What shapes a website project in the UAE
Most companies in the Emirates sell to a mix of residents from many countries, citizens and visitors, in a market where competitors invest heavily in their online presence. Five things follow from that.
| Topic | What it means for your site | Decide early |
|---|---|---|
| Two languages | English and Arabic versions that are both complete, each with its own page addresses, titles and descriptions, and linked to each other so that search engines show the right one | Whether all pages or only key pages exist in Arabic at launch |
| Right-to-left design | Arabic pages mirror the layout, use a typeface designed for Arabic and need their own review of line lengths, numerals and mixed English terms | Who approves the Arabic design and copy |
| How people enquire | Visitors expect a WhatsApp button, a tap-to-call number and short forms. Each needs tracking, or you will not know which pages bring business | Which channels you can answer quickly, and during which hours |
| Sector rules | Property listings are expected to show advertising permit details, and healthcare advertising needs approval from the relevant health authority. Other regulated sectors have rules of their own | Whether your sector has advertising rules, confirmed with your adviser |
| Privacy | Forms, analytics and marketing pixels collect personal data, which falls under the data protection regime that applies to your entity | What you collect, your consent approach and where form data is stored |
Enquiry journeys we build for UAE websites
A business website is a set of paths from a search to a conversation. These are the ones that matter most often here.
Search to WhatsApp
The shortest path, and the one most worth measuring.
- Search in English or Arabic
- Land on the service page in that language
- Tap the WhatsApp button
- Message arrives with the page name
- Enquiry recorded in the CRM
Property enquiry
For developers and brokerages.
- Browse projects or listings
- Filter by area, type and price
- Open a listing with its permit details
- Request a viewing or a call back
- Lead routed to the right agent
Clinic booking
For clinics and medical centers.
- Find a treatment or a doctor
- See branches and timings
- Request an appointment
- Confirmation by SMS or WhatsApp
- Reminder before the visit
Corporate credibility
For B2B firms whose buyers check the site before a meeting.
- Arrive from a tender, referral or LinkedIn
- Read services and sectors
- Check projects and credentials
- Download a company profile
- Book a meeting
What we build
Designed, not templated
Websites designed for your brand and built in code, with motion and 3D where they serve the message. Our work page shows the range.
English and Arabic versions
Mirrored layouts, Arabic typography and separate page addresses for each language, linked so that search engines can pair them.
Search foundations
Page structure, titles, structured data and speed handled in the build, in both languages.
Enquiry tracking
WhatsApp, call and form enquiries recorded with their source page, and passed to your CRM.
A CMS your team can use
Editors publish pages, projects and articles in each language without a developer.
Redesigns without lost traffic
For existing sites, an audit and a redirect map before anything changes. See website redesign.
What we need from you
- Brand assets and any existing guidelines
- Content owners for English and for Arabic
- Permit or approval details for regulated content
- Access to analytics and Search Console for the current site
- The person who answers enquiries, to design around how they work
Ownership and licensing terms are defined in the project agreement.
A readiness checklist for a UAE website
Before design starts
0 of 8 checkedWhat to do next
Share your current site, if you have one, and what you need the new one to achieve. We will reply with how we would approach it and what we would look at first. Start a conversation or book a 30-minute call.
Two guides can help before you brief anyone. How to write a website project brief and the website redesign planning checklist.
Common questions
Do we need an Arabic version of our website?
It depends on who you sell to. For government-facing work, services to citizens and regional audiences, Arabic is expected. For some B2B and expatriate-focused businesses, English carries most enquiries. Search behavior is a good guide. If people look for your service in Arabic, an Arabic page is the only way to be found by them.
Can the Arabic site be produced by automatic translation?
Machine translation is a starting draft at best. Arabic pages need a writer who knows the market's vocabulary, and a designer who checks the mirrored layout. Search engines also treat thin translated pages poorly. A smaller set of well-written Arabic pages does more than a full set of weak ones.
Should our site use a .ae domain?
A .ae domain signals a local business and can help with trust in the Emirates. A .com suits companies that serve several countries from one site. Either works for search when the site's language and country targeting are set up correctly. Many companies hold both and point one to the other.
How do we track WhatsApp and phone enquiries?
Each button and number is set up to record a click with the page it came from, and the opening WhatsApp message can carry the page name. Calls can go through tracking numbers when you want to tie them to campaigns. These records are passed to analytics and to your CRM, so that enquiries are counted like form submissions.
Where to go from here
Related serviceWebsite DesignWebsites designed as studio projects, with concept work to browse