The verdict in three sentences
A trilingual EN/AR/FR corporate website in Dubai costs between 18,000 and 36,000 AED for the base in 2026, plus 25 to 40% for multilingual content management. RTL support for Arabic is not a detail: it forces adaptation of the design, components and dedicated testing. The real long-term constraint is maintaining three versions: every content update costs x3 in time and translation.
The budget of a trilingual site in AED
A multilingual site is not a monolingual site x3, but it costs clearly more than a single version. Here is the 2026 breakdown for Dubai.
| Item | 2026 range (AED) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Trilingual base (design + dev) | 18,000 - 36,000 | 8 - 12 pages |
| Multilingual management surcharge | +25 to 40% | i18n structure + RTL |
| Professional translation (per word) | 0.04 - 0.07 AED | EN to AR and FR |
| Arabic RTL adaptation | 3,200 - 7,200 | Design + testing |
| hreflang SEO (3 versions) | 2,400 - 6,000 | Tags + sitemaps |
| Monthly maintenance | 600 - 1,400/month | x3 content |
For an exporting business, the EN/AR version covers the essentials of the local and Gulf markets; adding French is justified for North African and European reach, at a budget raised by 20 to 30%.
hreflang SEO and timeline: the technical points that matter
Poorly implemented multilingual destroys SEO instead of amplifying it. The table below sums up the 2026 requirements and their impact.
| Requirement | Without | With (done right) |
|---|---|---|
| hreflang tags | Duplicate content penalized | Each language cleanly indexed |
| URL per language (/en /ar /fr) | Google confusion | Clear geo-targeting |
| Arabic RTL | Broken, unreadable layout | Native right-to-left reading |
| Sitemaps per language | Pages not discovered | Full indexing |
| Project timeline | - | 8 - 12 weeks |
The 8 to 12 week timeline is driven by translation and proofreading back-and-forth, often underestimated. Having one internal validator per language markedly speeds the project up.
Mini case study
Yasmine, marketing director of an exporting food SME in Dubai, wants an EN/AR/FR site to reach Europe and the wider Gulf. Quote: trilingual base 27,000 AED, RTL adaptation 4,800 AED, hreflang SEO 3,600 AED, translation of 6,000 words x3 at 0.055 AED = 990 AED, for about 36,400 AED. Maintenance: 1,100 AED/month. Thanks to the Arabic version she signs two distributors in the region in year one, generating over 160,000 AED in orders: the site pays for itself on the first contract.
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FAQ
Why does Arabic cost more than English?
Because RTL (right-to-left) forces rethinking the layout, icons and components, plus dedicated testing. Budget 3,200 to 7,200 AED for the RTL adaptation alone.
Can I translate it myself to save?
Not advised for commercial English and Arabic: rough translation harms credibility and SEO. Professional translation (0.04-0.07 AED/word) remains a modest investment.
Is hreflang really mandatory?
Yes, to prevent Google treating your versions as duplicate content. Set up well, it sends each visitor to the right language and protects your rankings.
How much does maintaining three languages cost?
Between 600 and 1,400 AED/month, because every content update must be translated and published three times. That is the real hidden cost of multilingual.
Must all three languages launch at once?
Not necessarily: many start in EN/AR and add French in phase 2. This spreads the budget and timeline without blocking go-live.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your target languages (EN/AR, +FR?), page count and markets, and we'll price the base and maintenance. 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.
