The verdict in three sentences
For a group headquartered in Dubai (real estate, distribution or services), a corporate website in English, Arabic and French with RTL support costs USD 18,000 to 45,000 excl. VAT (about AED 66,000 to 165,000) in 2026 and ships in 10 to 16 weeks. Professional translation runs USD 0.12 to 0.18 per word, often 15 to 25% of the total budget for a 40,000 to 60,000 word site. The decisive choice is editorial, not technical: human translation, reviewed AI or market-specific content, each with a very different annual update cost.
What a trilingual site with Arabic RTL costs
Arabic requires a mirrored layout (navigation, directional icons, tables, forms), suitable typography and dedicated testing. It is more than a translation file. The ranges below are 2026 orders of magnitude.
| Item | Standard version | Group version | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping, sitemap, content strategy | USD 2,000 | USD 4,500 | Workshops with management and subsidiaries |
| UI design in LTR and RTL | USD 4,000 | USD 9,500 | 15 to 35 templates, Arabic mirror tested |
| Development and multilingual CMS | USD 6,000 | USD 16,000 | Approval workflow per language |
| Arabic typography and RTL integration | USD 1,500 | USD 3,500 | Arabic web fonts, numerals, alignment |
| Hreflang, sitemaps and SEO in 3 languages | USD 1,200 | USD 3,000 | hreflang en-AE, ar-AE, fr |
| Testing and accessibility | USD 1,300 | USD 3,500 | Browsers, mobile, screen readers |
| Training and documentation | USD 2,000 | USD 5,000 | Group and subsidiary comms teams |
| Total excluding translation | USD 18,000 | USD 45,000 | 2026 order of magnitude |
The most often forgotten item is Arabic typography: a poorly chosen font makes headings unreadable on mobile and breaks the group's premium image. Require full Arabic mockups, not a simple flip of the English ones.
Human translation, reviewed AI or dedicated content
For a 50,000 word source site to be produced in two more languages, that is 100,000 words, the three approaches give very different budgets and quality levels.
| Approach | Cost per word | Initial cost (100,000 words) | Annual update (20%) | Quality and use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional human translation | USD 0.12 to 0.18 | USD 12,000 to 18,000 | USD 2,400 to 3,600 | Recommended for corporate and legal pages |
| AI reviewed by a native translator | USD 0.05 to 0.08 | USD 5,000 to 8,000 | USD 1,000 to 1,600 | Fine for news and listings |
| Market-specific content | USD 0.25 to 0.40 | USD 25,000 to 40,000 | USD 5,000 to 8,000 | Key pages for GCC or European investors |
| Raw AI, no review | USD 0.005 | USD 500 | USD 100 | Not advised: tone and terminology errors |
| Recommended mix (60% reviewed AI, 40% human) | USD 0.08 to 0.12 | USD 8,000 to 12,000 | USD 1,600 to 2,400 | Good balance for a group |
The most profitable mix keeps human translation for high-stakes pages (group profile, governance, financial releases, legal notices compliant with the UAE PDPL) and handles news and product pages with reviewed AI.
Method: the 5 steps that prevent overruns
A trilingual project slips when languages are handled one after another. The right method: a glossary approved in week 2 (200 to 400 business terms), Arabic mockups in parallel with English ones, a CMS that flags untranslated pages, hreflang tags tested before launch, and one editorial owner per language. This framework cuts approval loops by 30 to 40% on comparable projects.
Mini case study
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Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Karim, communications director of a Dubai real estate group also active in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, must launch an English, Arabic and French site with 25 templates and 45,000 words. Development chosen: USD 31,000. For translating 90,000 words, the all-human option would cost USD 13,500, the 60/40 mix about USD 9,000. Karim chooses the mix and saves USD 4,500 in year one, then about USD 900 a year on updates. Total year-one budget: USD 40,000, delivered in 14 weeks, with Arabic traffic reaching 22% of visits after 6 months.
FAQ
How much does a trilingual corporate website cost in Dubai in 2026?
USD 18,000 to 45,000 excl. VAT before translation, depending on template count and subsidiaries. Including translation, a median project lands between USD 30,000 and 42,000.
What does professional Arabic translation cost?
USD 0.12 to 0.18 per word for professional human translation. AI reviewed by a native translator drops to USD 0.05 to 0.08 per word.
Why does RTL increase the budget?
Because the entire interface must be mirrored and tested: navigation, forms, tables, carousels. This work represents USD 1,500 to 3,500 and 1 to 2 extra weeks.
What timeline for a trilingual site?
10 to 16 weeks depending on content volume. Translation and team approval often take 3 to 5 weeks of the schedule.
How do we handle SEO across three languages?
With correct hreflang tags on every page, one sitemap per language and dedicated URLs. A hreflang error can show the English version to an Arabic speaker in 20 to 40% of cases.
Let's scope your project. Share your sitemap and content volume per language: we price development, translation and the trilingual schedule. 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.
