Private or international school website cost in Abu Dhabi: local agencies vs Kolonell (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

In Abu Dhabi, a private or international school website built by a local agency costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, about 40,000 to 150,000 AED, or roughly 10,900 to 40,800 USD, more with a custom parent portal and video production. Kolonell designs the curriculum pages, the admissions journey and the school life section at a fixed price: 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD, with bilingual FR/EN included on Premium. The price gap here is clear; the real trade-off lies in the Arabic version, in campus video (which Kolonell does not shoot) and in the three-year cost.

What do Abu Dhabi agencies, freelancers and Kolonell charge?

Our ranges are cautious. They rest on minimum project sizes listed by Abu Dhabi and Dubai agencies on Clutch.co, on hourly rates some Emirati agencies publish, and on rates visible on Upwork and Fiverr for UAE-based freelancers. The dirham is pegged to the dollar: 1 USD is about 3.67 AED.

Payment is by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % on delivery. Your project manager sets Google Meet calls at UAE hours and sends a written update every week. The team is in Senegal (GMT), four hours behind Abu Dhabi. The packages are described in our international offer.

Frankly: a multi-campus school group that wants a parent portal connected to its information system and an annual video shoot will find that full service more easily at an Emirati agency. Kolonell targets the one or two-campus school that wants a clear, fast, well-written site at a fixed price.

What is the three-year cost for a school?

Same maintenance assumption on both sides, as Kolonell quotes maintenance after the support period separately.

The gap of about 13 600 USD over three years is one of the clearest in the Gulf, because Abu Dhabi agencies price education projects like institutional ones. The 30 months of maintenance reflect the 6 months of support included on Premium.

What does each package include for a school?

A parent portal, a student area, a connection to the school management system or online fee payment is a custom application, quoted separately. Ongoing SEO is also quoted separately.

What does an Abu Dhabi school website need?

Abu Dhabi's private schools, from Saadiyat to Khalifa City by way of Al Reem Island and Al Raha, recruit relocating expatriate families and Emirati families. Many parents compare three or four schools from abroad before they even arrive. The site therefore has to answer fast:

• The exact curriculum and accreditations: programme followed, exams prepared, accrediting bodies, with no ambiguous wording.
• Tuition fees presented clearly: private school fees in Abu Dhabi are regulated by ADEK (Department of Education and Knowledge), and the school should check that what it publishes matches the approved fees.
• The ADEK inspection report: many parents look for it; a link to the official source beats a flattering summary.
• The admissions calendar: most enrolments are decided between January and June for a late-August start, with a steady flow of mid-year relocations.
• Arabic: Arabic language and Islamic education for Muslim pupils are part of the regulatory framework, and some families expect an Arabic version of the site.
• Campus tours, in person or on video, often decisive for families still abroad.

In the UAE we designed a trilingual FR/EN/AR site for Orven Properties (orvenproperties.com), an off-plan real estate advisory in Dubai: Arabic layout is under control, while copy is supplied by the school or translated.

Compliance, factually: the UAE applies a federal Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021). Admissions forms collect children's data, sometimes medical: keep it to a minimum on the site and leave full files in the secure enrolment tool. Pupil photos require parental consent. WCAG 2.1 AA serves as the technical reference for accessibility. This is not legal advice.

Questions to ask every provider

• Who writes the curriculum pages and who signs them off on the academic side?
• Does the admissions form store children's data on the site, or send it to your enrolment tool?
• Is the Arabic version reviewed by an Arabic speaker at the school?
• Will published fees be updated every year, and at what cost?
• Does the school hold the domain and all access?

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Helen T., head of admissions at a 900-pupil British-curriculum school in Khalifa City, receives an agency offer at 95,000 AED (about 25 900 USD), delivered in 14 weeks. Kolonell proposes Premium at 8 900 USD, plus 2 000 USD for Arabic translation and 3 000 USD for a day of filming with a local videographer: 13 900 USD.

Gap: about 12 000 USD. With annual fees around 55,000 AED, close to 15 000 USD per pupil, that gap is less than one year of tuition for a single pupil. Helen picks Kolonell to be live before admissions open in January, without expecting any guaranteed enrolment result.

FAQ

How much does an international school website cost in Abu Dhabi in 2026?

At a local agency, about 40,000 to 150,000 AED, or 10,900 to 40,800 USD as an order of magnitude. Kolonell charges 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD at a fixed price.

Can the site be in French, English and Arabic?

Yes: bilingual FR/EN is included on Premium at 8 900 USD, and Arabic is added with copy supplied by the school or translated separately, often 1,500 to 2,500 USD.

Does Kolonell build a parent portal?

Not within the fixed-price packages: a parent portal is a custom application, quoted separately. The site can, however, link to the tool the school already uses.

When should the project start?

Ideally in October or November: 4 to 6 weeks on Premium puts the site live before January admissions.

Who films the campus?

The school books a videographer in Abu Dhabi; a day of filming often costs the equivalent of 2,000 to 4,000 USD. Kolonell then integrates the videos and photos.

Let's scope your project. Send us your curriculum, the number of school phases and your target languages, and we will reply with a fixed-price package and a 3 to 6-week plan. Request your free quote or see the international offer.