The verdict in three sentences
A multilingual corporate website in Dubai costs in 2026 between AED 25,000 and 70,000, with the technical backbone paid only once. Each additional language adds AED 8,000 to 15,000 in implementation, plus professional translation at AED 0.45-0.70/word. The real risk is not the price but a broken hreflang setup that destroys international SEO.
What each language costs
Multilingual is not "the same site three times over". The backbone (routing, hreflang, per-locale content) is paid once; then each language adds integration and translation. Here is the 2026 breakdown for a Dubai group targeting EN/AR.
| Line item | 2026 cost |
|---|---|
| Redesign + build (pivot language EN) | AED 25,000-45,000 |
| Multilingual backbone (hreflang, routing, locales) | AED 6,000-11,000 |
| Additional language (AR), per language | AED 8,000-15,000 |
| Professional translation (AED 0.45-0.70/word, ~8,000 words) | AED 3,600-5,600/language |
| Native review + localised on-page SEO | AED 2,500-5,000/language |
| Indicative total EN/AR | AED 45,000-70,000 |
These figures are a 2026 order of magnitude; a large content volume or the RTL layout for Arabic raises the invoice.
hreflang, RTL and international SEO
A multilingual site's quality hinges on technical details invisible to the visitor but decisive for Google. Here are the points that separate a professional site from a patch job.
| Element | Stake | Add-on / impact |
|---|---|---|
| Bidirectional hreflang tags | Avoid cross-language duplicate content | included in backbone |
| Localised URLs (/en/, /ar/) | SEO clarity and UX | +AED 1,800-3,600 |
| RTL support (Arabic) | Full layout mirroring | +AED 9,000-18,000 |
| Multilingual sitemap + Search Console | Per-market indexing | +AED 1,500-3,300 |
| Persistent language switcher | Retention & conversion | +AED 1,100-2,500 |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Layla, marketing director of a Dubai trading group, rebuilds her site in EN/AR. Winning quote: AED 58,000, including AED 9,000 of multilingual backbone and ~AED 14,000 of RTL support plus translation/review for Arabic. Before, the Arabic version was translated by a non-specialist employee: no hreflang, pages unindexed on google.ae Arabic results. After the rebuild, Arabic organic traffic rises from ~200 to ~1,400 visits/month in 5 months, generating around ten monthly regional leads: the backbone paid once unlocks an entire market.
FAQ
Can a language be added later? Yes, if the multilingual backbone is planned from the rebuild: adding a language then costs only AED 8,000-15,000 + translation, versus double if everything must be redone.
Is machine translation enough? For corporate use, no: a professional translation reviewed by a native speaker avoids mistranslations and enables localised SEO (target-market keywords). Expect AED 0.45-0.70/word.
What does a broken hreflang cost you? Google may serve the wrong language, treat versions as duplicate content, or deindex pages. It is the number-one cause of international SEO failure.
How long for a multilingual rebuild? Expect 10 to 18 weeks for EN/AR, including 2-3 weeks dedicated to translation and native review.
Does RTL (Arabic) cost much more? Yes: the entire layout must be mirrored and every component tested, hence an add-on of AED 9,000 to 18,000 depending on design richness.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your target languages, content volume and export markets: we will price the backbone and translation. 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.
