The verdict in three sentences
A wealth management firm or family office in Dubai should write its website requirements before talking to agencies, because the regulatory frame changes the scope: a DIFC entity and an onshore firm do not publish the same disclosures. In 2026, briefs that leave regulator, languages and portal unstated bring Dubai quotes anywhere from USD 8,000 to 60,000 (about AED 29,000 to 220,000, ballpark from typical agency quotes); a precise brief tightens that to roughly USD 14,000 to 32,000. The checklist below, a 100-point grid to compare three quotes and the Kolonell fixed grid (USD 2,900, 4,900 or 8,900) give you a comparable basis.
Which sections belong in the checklist?
| Checklist section | What to write | Example for a DIFC family office |
|---|---|---|
| Goals and audiences | who visits and what they must do | principals, family members, introducers, candidates, existing clients seeking the portal |
| Pages and templates | page list, then the template count | 10 pages on 5 templates: home, philosophy, services, governance, team, insights, careers, contact, legal, disclosures |
| Regulatory pages | which disclosures and who drafts them | regulatory status, regulator name and reference as applicable, complaints, privacy, cookies, disclaimers |
| Content ownership | writer, approver, compliance sign-off | partner drafts, compliance officer signs each page, 2 review rounds |
| Languages | primary language, translation source, RTL scope | English primary; Arabic RTL version on quote, translated by a licensed translator |
| Integrations | one line each | portal login link, CRM form routing, meeting booking, newsletter, no market data feed |
| Accessibility | target and evidence | WCAG 2.2 AA, test report on 5 templates |
| Data protection | law, fields, hosting region | minimum form fields, consent for analytics, hosting region stated |
| Ownership | accounts in the firm's name | domain, hosting, analytics, Search Console |
| Migration | inventory and redirects if a site exists | all URLs listed, 301 map, Search Console monitoring |
| Acceptance criteria | how you sign the delivery | zero critical accessibility errors, forms tested, redirects verified, compliance file complete |
| Timeline and budget | launch month and bracket | launch in 8 weeks, bracket USD 8,000 to 15,000 |
Regulatory frame, stated generally. Firms in the DIFC are supervised by the DFSA; onshore, the SCA or the CBUAE may be relevant depending on the activity. Data protection follows the DIFC Data Protection Law for DIFC entities and the UAE federal personal data protection law (Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021) onshore. Say which one applies in the brief; the agency should not guess. This is not legal advice.
Wealth content rules for the brief. No performance figures, no AUM, no client counts, no awards and no testimonials on the site. The portal stays with its provider; any portal build is on quote.
What does an agency have to guess from a vague brief?
| Question left open | Agency assumption | Quote swing (2026 ballpark) |
|---|---|---|
| DIFC or onshore? | both disclosure sets | USD 1,000 to 3,000 of extra content work |
| Arabic? | full Arabic RTL mirror | USD 4,000 to 12,000 |
| Client login? | custom portal | USD 15,000 or more |
| Who writes? | agency copywriting for all pages | USD 2,000 to 6,000 |
| Existing site? | full migration with unknown URL count | USD 800 to 3,000 |
| Accessibility? | not tested, or a full audit | USD 0 to 4,000 |
Each open question is either padded or left out, which is why vague briefs give quotes that cannot be compared.
How do you score three quotes on 100 points?
| Criterion | Max | Quote X | Quote Y | Quote Z |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage of the checklist | 25 | 20 | 18 | 23 |
| Compliance review workflow | 20 | 14 | 17 | 10 |
| Arabic RTL approach | 15 | 9 | 12 | 6 |
| Data protection and hosting | 15 | 12 | 11 | 13 |
| Price against your bracket | 15 | 12 | 9 | 14 |
| Timeline and support | 10 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| Total | 100 | 74 | 75 | 72 |
Quote Z is the cheapest and covers the most pages, yet it ranks last because its compliance workflow and RTL plan are weak. For a regulated firm, those two criteria carry 35 of the 100 points for a reason.
How does the Kolonell grid map to the checklist?
Kolonell publishes a fixed grid: Starter USD 2,900, Growth USD 4,900, Premium USD 8,900, each with a project manager reachable in the Gulf time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready and 3 months of support. An English and Arabic site sits in Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote), with the RTL scope set in the quote and Arabic text from a licensed translator, a third-party cost. Portal builds, CRM integrations beyond form routing and search work beyond the migration are on quote, as is maintenance after the 3 included months. Domain, hosting and analytics are set up in the firm's name. The full offer is on the international offer page.
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Illustrative example: Qasr Noor Family Office, a fictional single-family office in the DIFC, wants a 10-page English site with an Arabic RTL version, a portal login link and no performance content.
- Kolonell Premium: USD 8,900, with the RTL scope set in the quote
- Licensed Arabic translator (third-party cost, market assumption): about 3,500 words at AED 0.40 to 0.60 per word, so AED 1,400 to 2,100, roughly USD 380 to 570
- Total before the RTL line: USD 9,280 to 9,470, against a precise-brief local range of USD 14,000 to 32,000
- Internal time: about 10 hours of partner and compliance review
The brief answered all six open questions above, so every quote the office received covered the same scope.
FAQ
Do we need a different checklist for DIFC and onshore firms?
The structure stays the same, but the regulatory pages and data protection section differ. State the regime in line 1 of the brief so agencies price the right 3 to 5 disclosure pages.
Is Arabic mandatory?
Not for every firm, but many Dubai family offices add it for family members and local introducers. An Arabic RTL version often adds USD 4,000 to 12,000 locally; at Kolonell it sits in Premium with the RTL scope set in the quote.
Can the site show our track record?
The checklist should list zero performance pages. Any later addition goes through compliance with the disclosures your regulator expects.
How long does delivery take once the checklist is signed?
Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. Allow 2 to 3 extra weeks if the Arabic translation and compliance review run in sequence.
What does Growth at USD 4,900 cover?
Growth suits a single-language site with a fuller page set and an insights section. A second language moves the project to Premium at USD 8,900.
Let's scope your project. Send us your checklist and regulatory frame, and we will return a fixed scope, a price on the USD grid and a 3 to 4 week plan. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.
