The verdict in three sentences
A full website for a marine equipment supplier serving shipyards, yacht builders and fleet operators in Dubai realistically takes 9 to 16 weeks, and the Arabic version with right to left layout adds 2 to 3 weeks if it is not planned from the start. Delays come mostly from content collection, not from development. If the boat show is less than 10 weeks away, launch a lean English site of 10 to 15 pages in 21 to 30 days (for example Kolonell Premium, EUR 1,200 to 2,300, about AED 4,800 to 9,200), then add Arabic and the full catalogue after the show.
Phase by phase plan
| Phase | Realistic duration | Deliverable | Who must be available on your side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery and sitemap | 2 to 3 weeks | Approved sitemap, content list | Sales director, technical lead |
| Design, English and Arabic layouts | 3 to 4 weeks | Home, product and sector templates in LTR and RTL | Management, marketing |
| Content collection and writing | In parallel, 3 to 6 weeks | Copy, photos, datasheets, approvals | Technical team, QHSE |
| Development | 3 to 5 weeks | Full site on staging | Project owner, 2 hours a week |
| Arabic translation and RTL checks | 2 to 3 weeks | Arabic pages reviewed by a native speaker | Arabic reviewer |
| QA and launch | 1 to 2 weeks | Live site, redirects | All approvers |
| Total | 9 to 16 weeks |
Public company details matter in the UAE: show your legal name, trade licence number and the issuing authority (mainland DED or the relevant free zone authority). Buyers and port procurement teams check them before shortlisting a supplier.
Most common causes of delay
| Cause | Typical delay | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| Datasheets split between principals, sales and workshop | 1 to 3 weeks | One content owner from week 1 |
| No usable photos of installed equipment | 1 to 2 weeks | Ask clients and yards for image rights early |
| Arabic translation started at the end | 2 to 3 weeks | Translate as copy is approved |
| Brand principal approval for distributor pages | 1 to 3 weeks | Request logo and wording approval in week 1 |
| Sitemap changes after design sign off | 2 to 3 weeks | Freeze the sitemap at discovery close |
| Ramadan or summer slowdown | 1 to 2 weeks | Avoid key approvals in those periods |
Full site or lean site before the show
| Option | Pages | Products | Timeline | Indicative budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean English site (Kolonell Premium) | 10 to 15 | 10 to 20 hero products | 21 to 30 days | about AED 4,800 to 9,200 |
| Full bilingual site, local agency | 25 to 40 | 40 to 150 | 9 to 16 weeks | AED 45,000 to 140,000 (2026 estimate) |
| Two-step approach | Lean, then full | 20, then 150 | 30 days, then 8 to 10 weeks | Sum of both phases, design reused |
The two-step approach is usually the safest: the site shown at the show is clean and focused on the equipment on your stand, and the Arabic version plus full catalogue follow once the team is no longer tied up with the event.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Omar, sales director of a 45-person marine equipment distributor in a Dubai free zone, learns on 1 August that the new site must be live for the boat show in 9 weeks. The full bilingual plan needs 13. He launches a 12-page English site with 18 hero products in 26 days, then the Arabic version and the remaining 110 products over 9 weeks after the show.
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The maths: in 9 weeks he would have had at best 70 % of an untested bilingual site. With the lean site, he has a finished site 5 weeks before the show, enough time to print stand QR codes and set up follow up sequences.
FAQ
What is the minimum timeline for a marine supplier website in Dubai?
About 9 weeks for a full bilingual site with ready content, more often 12 to 16. A lean English site of 10 to 15 pages can launch in 21 to 30 days.
How much time does the Arabic version add?
Two to three weeks for translation, native review and RTL layout checks. Planning it from the design phase avoids rebuilding templates later.
What causes most delays?
Content collection, which adds 1 to 3 weeks on average. Brand principal approvals for distributor pages can add another 1 to 3.
Do we need to display our trade licence?
It is strongly recommended: legal name, licence number and issuing authority in the footer or legal page. It costs nothing and removes a common objection from procurement teams.
Let's scope your project. Give us your show date and product count, and we will send a dated plan with budget. 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.
