The verdict in three sentences
In Riyadh, chief executives, boards and fund operating partners now compare far more boutique strategy consultancies than five years ago, and the website is the first filter before any meeting. An Arabic and English redesign often costs $10,700 to $40,000 with a local agency (2026 ballpark), while Kolonell's fixed grid sits at $2,900, $4,900 or $8,900, with Premium as the multilingual tier. The main risk lies less in design than in the quality of the Arabic, right-to-left layout and PDPL-compliant forms.
Five signs your site no longer matches the firm you have become
Vision 2030 programmes have drawn many international and regional advisory firms to Riyadh. An executive committee weighing three boutiques looks at the partners, sector depth, published viewpoints and discretion. The site has to show all of that without exposing a single client.
| Symptom | Why a Riyadh executive notices | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| English-only site | Boards read Arabic first | High |
| Machine-translated Arabic version | One error of register is enough to undermine senior partners | High |
| Vague or missing case studies | Sector depth cannot be judged | Medium |
| Partners without detailed bios | Buyers hire people, not a logo | High |
| No publication for over a year | Thought leadership looks dormant | Medium |
| Form with no privacy notice | Doubts about seriousness under the PDPL | Medium |
Case studies must stay anonymised and real: a sector, a decision, a type of outcome described without unapproved figures.
Budget: what Riyadh quotes look like in 2026
The Saudi riyal is pegged to the dollar at about SAR 3.75 to $1, which keeps conversions simple (approximate below).
| Provider type | Arabic and English included? | 2026 ballpark | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh freelancer | Often one language only | SAR 15,000 to 50,000, roughly $4,000 to $13,300 | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Local agency | Yes, variable quality | SAR 40,000 to 150,000, roughly $10,700 to $40,000 | 2 to 4 months |
| International brand agency with a Riyadh office | Yes | $60,000 to $200,000 | 4 to 8 months |
| Kolonell Starter | Per quote | $2,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Growth | Per quote | $4,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Premium (multilingual tier, RTL scope set in the quote) | Languages set in the quote | $8,900 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Maintenance after the 3 included months | Not applicable | Market assumption: SAR 1,500 to 6,000 per month at local agencies | Kolonell: on quote |
Every tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting (Arabic belongs to the multilingual tier and is scoped in the quote), delivery in 3 to 4 weeks (Premium 4 to 6) and 3 months of support. Client areas, data rooms and CRM integrations are on quote. See the international offer.
Redesign risk register
| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss of search rankings | Medium | URL inventory, page-to-page 301 map, Google Search Console monitoring for 4 to 8 weeks | Provider |
| Poor-quality Arabic | High without review | Review by an Arabic-speaking partner before go-live | Firm |
| Broken RTL layout | Medium | Templates tested in Arabic from the mockup stage, not at the end | Provider |
| Forms not aligned with the PDPL | Medium | Minimal collection, privacy notice, lawful basis confirmed internally | Firm |
| Unapproved case studies | Low but serious | Written client consent or full anonymisation | Responsible partner |
| Client area or data room scoped too late | Medium | Priced on quote before mockups | Both |
| Outage during cutover | Low | DNS switch at a quiet hour, rollback ready | Provider |
The Saudi Personal Data Protection Law has been enforced by SDAIA since September 2023. It touches your forms, newsletters and any client area. This is not legal advice: have your notices validated by your own counsel.
Timeline and questions to ask
Once content is ready, Kolonell works to this rhythm: week 1 for discovery and URL inventory, weeks 1 and 2 for English and Arabic mockups, weeks 2 and 3 for build and migration, week 3 for internal review, week 4 for QA and go-live. On Premium, allow 4 to 6 weeks, with the Arabic review often on the critical path.
Questions to ask any provider: who writes and who reviews the Arabic? Are RTL templates tested from the mockup stage? How is the 301 map checked? Where is the site hosted and who owns the code? What does an extra page cost after launch?
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When a Riyadh agency is the better choice
If you target public mandates whose procurement rules require a locally registered vendor, if your committee wants weekly in-person workshops in Arabic, or if the redesign includes a new name and a full identity, a local agency or a brand agency based in Riyadh is justified. For a clear, bilingual firm site delivered quickly, a remote fixed grid is often enough.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Najd Advisory, 12 consultants in the King Abdullah Financial District, English-only site. A local agency quotes SAR 120,000, roughly $32,000, over 3 months. With Kolonell Premium at $8,900 (Arabic and English set in the quote), the gap is $32,000 minus $8,900, roughly $23,100. The firm then spends 2 days of Arabic review by one partner, about 16 hours, for a launch in 5 weeks.
FAQ
Is Arabic essential for a consultancy in Riyadh?
For boards and public entities, a well-crafted Arabic version is expected. Starting with 10 to 15 key pages in Arabic is a common compromise.
How long does the redesign take?
Allow 3 to 4 weeks on Starter or Growth and 4 to 6 weeks on Premium once content is ready. The Arabic review often adds 1 week.
Can we show our clients on the site?
Only with their written consent, and bearing in mind the discretion expected in the sector. Most boutiques publish 3 to 5 anonymised case studies.
What happens to our search visibility?
A dip of a few weeks is common; with a complete 301 map, traffic usually returns within 1 to 3 months. No serious provider promises a ranking.
What does maintenance cost afterwards?
At Kolonell it is on quote after the 3 included months. As a market assumption, Riyadh agencies charge SAR 1,500 to 6,000 per month.
Let's scope your project. An Arabic and English site on Premium at $8,900, or an English site on Growth at $4,900, delivered in 3 to 6 weeks. 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.
