The verdict in three sentences
A trading house website is read mostly by trade finance banks, counterparties, NGOs, regulators and candidates, far more than by product buyers. They look for proof of governance and compliance. In Abu Dhabi, a local agency charges roughly 60,000 to 250,000 AED in 2026 for a redesign (about 16,000 to 68,000 USD), while Kolonell's fixed grid is 2,900, 4,900 and 8,900 USD, Premium being the multilingual tier with languages and RTL scope set in the quote. The real risk of a redesign lies elsewhere: losing the search equity of old pages, or publishing a sanctions or ESG page that was never reviewed.
Signs your current site is hurting your credibility
A bank credit team or a counterparty's compliance officer spends a few minutes on your site before a first meeting. What worries them:
- A sanctions or KYC policy that cannot be found, or is several years old.
- An ESG or responsible sourcing report mentioned but not downloadable.
- Listed offices that have closed, or an Abu Dhabi address with no detail (ADGM, city centre, free zone).
- An empty careers page while you are hiring traders and analysts.
- A partial Arabic version, poorly aligned for right-to-left reading.
- No governance page: board, published shareholding, codes of conduct.
Note that a trading house site should never show volumes or counterparties that are not already public and approved.
What budget for the redesign?
Local ranges are 2026 ballpark figures from typical UAE agency quotes, converted approximately at the fixed rate of about 3.67 AED to 1 USD.
| Option | Local range | Approximate equivalent (USD) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE freelancer | 20,000 to 50,000 AED | 5,400 to 13,600 | Copywriting and Arabic rarely included |
| Local agency | 60,000 to 150,000 AED | 16,300 to 40,800 | Custom design, CMS |
| Premium local agency | 150,000 to 250,000 AED and up | 40,800 to 68,000 and up | Brand, interactive report, integrations |
| Kolonell Starter | Fixed price | 2,900 | Compact corporate site |
| Kolonell Growth | Fixed price | 4,900 | Governance, compliance, offices, careers, news |
| Kolonell Premium | Fixed price | 8,900 | Multilingual tier, languages and RTL set in the quote |
| Counterparty portal, HR integration | On quote | On quote | Depends on scope and security |
Every tier includes a project manager reachable in the Gulf time zone, native English or French copywriting, and three months of support. Maintenance after that is on quote. Details are on the international offer page.
Timeline and redesign risks
Kolonell's timeline is 3 to 4 weeks (4 to 6 for Premium) once content is ready. In commodity trading, compliance and legal sign-offs are what stretch the schedule.
| Phase | Indicative duration | Main risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory and scoping | 3 to 5 days | Missing pages that still rank | Full URL inventory, Search Console export |
| Copy and content gathering | 1 to 3 weeks on the client side | Outdated policies | Named owner per page (compliance, HR, ESG) |
| Design and build | 2 to 3 weeks | Poorly laid out Arabic version | RTL mock-ups approved before build |
| Compliance review | 3 to 10 days | Sanctions or ESG page published unreviewed | Written sign-off from the compliance officer |
| Redirects and go-live | 1 to 2 days | Lost traffic and broken links | 301 redirect map, test before switch |
| Post-launch monitoring | 4 to 8 weeks | Indexing errors | Search Console monitoring, fixes |
On personal data, Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 governs data protection in the UAE, while ADGM and DIFC have their own regimes. Your application form and cookies should follow the regime that applies to you based on where you are registered. This is not legal advice.
When a local agency is the better choice
If your project includes a secure counterparty portal, an integration with your HR system or weekly in-person workshops in Abu Dhabi with senior management, an established local agency may fit better. The same goes for an interactive annual report designed from scratch.
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Questions to ask before you sign
- Who handles the Arabic version, and who reviews it internally?
- How do you preserve the search equity of old URLs?
- How do you build compliance sign-off into the schedule?
- Where is the site hosted, and does that suit our data regime?
- Who owns the code, the domain and the content?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Falcon Ridge Commodities (fictional name), a 40-person metals trading house in Abu Dhabi. Local agency quote: 140,000 AED, about 38,100 USD. Kolonell Premium option: 8,900 USD. In both cases, Arabic translation of the compliance policies and ESG report, about 12,000 words at 0.12 USD a word, is an external market assumption paid to a specialist translator: 1,440 USD. Total: 38,100 + 1,440 = 39,540 USD with the agency, against 8,900 + 1,440 = 10,340 USD with Kolonell, maintenance after three months on quote. The gap of about 29,200 USD funds an accessibility audit and an office photo shoot.
FAQ
How long does a full redesign take?
Allow 3 to 4 weeks of production with Kolonell, or 4 to 6 on Premium, once content is ready. Gathering content and compliance sign-off often add 2 to 4 weeks.
Should the sanctions policy be published on the site?
Many trading houses publish a summary of their sanctions and KYC policy, because banks look for it. A 400 to 800 word summary approved by compliance is usually enough.
Will we lose traffic with the redesign?
A temporary dip of a few weeks is possible, but a 301 redirect map covering 100% of old URLs sharply limits the risk. Monitoring Search Console for 4 to 8 weeks allows quick fixes.
Does the Premium tier include Arabic?
Premium is the multilingual tier: languages and RTL layout scope are set in the quote, for 8,900 USD. Specialist translation of long documents often remains an external cost.
Is a secure counterparty portal possible?
Yes, on quote, since scope depends on authentication, shared documents and your security requirements. Plan a separate scoping phase of 1 to 2 weeks.
Let's scope your project. A redesign focused on governance, compliance and careers is delivered in 4 to 6 weeks on the Premium tier once content is approved. 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.
