The verdict in three sentences
For a private school group in Dubai, the website is no longer a showcase but the admissions desk that 70 % of parents open on their phone. A redesign with an online admissions journey, document upload and tour booking costs 30,000 to 60,000 USD for 3 campuses. Timing is the real constraint: the project must start early enough to be live before the peak enrolment window, which for most Dubai schools runs from January to June.
What the admissions journey must cover
A parent enrolling a child in FS2 or Year 10 always follows the same steps: choice of campus and year group, application, upload of school reports and Emirates ID or passport, assessment or interview, tour, offer, payment of the registration fee. On paper, each step triggers a call to the admissions office. Online, the parent sees the status of the file and the admissions team works in batches.
| Journey step | Paper version | Online version | 2026 estimated gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application | Form collected on site | 8-minute mobile form | 1 trip avoided |
| Document upload | Copies dropped at reception | PDF or photo upload | 50 % fewer paper files |
| Campus tour | Phone calls | Bookable slots per campus | 15 to 20 calls a day avoided at peak |
| Entrance assessment | Phone invitation | E-mail and SMS invitation | Fewer no-shows |
| Application tracking | Parents calling back | Status visible online | 30 to 40 % fewer calls |
| Registration fee | Cheque or bank transfer | Online card payment | Faster collection |
Activity peaks over a few months: the site must handle several hundred applications a week without slowing down, and the back office must let each campus filter its own applicants.
Redesign budget in Dubai in 2026
Dubai agencies quote these projects between 20,000 and 80,000 USD. The gap comes from the admissions module: a simple form sent to an inbox is cheap, a real parent portal with statuses, documents and bookings requires development. Many schools also compare a custom build with off-the-shelf admissions software that integrates with their student information system and supports KHDA reporting.
| Item | 2026 range (USD, excl. VAT) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Design and content redesign, 3 campuses | 9,000 to 15,000 | EN, often AR |
| Multi-step admissions form | 6,000 to 12,000 | Fields by year group |
| Secure document upload | 4,000 to 8,000 | Encrypted storage, UAE data law |
| Tour booking per campus | 2,500 to 6,000 | Slots, SMS reminders |
| Admissions back office | 5,000 to 12,000 | Statuses, filters, export to SIS |
| Online fee payment | 2,000 to 4,000 | Local payment gateway |
| Total project | 30,000 to 60,000 | 10 weeks |
| Maintenance and hosting | 700 to 1,400 per month | Extra support during peak season |
Children's data is sensitive: compliance with the UAE personal data protection law, KHDA data requirements and a retention policy for documents (for example deletion 12 months after a rejection) belong in the specification.
Timeline: start from the admissions calendar
With a 10-week project, a kick-off in early October allows go-live in mid-December, then two weeks of testing with admissions staff before the January peak. Starting in January drops delivery right in the middle of the season, which is the worst case: teams have no time to learn the tool.
Mini case study
Laila, chief operating officer of a 3-campus school group in Dubai, receives about 1,400 applications per season for 650 places. Each paper file takes 45 minutes of admin time on average (data entry, follow-ups, filing), i.e. 1,050 hours a year.
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With an online journey at 45,000 USD, time per file drops to 20 minutes, saving 583 hours. At 25 USD per loaded hour, that is about 14,600 USD a year. If the better mobile experience converts just 10 more enrolments, with annual fees of 15,000 USD, the gain reaches 150,000 USD: the project pays for itself in the first season.
FAQ
Do we need a separate site per campus?
No. A single site with one page per campus and a shared form is easier to maintain. Each campus only sees its own files in the back office, which adds 1,500 to 3,000 USD of development.
Should the site be in Arabic?
For a group recruiting widely among Arabic-speaking families, an Arabic version is recommended. Budget 4,000 to 8,000 USD for translation and RTL layout.
Can we collect registration fees online?
Yes, through a local payment gateway connected to the form. Integration costs 2,000 to 4,000 USD, and the card fee is usually around 2 to 3 % per transaction.
How long should we keep rejected applicants' documents?
Data protection rules limit retention to the purpose of collection. Automatic deletion 12 months after the decision is a sound practice.
What if the site slows down at peak?
Plan hosting sized for the peak, with extra maintenance during the season. The extra cost is roughly 400 to 800 USD a month over 4 months.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of campuses, year groups and admissions calendar, and we will price the full journey (30,000 to 60,000 USD) with a 10-week plan aligned with your peak season. 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.
