The verdict in three sentences
Internationalising a Dublin B2B site to EN/FR/AR opens two high-potential markets — francophone/anglophone Europe and the Arabic-speaking Gulf — but demands clean RTL handling for Arabic. A realistic 2026 budget sits between 60,000 and 125,000 MAD (approx. 5,600-11,700 EUR) depending on volume and RTL depth. The key to success is a correct EN/FR/AR hreflang and EU/CDN hosting to hold speed from Europe and the Gulf.
The budget in MAD (2026 ballpark)
We quote in dirhams because the delivery team is Moroccan-based; convert at roughly 10.7 MAD/EUR. Here is the breakdown for a 30-50 page B2B showcase site, ~18,000 words.
| Item | 2026 range (MAD) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Multilingual migration | 45,000 - 95,000 | i18n rebuild, 3-language routing |
| RTL integration (Arabic) | 15,000 - 30,000 | LTR/RTL switch, fonts |
| Pro translation (18,000 words) | 21,600 - 39,600 | 1.2-2.2 MAD/word, FR + AR |
| SEO acceptance + hreflang | 8,000 - 18,000 | 90-day monitoring |
| Project total | 89,600 - 182,600 | Excludes maintenance |
Add 3-language maintenance of 3,000-6,000 MAD/month and EU/CDN hosting at 800-1,800 MAD/month. The full timeline runs 10 to 14 weeks.
Hreflang strategy and speed
Targeting Europe and the Gulf demands precise technical choices to avoid diluting SEO or degrading speed.
| Element | Recommended choice | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| URL structure | Subdirectories /fr/ /ar/ | Shared authority |
| hreflang | EN, FR, AR with return tags | Avoids cannibalisation |
| Hosting | EU + Gulf edge CDN | < 250 ms Paris/Dubai |
| Images | WebP/AVIF, lazy load | Core Web Vitals > 90 |
| RTL | Logical CSS (start/end) | No CSS duplication |
A CDN with presence in Europe and the Middle East holds response times under 250 ms from Paris and Dubai, a prerequisite for international B2B ranking.
Mini case study
Karim, manager of an industrial-equipment firm operating out of Dublin with a Casablanca hub, already exports to France and targets Saudi Arabia. He migrates his EN site to EN/FR/AR. Quote: migration 70,000 MAD, RTL 22,000 MAD, translation 18,000 words x 1.7 MAD = 30,600 MAD, acceptance 12,000 MAD, i.e. 134,600 MAD, maintenance 4,500 MAD/month and hosting 1,200 MAD/month. Target: capture 20 Gulf enquiries/year. With an average deal of 40,000 MAD and a 15 % conversion rate, that is 120,000 MAD of additional annual revenue — the project pays back in about 14 months, recurring costs included.
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FAQ
Why does adding Arabic change the whole project?
Arabic is written right to left (RTL): layout must be mirrored, fonts adapted, and mixed AR/Latin-digit content handled. This work adds 15,000-30,000 MAD, but opens the Gulf market.
Server in Morocco or in Europe?
To target Europe and the Gulf, EU hosting with a CDN is preferable: controlled latency across both zones. Budget 800-1,800 MAD/month for a fast, available B2B site.
How much does professional Arabic translation cost?
Between 1.2 and 2.2 MAD/word depending on technicality. For 18,000 words in FR + AR, that is 21,600 to 39,600 MAD. Technical Arabic requires a specialist translator, not AI alone.
Is hreflang really necessary?
Yes: without it, Google may show the EN version to a Gulf user, or treat all three versions as duplicate content. A well-configured EN/FR/AR hreflang avoids cannibalisation and targets each audience.
What is a realistic timeline?
10 to 14 weeks: 2-3 weeks of audit and strategy, 4-6 weeks of development (including RTL), 2-3 weeks of translation/QA, then acceptance. RTL and Arabic proofreading are the items that stretch the schedule most.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your target markets (Europe, Gulf), languages and content volume: we will price migration, RTL and translation in a 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.
