 4 900 USD first.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many projects you want to show, your languages and your launch date, and we will send a fixed USD quote with a 3 to 6 week plan. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.
