The verdict in three sentences
A conference and exhibition centre website has one commercial job: turning organisers into qualified enquiries with dates, hall needs and budgets. A vague brief returns quotes from 150,000 to 600,000 AED that cannot be compared; a brief with measurable requirements turns the spread into deliberate trade offs. The biggest cost drivers are hall specification pages, the exhibitor portal and true bilingual Arabic and English delivery.
The ready to fill brief
Copy this table into your document and complete the right hand column. Every requirement must be testable at acceptance.
| Section | Measurable requirement | To be completed by the venue |
|---|---|---|
| Main objective | Qualified organiser enquiries per month | Example: from 60 to 100 |
| Halls and rooms | 12 to 30 spec pages: floor area, ceiling height, floor load, rigging points, capacities by layout | List of spaces and specs |
| Event enquiry flow | 5 steps: event type, dates, attendance, spaces, services; partial saves | Required fields, routing |
| Languages | Arabic (right to left) and English, all hall pages translated by native writers | Translation owner, turnaround |
| Exhibitor portal | Login, manuals, deadlines, service orders | Number of shows per year |
| Event calendar | Filterable public calendar, updated by staff in under 5 minutes | Events per year |
| Virtual tour | 360 tour of main halls, loads in under 4 seconds | Halls to capture |
| Performance | Key pages under 2.5 seconds on 4G mobile | Agreed threshold |
| Personal data | Compliance with UAE Federal Decree Law 45 of 2021 on personal data protection, consent, retention | Retention period |
| Ownership | Code, domain, accounts and content in the venue's name | Clause approved |
Line by line budget
| Item | 2026 market ballpark | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| UX and design, both languages | 40,000 to 120,000 AED | Templates, mirrored right to left layouts |
| Hall specification pages | 20,000 to 70,000 AED | Number of halls, interactive floor plans |
| 5 step enquiry flow | 15,000 to 50,000 AED | Conditional logic, CRM integration |
| Exhibitor portal | 40,000 to 180,000 AED | Logins, service ordering, payments |
| Virtual tour | 15,000 to 60,000 AED | Halls covered, professional capture |
| Event calendar | 8,000 to 30,000 AED | Filters, feeds from organisers |
| Testing, accessibility, launch | 10,000 to 40,000 AED | Accessibility audit, browser testing |
| Total | 150,000 to 600,000 AED | Scope and quality bar |
For a nearshore comparison, Kolonell's prices are: Premium package from 3,050 to 5,340 EUR (2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA) including booking or ecommerce, 110 EUR per extra language and 230 EUR for a client area option. An exhibitor portal of this depth falls under its custom application pricing, from 3,810 EUR for a simple app.
Drafting traps to avoid
Do not ask for a modern, engaging website: ask for load times, field counts and an enquiry completion rate to track. Attach floor plans and one real enquiry example, which narrows the spread between proposals. State your budget ceiling, otherwise every agency prices a different project. Finally, require Arabic copy written by native writers rather than machine translated pages, and specify who signs off each language.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Omar, commercial director of an exhibition centre in Dubai, receives 80 organiser enquiries a month, 35% of them incomplete and needing several follow up calls. His team spends 30 hours a month chasing details. With a 5 step flow and precise hall specs, he targets 110 qualified enquiries a month. With a 12% conversion rate and an average booking worth 95,000 AED, the 30 extra enquiries bring about 3.6 more events a month, or roughly 342,000 AED of monthly revenue. A 420,000 AED project is covered in under two months of added revenue.
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FAQ
What does a conference centre website cost in Dubai in 2026?
The 2026 market ballpark is 150,000 to 600,000 AED depending on halls, exhibitor portal and languages. A bilingual site with 15 halls and a basic portal often lands between 250,000 and 400,000 AED.
Is a virtual tour worth it?
It helps international organisers who cannot visit before booking. Expect 15,000 to 60,000 AED, and limit it to the 4 or 5 most booked halls if budget is tight.
How many steps should the enquiry form have?
Five short steps usually convert better than one long form. Save each step so abandoned enquiries, often 20 to 40% of starts, can be followed up.
How long does delivery take?
Plan 12 to 18 weeks from brief approval to launch. Arabic copywriting and hall photography are often on the critical path.
Which data protection law applies?
Onshore UAE businesses fall under Federal Decree Law 45 of 2021 on personal data protection, while free zones such as DIFC have their own regimes. Confirm your status with counsel before the agency configures consent and retention for the 5 step form.
Let's scope your project. Send us your completed brief, hall list and languages, and we will price every line with a realistic 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.
