The verdict in three sentences
A trilingual corporate website in English, Arabic and French for an industrial group with offices in Dubai and North Africa costs MAD 180,000 to 420,000 excl. VAT (about USD 19,500 to 45,500) when built by a Casablanca team, depending on pages and subsidiaries. Arabic is not just translated: the RTL layout adds 15 to 25 % to development, and professional translation costs MAD 0.9 to 1.4 per word (USD 0.10 to 0.15). Plan for 12 to 16 weeks, with hreflang, one sitemap per language and hosting behind a CDN with European and Gulf points of presence.
What drives the budget
Three factors weigh more than design: the number of subsidiaries that each have their own pages, the volume of words to translate, and how demanding you are on Arabic (simple RTL mirror, or adapted typography and imagery).
| Configuration | Pages per language | Budget excl. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-business group | 20 to 30 | MAD 180,000 to 240,000 (USD 19,500 to 26,000) | 12 weeks |
| Group with 3 subsidiaries | 40 to 60 | MAD 240,000 to 320,000 (USD 26,000 to 34,800) | 13 to 14 weeks |
| Group with 5 to 8 subsidiaries and investor area | 70 to 110 | MAD 320,000 to 420,000 (USD 34,800 to 45,500) | 15 to 16 weeks |
| Interactive annual report option | 1 microsite | + MAD 60,000 to 110,000 | + 4 weeks |
| Trilingual maintenance | Ongoing | MAD 4,000 to 9,000/month (USD 435 to 980) | Ongoing |
Translation is budgeted separately. A 60 page site often holds 30,000 to 45,000 words in the source language, to be translated twice. For comparison, a Dubai agency typically quotes AED 150,000 to 400,000 (USD 41,000 to 109,000) for the same scope.
The real cost of Arabic and RTL
A good RTL layout mirrors the grid, navigation, directional icons, carousels and charts. Numbers, brand names and technical references stay in Latin script inside Arabic text, which requires line-by-line testing.
| Item | 2026 extra cost or cost | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| RTL adaptation of the design system | 15 to 25 % of development | Mirrored grid, icons, forms |
| Arabic typeface | MAD 3,000 to 12,000 in licences | Readable at 14 px on mobile |
| Translation FR to EN | MAD 0.9 to 1.2 per word | Industry-specialised translator |
| Translation FR to AR | MAD 1.1 to 1.4 per word | Modern Standard Arabic, internal review |
| Native speaker proofreading | MAD 250 to 400 per hour | 1 h per 2,500 words |
| Cross-browser RTL testing | MAD 8,000 to 15,000 | iOS Safari, Chrome Android, Edge |
Avoid unreviewed machine translation for Arabic: industrial technical terms are often mistranslated, and a badly translated financial release exposes the group to regulators and investors.
Trilingual SEO and infrastructure
Each language needs its own URL (/fr/, /en/, /ar/), reciprocal hreflang tags, its own sitemap and structured data. Hosting matters too: a CDN with European and Gulf points of presence serves Casablanca and Dubai in 20 to 40 ms, and keeps form data compliant with Morocco's law 09-08 and the UAE's PDPL when encrypted.
| Technical element | Requirement | Impact if missing |
|---|---|---|
| URL per language | /fr/, /en/, /ar/ | Pages competing with each other |
| Reciprocal hreflang | 3 languages + x-default | Wrong version shown in Google |
| Sitemap per language | 3 declared files | Slow indexing of Arabic |
| dir="rtl" attribute | On the Arabic html tag | Broken display |
| CDN with regional PoPs | Under 50 ms from Morocco and the UAE | LCP above 3 s |
Mini case study
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Karim, communications director of an agri-food group with headquarters in Casablanca, a Dubai office and 4 subsidiaries, plans 55 pages per language and 38,000 source words. Development: MAD 290,000, including the 20 % RTL surcharge. Translation: 38,000 × MAD 1.0 into English + 38,000 × MAD 1.25 into Arabic = MAD 85,500. Native proofreading: 15 h × 300 = MAD 4,500. Project total: MAD 380,000 (about USD 41,300), roughly MAD 6,900 per page per language. With MAD 6,000 per month of maintenance, the three year cost reaches MAD 596,000.
FAQ
How much does a trilingual corporate website cost?
MAD 180,000 to 420,000 (USD 19,500 to 45,500) excluding translation with a Casablanca team. Translation adds on average 20 to 30 % to the development budget.
Why does Arabic cost more?
RTL layout means 15 to 25 % more development, and translation into Arabic costs MAD 1.1 to 1.4 per word versus MAD 0.9 to 1.2 into English.
How long should we plan?
12 to 16 weeks. Arabic translation and proofreading take 3 to 4 weeks and should start as soon as source texts are approved.
Can we launch in two languages and add Arabic later?
Yes, if the design system is RTL-ready from the start. Adding Arabic afterwards to a design that did not plan for it costs up to 40 % more.
Where should the site be hosted?
On a CDN with European and Gulf presence, for MAD 800 to 2,500 per month. Form data must comply with Morocco's law 09-08 and the UAE PDPL.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of subsidiaries, pages and words to translate, and we will price your trilingual site between MAD 180,000 and 420,000 with a 12 to 16 week 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.
