The verdict in three sentences
In Dubai, an interior design studio website from a local agency costs a 2026 ballpark of 30 000 to 150 000 AED, about 8 200 to 41 000 USD, and a local freelancer can be cheaper than Kolonell, so price alone should not decide. Choose a Dubai agency if you need on-site shoots of villas and fit-outs, Arabic copy written in-house and a team that attends your showroom launches. Choose a remote studio like Kolonell, at a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD, if your photography exists and you want a precise English site with a written scope, native copy and a project manager who answers every week.
How do the options compare criterion by criterion?
The UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar at about 3.67 AED per USD, so the conversions below are stable.
| Criterion | Dubai agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell (remote) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build price, 2026 ballpark | 30 000 to 150 000 AED, about 8 200 to 41 000 USD | 8 000 to 25 000 AED, about 2 200 to 6 800 USD | 2 900 / 4 900 / 8 900 USD, fixed |
| Meetings at your studio or showroom | Yes | Often | No, Google Meet calls |
| Shoots of villas, offices, hotels | Often coordinated | Sometimes | Not included: your images or a Dubai photographer you book |
| Arabic copy | Often in-house | Variable | Supplied by you or quoted separately |
| English copy | Variable quality | Variable quality | Native English included |
| Time zone | Same | Same | Team in Senegal (GMT), 4 hours behind Dubai |
| Usual timeline | 8 to 16 weeks | 3 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Ownership | Check the contract | Check the contract | Domain in your name, all access handed over |
These local ranges are prudent orders of magnitude, built from public rate cards of UAE agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles of Dubai studios and freelancer rates visible on Upwork and Fiverr. They vary a lot: a branding agency used by luxury developers sits well above the range, while many solo developers work below it. Details of the remote offer are on our international website page.
When is a Dubai agency the right call?
- You have no professional photography of your villas on Palm Jumeirah or Emirates Hills, your F and B fit-outs or your office projects in DIFC and Business Bay, and need someone to direct shoots on site, often with tight access windows from clients and building management.
- Arabic is a core sales language, for example for Emirati private clients or government-related projects, and you want it written and reviewed by the same team.
- You need event and showroom support: launch evenings, design week activations, video content filmed in person.
- You want brand, site and printed portfolio from one supplier, with workshops in your studio.
In those cases, a local agency is worth the premium.
When does a remote studio fit a Dubai interior studio?
Kolonell fits a studio of three to fifteen people that already has a recognisable style and good photography, serves a largely international clientele (expat owners, investors, regional hospitality groups, corporate tenants) and wants a site that sells its process clearly in English. We have already built a trilingual FR/EN/AR site in Dubai for Orven Properties (orvenproperties.com), an off-plan real estate advisory serving international investors, with project pages, investor guides and WhatsApp-based inquiries, so the Dubai context of multilingual, international buyers is familiar.
Every tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone (Google Meet calls in your afternoon, a written update each week), native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks (Premium: written schedule at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks), and 3 months of support (6 months on Premium). Payment is by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. We do not shoot on site and do not hold physical meetings.
What does each tier include for an interior design studio?
| Item | Starter 2 900 USD | Growth 4 900 USD | Premium 8 900 USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | Gallery of up to 8 projects | Project pages: villa, apartment, hospitality, workplace | Case studies with brief, scope, materials, credits, filters |
| Services | One page | One page per service: concept, full design, fit-out coordination, styling | Process page with design and fit-out phases |
| Inquiry | Simple form | Qualified brief: property type, area, budget band, timing | Qualified brief, call request, link to messaging inquiries |
| Journal | No | News and press | Journal with categories, materials and suppliers pages |
| Languages | One language | One language | Bilingual FR/EN; Arabic supplied or quoted, with right-to-left layout |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | Usually 4 to 6 weeks |
| Support | 3 months | 3 months | 6 months |
A client portal with moodboards and procurement tracking, a materials library with ordering, or a 3D room planner are custom applications, quoted on request. Ongoing SEO is quoted on request too.
What does Dubai's interior market require from a site?
Dubai buyers often discover studios through Instagram and developer referrals, then check the website to judge scale, finish quality and whether the studio handles fit-out approvals. A site that only shows mood images loses the corporate and hospitality clients who want to see scope and process.
- Photo rights and consent: project photos belong to the photographer unless assigned in writing; private villa owners and hotel operators should agree to publication, and some will refuse.
- Trade licence: show your legal name and licensing authority (Dubai mainland or free zone) on the site; check the exact display requirements with your licensing body.
- Data protection: the UAE has a federal personal data protection law, and free zones such as DIFC have their own data protection regimes. Collect only what an inquiry needs and publish a privacy notice.
- Arabic layout: an Arabic version needs right-to-left design, not just translated text.
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA is a sound technical target.
This is not legal advice.
Need a professional website?
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Which questions should you ask before choosing?
- Who will write and review the Arabic, and is right-to-left layout included?
- Who owns the domain, hosting and design files at handover?
- What does adding a project page cost after launch?
- How are large photos optimised so the site stays fast on mobile?
- What is the response time for changes during and after the support period?
Warning signs: a very low price with the domain registered to the freelancer, a template presented as custom design, no written scope.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Leila K. runs a seven-person studio in Dubai Design District working on villas and boutique hotel fit-outs. Her photographer has shot 18 projects. She compares:
- Dubai agency: 95 000 AED, about 25 900 USD, English and Arabic, new shoot included, 14 weeks.
- Local freelancer: 18 000 AED, about 4 900 USD, English only, no written schedule.
- Kolonell Premium: 8 900 USD bilingual FR/EN, plus Arabic key pages by her own translator at 1 400 USD.
Kolonell route: 8 900 + 1 400 = 10 300 USD, about 15 600 USD less than the agency, and 5 400 USD more than the freelancer. For the difference with the freelancer, Leila gets native English copy, a fixed scope, a project manager and full ownership. If price was her only criterion, the freelancer would win.
FAQ
How much does an interior design studio website cost in Dubai?
As a 2026 ballpark, 30 000 to 150 000 AED with an agency, about 8 200 to 41 000 USD, and 8 000 to 25 000 AED with a freelancer. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD.
Can the site be in Arabic?
Premium includes bilingual FR/EN. Arabic is supplied by you or quoted separately, often 1 000 to 2 000 USD for the key pages, with right-to-left layout.
Do you photograph our projects in Dubai?
No. You supply images or book a Dubai photographer; we send a shot list so the images fit the layouts.
How does the 4 hour time difference work?
Calls are held in your afternoon, around 1 pm to 5 pm Dubai time, and you get a written update each week.
How long does it take?
3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth, usually 4 to 6 weeks for Premium, with 3 to 6 months of support.
Let's scope your project. Send us your project list, your photography and the languages you need, and we will confirm a fixed price in USD with a 3 to 6 week timeline. 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.