The verdict in three sentences
In Abu Dhabi, a website for an international arbitration and corporate law firm costs roughly USD 24,500 to 60,000 at a local agency in 2026, and far more at the premium agencies that serve the large firms. With Kolonell, the foundation is fixed: USD 4,900 on Growth for a complete English-language site, USD 8,900 on Premium, the multilingual tier, here in English and Arabic with an RTL scope set in the quote. What matters to a general counsel or a state entity is how clearly your partners, seats and sectors come across, far more than the agency's name.
The local market, converted into dollars
The dirham is pegged to the dollar (about AED 3.67 to USD 1), which makes the comparison straightforward. The amounts below are 2026 ballpark figures from typical local agency quotes; conversions are approximate.
| Provider | Typical quote (AED) | Approximate equivalent (USD) | Watch points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer or small studio | 25,000 to 60,000 | 6,800 to 16,300 | Arabic often subcontracted, little follow-up after launch |
| Established local agency | 90,000 to 220,000 | 24,500 to 60,000 | Good designers, legal copywriting rarely included |
| Premium agency (large firm clientele) | 250,000 to 550,000 | 68,000 to 150,000 | Brand strategy, photography, in-house bilingual teams |
| Kolonell Growth | not applicable | 4,900 | Complete site in native English, 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Premium | not applicable | 8,900 | The multilingual tier, English and Arabic, RTL set in the quote, 4 to 6 weeks |
Kolonell prices are stated in dollars and are not converted. Every tier includes a project manager reachable in the Gulf time zone, native English or French copywriting, and 3 months of support. Starter at USD 2,900 mostly suits a newly formed firm or a two-partner boutique. Details are on the international offer.
What the site must prove to a general counsel or a state
International arbitration clients choose people first. Your site must let them answer four questions quickly: who argues, before which institutions, in which languages, in which sectors.
Essential pages
- Detailed partner profiles: qualifications and home bars, working languages, appointments as arbitrator or counsel where their mention is public and permitted.
- A seats and institutions page: experience before the major institutions (ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, ICSID) and regional centres, worded soberly, with no list of confidential matters.
- Sector pages: construction and infrastructure, energy, investment, mergers and acquisitions, shareholder disputes.
- A separate corporate practice page, because transactional and contentious mandates are not bought by the same people.
- A publications and speaking section, updated regularly.
- Suitable legal notices and privacy policy: Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 governs personal data in the UAE, while ADGM and DIFC have their own regimes.
What to avoid
Lawyer marketing is regulated in the UAE, and your partners qualified abroad remain bound by their own rules (the SRA in England, state bars in the US). No invented rankings, no "success rates", no unauthorised client testimonials. Plan an internal professional conduct review before launch. This is not legal advice.
Costs the quote does not show, and the three-year total
The real budget for a law firm site depends mostly on three external items: Arabic legal translation, partner portraits and conduct review.
| Item over 3 years | Local agency (USD, approx.) | Kolonell Premium (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Build | 43,600 (AED 160,000, market assumption) | 8,900 |
| Arabic legal translation | often billed on top, 3,000 to 7,000 (market assumption) | 4,500 (market assumption) |
| Portraits and office photography | 1,500 to 3,500 (market assumption) | 2,000 (market assumption) |
| Internal conduct review | partner time | partner time |
| Maintenance after launch | 800 to 2,000 per month (market assumption) | 3 months included, then on quote |
| Client extranet, CRM or conflict-check integration | on quote | on quote |
Over 36 months, market maintenance at USD 1,000 a month adds up to USD 36,000, nearly as much as the build. That is the first question to ask.
Local agency or remote studio: the honest trade-off
An Abu Dhabi agency keeps the edge if you want repeated on-site photo and video shoots, an Arabic-speaking team that writes directly in legal Arabic, or event support for regional conferences. It is also more comfortable if your leadership prefers weekly face-to-face meetings.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Kolonell built, for example, the website of TR Signing Group, a signing services company in New Jersey: a professional services business where trust starts with clear pages. For an arbitration firm, the logic is the same.
Questions to ask every provider:
- Who translates the Arabic, and is the translation reviewed by a lawyer?
- Does the site truly handle right-to-left reading, including tables and forms?
- What does monthly maintenance cost, line by line?
- Where is the site hosted, and how do contact forms handle data?
- Can we edit partner profiles and publications ourselves?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Al Rimal Dispute Partners, seven partners in Abu Dhabi, receives a local quote of AED 160,000, about USD 43,600. The firm picks Kolonell Premium at USD 8,900, the multilingual tier, in English and Arabic. It adds USD 4,500 of legal translation (market assumption) and USD 2,000 of portraits (market assumption), for USD 15,400. The gap is 43,600 minus 15,400, or USD 28,200. The firm puts part of that sum toward an external conduct review and has the client extranet quoted separately.
FAQ
Is a USD 8,900 site enough for a firm that appears before the major institutions?
Yes, if the content measures up: precise profiles, seats, sectors, publications. Premium at USD 8,900 covers the multilingual site; quality depends mostly on the material your partners provide.
How long does it take?
Between 4 and 6 weeks for Premium, against 3 to 4 months at most local agencies. Legal translation and profile sign-off are the steps that stretch the calendar.
Can we mention matters on the site?
Only what is public and authorised by the client. Most arbitrations are confidential; it is better to describe sectors and types of dispute.
Does Growth at USD 4,900 include Arabic?
No. A site in several languages belongs to Premium, the multilingual tier, and the RTL scope is set in the quote.
Is maintenance included?
Three months of support are included. After that, maintenance is quoted; the local market often charges USD 800 to 2,000 a month (market assumption).
Let's scope your project. A Premium site in English and Arabic at USD 8,900, delivered in 4 to 6 weeks, with the extranet quoted 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.
