The verdict in three sentences
An Abu Dhabi private or international school can budget a redesign at USD 4,900 to 8,900 on the Kolonell grid, against roughly AED 25,000 to 90,000 (about USD 6,800 to 24,500) in typical local agency quotes. The build takes 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, and the launch date matters more than the build date: go live outside your admissions peak. Admissions portals, fee payment and school management system integrations stay on quote, while the enquiry form collects only the minimum about each child.
Which signals say the school website needs a redesign?
Families in Al Reem, Khalifa City, Saadiyat or Al Bateen, expatriate and Emirati alike, often shortlist schools from a phone before booking a tour. The signals below are the ones admissions teams tend to feel first.
| Signal | What families experience | What the redesign fixes |
|---|---|---|
| Admissions steps spread over 5 or 6 pages | They call to ask what to do next | One admissions page with steps, documents list and key dates |
| Fee information in an old PDF | Doubt about current fees | A fees page kept current with the school's published fee information |
| Arabic version incomplete | Arabic-speaking parents switch to another school's site | Full Arabic RTL version within Premium, scope set in the quote |
| Curriculum described vaguely | Parents cannot compare | Curriculum page stating only what the school actually holds |
| Enquiry form asks for reports or medical details | Sensitive data in an open inbox | Minimum fields: parent name, contact, year group, intended start |
| Mobile pages over 5 seconds | Parents leave before the tour form | Compressed images, lazy loading, lighter pages |
ADEK regulates private schools in Abu Dhabi, so any statement about inspection outcomes, accreditation or curriculum must match what the school holds and can document. Never publish results, rankings, university destinations or pupil numbers unless the school supplies and verifies them.
What does a redesign cost in Abu Dhabi in 2026?
Ranges are 2026 ballpark figures from typical agency quotes and public rate pages, converted approximately at 1 AED to about 0.27 USD.
| Option | AED ballpark | USD approx. | Arabic | Admissions portal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance designer | 6,000 to 18,000 | 1,600 to 4,900 | Often machine-translated | Link only |
| Mid-size Abu Dhabi agency | 25,000 to 50,000 | 6,800 to 13,600 | Included | Integration billed apart |
| Education-specialist agency | 50,000 to 90,000 | 13,600 to 24,500 | Included | Often their own platform |
| Kolonell Starter | n/a | 2,900 | One language | Link to existing portal |
| Kolonell Growth | n/a | 4,900 | One language | Link to existing portal |
| Kolonell Premium | n/a | 8,900 | Multilingual tier, languages and RTL scope set in the quote | Link or embed; integration on quote |
Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. A native Arabic reviewer and a school photographer are third-party costs. Details on the international offer page.
When should the new site go live?
The calendar is the school's biggest lever. Admissions teams know their own peak, typically around open days, re-enrolment and the months before a new academic year. Pick a window they confirm as quiet.
| Phase | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Content gathering: texts, photos with parental consent, fee data | 2 to 4 weeks, school side | Pupil photos only with documented consent |
| URL inventory and structure | Days 1 to 3 | Every admissions and fee URL mapped |
| Design and templates | Week 1 | Approved by head and admissions lead |
| Build and content migration | Weeks 2 to 3 | News archive trimmed to what is still useful |
| Arabic RTL and review (Premium) | Weeks 3 to 4 | Native reviewer appointed by the school |
| Go-live and monitoring | Week 4, then 6 weeks | Search Console and enquiry form tests |
Which risks should the school plan for?
- Lost search traffic on admissions pages. These pages often rank for "school fees Abu Dhabi" style queries. URL inventory, 301 redirects and 6 weeks of Search Console checks.
- Children's data. No health, special needs or report data in open forms; documents go through the admissions portal or a secure channel on quote. Update the privacy notice in line with the UAE personal data protection law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) and any ADEK requirements. This is not legal advice.
- Unverified claims. Every curriculum, accreditation or inspection mention is checked against documents before go-live.
- Broken integrations. Links to the admissions portal, payment page and parent apps tested on staging.
- Downtime. DNS switch on a quiet weekday with a lowered TTL, usually under an hour.
On quote, outside the fixed grid: admissions portal, online fee payment, school management system integration, parent portal, CRM and custom applications, plus ongoing search work.
Questions to ask: who handles parental consent records for photos, how Arabic is written and reviewed, and which fields the form stores where. A local agency is the better choice if you want an education-specialist platform with its own admissions module, on-site filming on campus, or a retainer with staff in Abu Dhabi.
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Mini case study
*Illustrative example.* Marcus leads admissions at Al Reem Crescent School, a fictional private school in Abu Dhabi. The current site has 60 pages, an incomplete Arabic version and an enquiry form with 14 fields.
- Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, English and Arabic set in the quote): USD 8,900
- Native Arabic reviewer (third-party cost): about AED 3,000, roughly USD 820
- School photographer, one day on campus with consent forms (third-party cost): about AED 4,000, roughly USD 1,090
- Hosting and maintenance, months 4 to 36: USD 60 x 33 = USD 1,980 (market assumption; Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months on quote)
- Three-year total: 8,900 + 820 + 1,090 + 1,980 = USD 12,790
The form drops from 14 fields to 5, and launch is set for a quiet window the admissions team chose. Request a free quote to scope the same plan.
FAQ
How much does a school website redesign cost in Abu Dhabi?
Typical local quotes run from about AED 25,000 to 90,000, or USD 6,800 to 24,500. Kolonell Growth is USD 4,900 and Premium USD 8,900.
Can the admissions portal be rebuilt in the new site?
It is linked or embedded within the fixed grid; a full integration is on quote. Most schools keep their existing portal and save 4 to 8 weeks.
What should the enquiry form collect?
Around 5 fields: parent name, contact, child's year group, intended start date and a message. Reports and medical data never go through an open form.
Is Arabic included?
Arabic sits in Premium at USD 8,900, the multilingual tier, with RTL scope set in the quote. Native review adds about 1 week.
When is the best time to launch?
Outside your admissions peak, in a window the admissions team confirms. Plan 6 weeks of monitoring after launch.
Let's scope your project. Send your page count, languages and preferred launch window, and we will return a fixed-price scope on the USD 2,900 to 8,900 grid. 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.
