The verdict in three sentences
An institutional EN/AR website with RTL Arabic in Dubai runs between 65,000 and 200,000 AED in 2026, base and bilingual included. Right-to-left handling and Arabic typography add about 15 % to the budget, because every component must be mirrored and tested. Budget 10 to 16 weeks, compliant accessibility and multi-level editorial governance.
The budget of an EN/AR RTL site
A bilingual Arabic institutional site is not an English site with a language bolted on: RTL forces a redesign of grids, directional icons and typography. Here are the 2026 ballpark figures in dirhams.
| Line item | 2026 range |
|---|---|
| Technical base + bilingual design | 45,000 - 120,000 AED |
| RTL handling + Arabic typography | +15 % of base |
| EN to AR professional translation | 0.40 - 0.70 AED/word |
| Accessibility (audit + fixes) | 9,000 - 28,000 AED |
| Redundant hosting | 900 - 2,800 AED/month |
| Maintenance + editorial governance | 3,300 - 9,000 AED/month |
The RTL premium is non-negotiable for an institution: a poorly mirrored Arabic site (flipped icons, broken alignment) instantly damages public credibility.
Accessibility and governance: the heart of institutional work
An institution carries responsibility: the site must be accessible (WCAG 2.1 AA) and have a validation circuit before publication. Here are the requirements and their cost.
| Requirement | Scope | Cost / timeline 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| WCAG 2.1 AA | Contrast, keyboard, ARIA | 9,000 - 28,000 AED |
| Validation workflow | Writer, approver, publish | included in maintenance |
| Redundant hosting | 99.9 % uptime, backups | 900 - 2,800 AED/month |
| Careful Arabic typography | Fonts, ligatures, diacritics | included in RTL premium |
| 12-month support | Fixes, evolutions | 3,300 - 9,000 AED/month |
| Editor training | Bilingual EN/AR | 5,500 - 13,000 AED |
Editorial governance (who writes, who approves, who publishes) is what separates an institutional site from a brochure site: it protects the institution from erroneous publishing.
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Mini case study
Ms. Al-Rashid, communications director of a public authority in Dubai, oversees a 45-page bilingual EN/AR site to rebuild. Quote: base 105,000 AED + RTL 15 % (15,750 AED) + 20,000-word translation at 0.55 AED = 11,000 AED + accessibility 20,000 AED. Total: 151,750 AED, 14-week timeline. Redundant hosting 2,000 AED/month, maintenance 6,000 AED/month. The site reaches WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and cuts citizen support tickets by 30 %, roughly 40 agent-hours saved per month. The institution secures its credibility while industrialising its content governance.
FAQ
Why does RTL cost more? Every component must be mirrored, tested and validated in Arabic: grids, icons, forms. Budget about a 15 % premium on the base.
Is accessibility mandatory? For a public institution, WCAG 2.1 AA compliance is expected: budget 9,000 to 28,000 AED for the audit and fixes.
How long for an EN/AR institutional site? From 10 to 16 weeks, editorial governance and internal sign-offs often extending the timeline.
What hosting for an institution? Redundant hosting at 900-2,800 AED/month with 99.9 % uptime, automated backups and monitoring.
Who manages content after delivery? Your teams, through a multi-level validation workflow and a bilingual training of 5,500 to 13,000 AED included in the project.
Let's scope your project. Give us your page count, languages and compliance requirements, and we will quote the bilingual base, RTL and governance. 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.
