The verdict in three sentences
A trilingual English, French and Arabic website for a freight forwarder in Dubai costs 1,830 to 3,050 EUR with Kolonell in 2026 (1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA, roughly 2,000 to 3,400 USD), against 10,000 to 25,000 USD at a typical Dubai agency. The line that breaks budgets is rarely design: it is the Arabic RTL layout (15 to 25% extra) and professional translation of the service pages. Plan 5 to 7 weeks and a freight quote form built for each language, or the site will remain a brochure.
What a forwarder's trilingual site really contains
A Spanish shipper, an Emirati importer and a Senegalese manufacturer do not look for the same information. The site needs the same structure in all three languages, with dedicated pages per transport mode and a short quote journey. Hreflang tags tell Google which version to serve in which country, so the Arabic page does not compete with the English one in search results.
| Functional block | EN | FR | AR (RTL) | Budget impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service pages (sea, air, road, customs clearance) | 6 to 8 pages | 6 to 8 pages | 6 to 8 pages | Base package |
| Freight quote form (origin, destination, Incoterm, weight, volume) | Yes | Yes | Yes, mirrored fields | +5 to 8% |
| Shipment tracking (carrier link or file number) | Yes | Yes | Yes | +8 to 12% if connected to the TMS |
| Hreflang tags and sitemap per language | en-AE | fr | ar-AE | Included |
| RTL layout (menus, tables, mirrored icons) | No | No | Yes | +15 to 25% |
| Port and corridor pages (Jebel Ali, Dakar, Casablanca) | Yes | Yes | Yes | +3 to 5% |
Shipment tracking needs a clear decision. A link to the carrier's portal costs almost nothing. A connection to the forwarder's transport management system (TMS) is a custom application, which Kolonell prices from 3,810 EUR (2,500,000 FCFA) depending on complexity.
What each option costs in 2026
The amounts below are 2026 orders of magnitude. Kolonell prices follow our 11/10/2026 grid; the other lines reflect the observed Dubai market.
| Item | Low range | High range | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Growth site (trilingual, quote form, blog) | 1,830 EUR (1,200,000 FCFA) | 3,050 EUR (2,000,000 FCFA) | About 2,000 to 3,400 USD |
| Kolonell Premium site (connected tracking, animations, advanced SEO) | 3,050 EUR (2,000,000 FCFA) | 5,340 EUR (3,500,000 FCFA) | For multi-branch forwarders |
| Typical Dubai agency | 10,000 USD | 25,000 USD | Translation often billed separately |
| Professional translation EN to FR and AR | 0.08 USD per word | 0.13 USD per word | 12,000 words per language: 960 to 1,560 USD |
| Arabic RTL premium | 15% | 25% | Depends on number of templates |
| Kolonell maintenance | 50 EUR per month | 180 EUR per month | Basic, Standard or Premium |
| Kolonell monthly SEO | 150 EUR per month | 530 EUR per month | Essential, Growth, Premium plans |
One point often missed: raw machine translation of technical Arabic (Incoterms, customs terms) produces errors a Gulf reader spots immediately. Human proofreading of the service pages is the minimum for a forwarder targeting Emirati or Saudi clients.
Typical 5 to 7 week schedule
| Week | Deliverable | Client sign-off |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trilingual sitemap, hreflang plan, list of Incoterms handled | Sales director |
| 2 | EN mockups and Arabic RTL version | Management + Arabic-speaking reviewer |
| 3 to 4 | Build, quote form, port pages | Operations team |
| 5 | Translations integrated, AR and FR proofreading | Translator and export sales |
| 6 | Mobile tests, 3G and 4G speed, Search Console per language | Kolonell |
| 7 | Go-live, tracking of first requests | Management |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Rahul, sales director of a 25-person freight forwarder in Dubai, receives requests by phone and email with no record of where they come from. He picks a trilingual Growth site at 2,740 EUR (1,800,000 FCFA, about 3,000 USD) plus 1,200 USD of translation, roughly 4,200 USD in total. If his average gross margin per consolidated shipment to West Africa is 700 USD, he needs about 6 extra shipments to pay back the project. At 2 shipments a month generated by the quote form, the investment is covered in about 3 months. This is a working assumption, to be checked against his own conversion rates.
FAQ
Do I really need an Arabic version if my clients speak English?
Many Emirati decision makers are fine in English, but Arabic reassures family-owned importers and public bodies. An Arabic version limited to the 6 to 8 key pages costs 15 to 25% more and sets you apart from most forwarders.
How long until I rank on Google in all three languages?
Allow 3 to 6 months for niche queries such as "freight forwarder Dubai to Dakar". Hreflang tags and one sitemap per language are essential for each version to rank in its market.
Can I connect shipment tracking to my transport software?
Yes, through your TMS API if it exists. That work goes beyond the website and is a custom application, which Kolonell prices between 3,810 and 6,100 EUR (2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA) for a simple project.
Is translation included in the website price?
Not by default: it costs 0.08 to 0.13 USD per word depending on the translator. For 12,000 words per language, plan 960 to 1,560 USD, or supply your own approved texts.
What budget should I plan after launch?
Kolonell maintenance ranges from 50 to 180 EUR per month (35,000 to 120,000 FCFA), and SEO from 150 to 530 EUR per month depending on the plan. A forwarder targeting three markets usually starts with Standard maintenance at 110 EUR.
Let's scope your project. Send us your target languages, transport modes and indicative budget through the free quote form for a trilingual estimate with a firm timeline. 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.
