The verdict in three sentences
For a hedge fund or alternative asset manager in Abu Dhabi, the public website does not sell a fund: it helps you clear the first filter of an allocator, a consultant or an analyst candidate. Premium local agencies price this work at USD 40,000 to 100,000, while a fixed grid at USD 4,900 (Growth) or USD 8,900 (Premium, multilingual) covers most of the public scope. The real gap lies in what stays on quote: gated investor area, integrations and compliance review, which you should budget from day one.
What does this website really cost in Abu Dhabi in 2026?
The figures below are a 2026 ballpark based on typical local agency quotes and public agency rate pages, converted to USD at the pegged rate of about AED 3.67 per USD (approximate amounts).
| Option | Local range (AED) | Approx. equivalent (USD) | Usual timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer or solo studio | AED 10,000 to 25,000 | USD 2,700 to 6,800 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Mid-sized local agency | AED 40,000 to 110,000 | USD 11,000 to 30,000 | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Premium agency (finance, ADGM, DIFC) | AED 150,000 to 370,000 | USD 41,000 to 100,000 | 12 to 20 weeks |
| Kolonell Starter | Fixed grid | USD 2,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Growth | Fixed grid | USD 4,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Premium (multilingual) | Fixed grid | USD 8,900 | 4 to 6 weeks |
Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery within the stated timeline once content is ready and 3 months of support. Premium is the multilingual tier: languages, including Arabic and the RTL scope, are set in the quote. Details are on the international offer.
What an alternative manager's website must prove
An institutional allocator or a Gulf family office does not read your website to be won over by performance. They check that the firm exists, that it is properly organised and that it will be ready for operational due diligence. Expected pages:
- The firm: founding date, jurisdiction, regulatory status exactly as held (for instance with the ADGM FSRA where that applies), key service providers if you choose to name them.
- The team: background of the partners and CIO, risk culture, segregation of duties.
- Investment philosophy, described without return figures or promises.
- Compliance: legal notices, privacy policy, professional investor disclaimer.
- Careers, often the most visited page, because candidates search for the firm's name.
- Investor area behind a professional disclaimer, with documents and quarterly letters: on quote.
In most jurisdictions, fund promotion is restricted to professional or qualified investors. The public side must therefore stay factual, and every text should be signed off by your compliance officer. This is not legal advice.
Hidden costs and the three-year total
The price of a website is never its real cost. Here is a three-year total for a Premium site, the multilingual tier, in English and Arabic, with external items clearly labelled.
| Item | Year 1 (USD) | Years 2 and 3 (USD) | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Premium | 8,900 | 0 | Fixed grid |
| Legal and financial Arabic translation | 2,500 to 4,000 | 500 per year | Market assumption |
| Team photography in Abu Dhabi | 1,500 to 3,000 | 0 | Market assumption |
| External compliance review of copy | 2,000 to 5,000 | 1,000 per year | Market assumption |
| Investor area, SSO, integrations | On quote | On quote | On quote |
| Maintenance after the 3 included months | On quote | 3,000 to 6,000 per year | Market assumption |
| Hosting and hardened security | 600 to 1,500 | 600 to 1,500 per year | Market assumption |
Excluding the investor area, the three-year public total lands around USD 20,000 to 40,000, compared with USD 60,000 to 130,000 with a premium agency that often bundles these items. On data protection, the federal law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) sits alongside the separate ADGM and DIFC regimes: your registration jurisdiction determines the applicable framework, which your advisers should confirm.
When a local agency is the better choice
To be fair: an Abu Dhabi agency remains preferable if you need weekly in-person workshops with a committee, a complex investor portal connected to your fund administrator, or a local-law contract required by your board. It also wins if Arabic is your main working language with daily back-and-forth. For a sober, factual public site delivered fast, a remote studio with a fixed grid saves you from paying for a structure you will only partly use.
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Questions to ask any provider:
- Who writes the copy, and in which native language?
- How does compliance sign-off work before go-live?
- Is the investor area priced separately, and with which authentication?
- Who owns the code, hosting and credentials after delivery?
- Is the Arabic RTL scope written explicitly into the quote?
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Layla, COO of "Al Noor Capital Partners", a 12-person macro manager registered in ADGM, receives a local quote of AED 220,000, about USD 60,000. She chooses Kolonell Premium at USD 8,900, adds USD 3,000 of Arabic translation (market assumption), USD 2,000 of photography (market assumption) and USD 3,500 of compliance review (market assumption). Total: 8,900 + 3,000 + 2,000 + 3,500 = USD 17,400. The investor area is priced separately on quote. Even setting aside USD 15,000 for it, she ends at USD 32,400, about USD 27,600 below the local quote.
FAQ
Does a hedge fund need a public website in Abu Dhabi?
Yes, at least for due diligence and recruiting. An allocator who finds no official page about the firm starts asking questions, and 6 to 10 factual pages are often enough.
Can we show fund performance on the website?
It is generally restricted to professional investors, behind a disclaimer and often a gated login. Have every figure approved by compliance before publication.
How much does adding Arabic cost?
At Kolonell it falls under the Premium tier at USD 8,900, with languages and RTL scope set in the quote. Add specialist translation, roughly USD 2,500 to 4,000 (market assumption).
How long does delivery take?
3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth, 4 to 6 weeks for Premium, once content is ready. Compliance review often adds 1 to 3 weeks on your side.
Is the investor area included?
No, gated areas, portals and integrations are priced on quote. That lets authentication and hosting be sized to your security requirements.
Let's scope your project. A factual public site in English and Arabic, on Premium (the multilingual tier), delivered in 4 to 6 weeks, with the investor area priced separately. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.
