The verdict in three sentences
An industrial group in Dubai with 4 subsidiaries should budget USD 25,000 to 55,000 for a corporate website in English, Arabic and a third language such as French. The 15 to 25% RTL premium is unavoidable if Arabic is done properly, with a mirrored layout and suitable typography. The real risk is not technical: it is a misconfigured hreflang across 120 URLs, which shows the wrong language in Google and dilutes your visibility.
A detailed budget for a trilingual site in the UAE
An industrial group's website serves investors, international buyers, candidates and government bodies. Each audience reads in a different language, which multiplies content to produce and approve.
| Item | 2026 range | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and sitemap, group + 4 subsidiaries | USD 2,000 to 4,000 | 40 pages per language |
| UI design LTR + RTL version | USD 5,000 to 9,000 | mirrored designs approved in Arabic |
| Development + multilingual CMS | USD 10,000 to 22,000 | 3 locales and subsidiary management |
| RTL adaptation (logical CSS, icons, charts) | 15 to 25% of development | USD 1,500 to 5,500 |
| Translation EN to AR and FR | USD 0.12 to 0.20 per word | about 32,000 words, USD 4,000 to 6,500 |
| International SEO (hreflang, sitemaps) | USD 1,200 to 2,500 | 120 interlinked URLs |
| Trilingual QA and launch | USD 1,000 to 2,000 | testing on Arabic mobile setups |
The total lands between USD 25,000 and 55,000 depending on subsidiary content depth and integrations (supplier portal, careers area). Professional translation alone represents 15 to 20% of the budget: handing it to a machine tool without native review is the leading source of visible errors.
RTL constraints quotes tend to forget
Going Arabic is not just translating text. The whole interface must be mirrored, and some elements must not be.
| Element | Expected behaviour in Arabic | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | full mirror (menu on the right) | grid left in LTR |
| Numbers and dates | Western or Arabic-Indic digits per brand guide | mixing both systems |
| Directional icons | arrows flipped | next arrow pointing against reading flow |
| Logos and photos | not flipped | mirrored logo |
| Financial charts | time axis to decide | unreadable curves |
| Typography | dedicated Arabic font (e.g. Noto Kufi, IBM Plex Arabic) | Latin font with fallback glyphs |
| Forms | right-aligned fields, phone in LTR | phone numbers displayed backwards |
Building with logical CSS properties from day one keeps the premium around 15%. Retrofitting Arabic onto an LTR-only site can cost 30 to 40% of the original development.
Hreflang and a 12-week schedule
With 40 pages in three languages, the site has 120 URLs that must all reference each other, plus an x-default. Every reciprocity error makes Google ignore the signal.
| Weeks | Phase |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | discovery, group and subsidiary sitemap, technical glossary |
| 3 to 5 | EN design, then RTL adaptation |
| 4 to 9 | AR and FR translation in parallel, native review |
| 5 to 10 | development, CMS, hreflang, per-language sitemaps |
| 10 to 12 | trilingual QA, leadership sign-off, launch |
Mini case study
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Omar, CEO of a Dubai industrial group with 4 subsidiaries, plans 40 pages per language and 32,000 words to translate. He receives a USD 38,000 quote including USD 5,100 of translation (USD 0.16 per word) and USD 3,200 of RTL adaptation (20% of USD 16,000 development). His former vendor offered to add Arabic later for USD 6,000 on an existing LTR site: by launching all three languages together he saves about USD 2,800 and 5 weeks. The group now answers regional tenders with a credible Arabic site.
FAQ
How much does a trilingual English, Arabic and French website cost in Dubai in 2026?
Expect USD 25,000 to 55,000 for an industrial group with subsidiaries. Price depends mostly on pages per language and translation volume.
Why does Arabic cost more than English?
Right-to-left script requires a mirrored layout, dedicated typography and specific testing. That premium represents 15 to 25% of development.
What does professional translation cost in the UAE?
Between USD 0.12 and 0.20 per word for an industry specialist, review included. A 40-page site often holds 30,000 to 35,000 words to translate.
What is hreflang and why is it critical?
It is the tag that tells Google which language version to show each user. Across 120 URLs, a single reciprocity error can make Google ignore the signal for the affected page.
Can we launch in English and add Arabic later?
Yes, but if the site is not built with logical CSS, adding Arabic will cost 30 to 40% of the original development. Plan the RTL architecture from version one.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of subsidiaries, pages per language and content volume, and we will price a trilingual site delivered in 12 weeks. 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.
