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UAE · 7 min read

Dubai has hundreds of web development companies and most of their websites say the same things. This guide gives you a practical way to compare them and the questions that separate a good partner from a good pitch.

A brass compass resting on a map marked with routes

Short answer: shortlist three companies whose past work looks like what you need, speak to the people who would actually build your site, ask how they handle Arabic, speed and search, and check that you will own everything at the end. Then compare written proposals against the same brief.

Start with your own brief

You cannot compare companies fairly until they are all answering the same question. Write one page that says what the website is for, who it serves, what a visitor should do on it, which languages it needs and when it has to be live. Send the same page to every company.

What to look for in their past work

  • Open their client sites on your phone, not on the big screen in their office. Most of your visitors will be on a phone.
  • Check how fast the pages load on mobile data.
  • Look for a business like yours in size and type. A company that builds for banks may not be right for a clinic, and the reverse is also true.
  • If you need Arabic, open the Arabic version and ask a native reader what they think of it.
  • Search Google for the client's main service. If their sites never appear, search was not part of the build.

Eight questions to ask

1. Who will work on my site?

Meet the designer and the developer. Ask whether any part of the work is passed to another company.

2. Is the site custom built or made from a template?

Both can be right. A template is quicker and suits a simple site. A custom build suits a business whose website has real work to do. What matters is that you are told honestly which one you are getting.

3. How do you handle Arabic and English?

The right answer describes designing both together, with a proper right to left layout, not adding a translation plugin at the end.

4. What will you do for speed and search?

Ask for specifics: page speed targets on mobile, titles and descriptions for every page, redirects from your old addresses, and structured data so Google understands your business.

5. Can my team update the site without you?

You should be able to change text, images, team members and offers yourself. Ask to see the editing screen.

6. Who owns the site?

The domain, hosting, code and design files should be in your company's name. Be careful with arrangements where the site lives on the agency's account and you cannot leave with it.

7. How will I see progress?

A working version on a private link that you can open whenever you like is the best answer.

8. What happens after launch?

Agree who fixes problems, who applies security updates and how quickly someone responds if the site goes down.

A young plant with a red bud growing from a dark bowl of soil
A website is not finished at launch. Ask what the first three months after it look like.

Warning signs

  • A promise of the first position on Google. Nobody can promise that.
  • A proposal that arrives within the hour and does not mention your business.
  • No questions about your customers or your goals.
  • Vague answers about who owns the site or who does the work.
  • A long contract for hosting or maintenance that you cannot leave.

How to compare the proposals

Put them side by side and check that each one covers the same things: design, development, content, both languages, search setup, testing, training and support after launch. The cheapest proposal is often the one that has left something out. Ask each company what is not included.

Frequently asked questions

Does the company need to be based in Dubai?

Not always. What matters is that they understand the UAE market, can build properly in Arabic and are easy to reach during your working day. Many businesses in Dubai work with teams in other countries for these reasons.

How long does a business website take to build?

A focused business website typically takes a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on the number of pages, the languages and how quickly content and approvals come back.

Should design and development be done by the same company?

It usually gives a better result. When one team owns both, the design is built as drawn and nobody blames the other side when something does not match.

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