The verdict in three sentences
Migrating a B2B or institutional Berlin site to a bilingual DE/AR setup is as much a design job (RTL) as an SEO job (hreflang). A realistic 2026 budget runs from 52,000 to 105,000 MAD (approx. 4,900-9,800 EUR), including a specific RTL line of 12,000 to 25,000 MAD. Done well, it opens +35 % Arabic-speaking audience and strengthens local credibility.
The technical challenges of RTL
Moving to Arabic is not just translating: the whole layout flips. Here are the technical items that separate clean RTL from a hack.
| RTL challenge | 2026 best practice | Indicative cost (MAD) |
|---|---|---|
| LTR/RTL switch | Logical CSS (dir=rtl, start/end) | 5,000 - 10,000 |
| Arabic fonts | Readable web font + fallback | 2,000 - 4,000 |
| Mixed AR/Latin content | Bidi handling (numbers, acronyms) | 2,000 - 5,000 |
| UI components (menus, forms) | Full mirroring | 3,000 - 6,000 |
| Total RTL dev | — | 12,000 - 25,000 |
Using logical CSS (start/end properties instead of left/right) avoids duplicating stylesheets and makes maintenance across both languages reliable.
hreflang and SEO impact
hreflang tells Google which version to serve to which user. Done wrong, it causes cannibalisation and traffic loss; done right, it captures the Arabic-speaking audience.
| SEO element | Recommended configuration | Expected effect |
|---|---|---|
| hreflang tags | de, ar, x-default with return | Precise per-language targeting |
| URLs | /de/ and /ar/ subdirectories | Shared authority |
| Sitemap | Linked DE + AR entries | Full indexing |
| AR content | Native, not literal | +35 % Arabic audience |
| Monitoring | Search Console DE/AR | Detect hreflang errors |
The migration's SEO budget (audit + hreflang + monitoring) is 8,000 to 18,000 MAD, a line never to be cut without losing the benefit of the translation.
Mini case study
Ms Alaoui, communications director of a Berlin-based institution with Gulf operations, migrates a 45-page DE site to DE/AR. Quote: migration 60,000 MAD, RTL dev 18,000 MAD, translation 16,000 words x 1.8 MAD = 28,800 MAD, acceptance + hreflang 12,000 MAD, i.e. 118,800 MAD, bilingual maintenance 3,500 MAD/month. Traffic before migration: 12,000 visits/month. Target +35 % Arabic-speaking audience, i.e. +4,200 visits/month. At a 2 % contact conversion rate, that generates 84 extra qualified enquiries per month, with no additional ad spend.
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FAQ
Does RTL double the cost of the site?
No: it adds a specific line of 12,000-25,000 MAD, i.e. 15-25 % of the migration budget. The extra cost comes from mirroring the interface and bidi testing, not a full rebuild.
Can I keep the same brand design in Arabic?
Yes, by adapting it: reversed reading direction, a readable Arabic font, adjusted spacing. Logical CSS preserves the visual identity while switching cleanly to RTL.
How long before I see the Arabic-audience gain?
Expect 2 to 4 months after go-live for Google to index and rank the /ar/ pages. Quality native content can lift the Arabic-speaking audience by +35 % over 6 months.
Do I need to translate the whole site into Arabic?
Prioritise the most-visited institutional and service pages. The rest can follow in batches. Professional Arabic translation costs 1.3-2.4 MAD/word depending on content technicality.
What is the overall timeline?
9 to 13 weeks: audit and strategy, development (including RTL), translation and Arabic proofreading, then hreflang acceptance. Native Arabic proofreading is the line not to compress.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the page count, content volume and RTL requirements: we will price migration, Arabic development and hreflang in a 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.
