The verdict in three sentences
A trilingual institutional site FR / EN / AR with RTL support typically costs 30,000 to 80,000 EUR excl. tax over 12 to 20 weeks, the premium coming mainly from Arabic and its right-to-left layout. The challenge is not translating words but handling a reversed reading direction, demanding Arabic typography and a multi-team validation workflow. Well managed, such a site opens a pan-African and Gulf market, with clean hreflang that protects your international SEO.
Added cost per language
The first language is included in the base. Each additional language adds integration, translation and QA cost — and Arabic costs more than English because of RTL.
| Language | Technical integration | Translation (per language) | QA | Indicative total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French (base) | included | included | included | included |
| English | 3,000 - 5,000 EUR | 2,500 - 4,000 EUR | 1,000 EUR | 6,500 - 10,000 EUR |
| Arabic (RTL) | 7,000 - 12,000 EUR | 3,000 - 5,000 EUR | 2,000 EUR | 12,000 - 19,000 EUR |
| 4th language (e.g. Wolof) | 2,500 - 4,000 EUR | 2,000 - 3,500 EUR | 800 EUR | 5,300 - 8,300 EUR |
Arabic is nearly double the cost of English: the RTL mirror touches every component (menus, carousels, directional icons, forms) and must be tested page by page.
RTL handling and Arabic typography
RTL is not just a dir="rtl" attribute. You need a design system built to flip cleanly, without breaking grids or animations.
| Element | RTL/Arabic challenge | 2026 effort (EUR excl. tax) |
|---|---|---|
| Layout mirroring | Reverse grids, margins, alignments | 2,500 - 4,000 |
| Arabic typography | Web font (Cairo, Tajawal), line height | 1,500 - 2,500 |
| Icons & directions | Arrows, chevrons, reversed progress | 800 - 1,500 |
| Numerals & dates | Arabic vs Latin numerals, calendar | 1,000 - 2,000 |
| Mixed content | Latin block inside Arabic flow (bidi) | 1,200 - 2,500 |
A well-tuned Arabic web font (Cairo, Tajawal, Noto Sans Arabic) changes everything: readability, credibility and load speed. Never let the browser pick a default system font.
Translation workflow, validation and SEO
On an institutional site, translation passes through several hands: translation agency, communications, sometimes legal. The headless CMS must carry this workflow.
| Step | Owner | Typical delay | Control point |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR writing | Comms | ongoing | Source validated |
| EN/AR translation | Agency | 5-10 d/batch | Glossary respected |
| Business review | Leadership | 3-5 d | Tone and compliance |
| CMS integration | Editor | 1-2 d | Per-language fields |
| Publish + hreflang | Tech | 1 d | FR/EN/AR tags |
On the SEO side, every page must carry complete hreflang tags (fr, en, ar) plus an x-default. Set correctly, hreflang avoids duplicate content between versions and surfaces the right language in each market: a real lever to capture traffic in the Maghreb and the Gulf.
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Mini case study
Nadia, head of communications at a pan-African group in Dakar, launches an FR/EN/AR site to address West Africa, international audiences and Gulf investors. Budget: 62,000 EUR excl. tax, of which 17,000 EUR for the Arabic/RTL part. Six months after launch, the Arabic version generates 28% of total organic traffic and 14 qualified requests per month from the Maghreb and the Emirates. At an avoided ad acquisition cost of about 45 EUR per qualified lead, those 14 leads/month represent 7,560 EUR/year in media savings — not counting the far larger institutional contracts signed.
FAQ
Why does Arabic cost more than English?
Because RTL touches the whole design system: grids, alignments, icons and animations must be reversed and tested page by page. Budget nearly double a standard LTR language.
Can we add a language after launch?
Yes, if the architecture is built for multilingual from the start. Adding an LTR language then costs 5,000 to 10,000 EUR; adding Arabic after the fact is pricier because RTL was not anticipated.
Do we need a domain per language?
Not necessarily. Subdirectories (/fr, /en, /ar) with hreflang are enough and easier to manage than a domain per country. ccTLDs are only justified for a very aggressive country strategy.
How do we guarantee translation quality?
By enforcing a business glossary, a leadership review and a CMS that locks fields per language. Plan 5 to 10 days of translation per batch and a 3 to 5-day review budget.
Does multilingual slow the site down?
No, if fonts are subset-loaded per language and content is served per version. A well-built trilingual site keeps LCP under 1.5 s on mobile.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your target languages, page volume and whether Arabic/RTL is required, and we'll price the added cost per language. 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.
