If you\u2019re about to hire someone to build your website, the most useful thing you can send them first is a website design brief. The document is usually a short one, consisting of two or four pages. It describes the purpose of the website, its target audience, goals and objectives, and budget requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the companies registered in Dubai have to include specific requirements: Arabic content, regional payment methods, licenses, and data privacy compliance. Otherwise, the project cost may be significantly different from the one you are going to sign in the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a ready-to-copy website brief template further down. First, a quick look at why it\u2019s worth an afternoon of your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Picture a dental clinic in Al Barsha asking three designers for \u201ca new website.\u201d The first designer quotes for five English pages. The second assumes online booking and a full Arabic version. The third adds a logo refresh because the old one looked dated. That\u2019s three quotes for three different projects, and no fair way to compare them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A web design brief fixes that. Everyone prices the same website project requirements, so the gaps between quotes reflect real differences in cost, timeline and approach. Months later, when someone on your team asks \u201ccan we just add a careers page?\u201d, you\u2019ll have a document showing whether that was ever part of the deal.
It also pushes your own team to decide things early. Who\u2019s writing the Arabic copy? Who signs off on the design? Someone will ask these questions eventually, and week one is the cheapest time to answer them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Decide what this website is primarily for. It could be for making phone calls, WhatsApp chats, bookings, online sales, or just to look good when bidding for contracts. You are most likely going to want more than one.
Then think about money. Keep your range between AED 8,000 and 12,000. It lets the developer suggest something that fits what you can actually spend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Copy this into a Word file or Google Doc and fill in whatever you can. If you don\u2019t know something yet, write \u201cnot sure\u201d and keep going. A good developer will help with the blanks. They just need to know where the blanks are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Business name (as on trade licence):
\u2981 Licensed in (mainland \/ free zone name \/ DIFC \/ ADGM):
\u2981 What we sell, in two or three sentences:
\u2981 Where our customers are (Dubai \/ UAE \/ GCC):
\u2981 Competitor websites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 The one action we want visitors to take:
\u2981 How we’ll know it’s working after three months:
\u2981 Current website (if any) and what’s wrong with it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Who our customers are:
\u2981 Languages: English \/ Arabic \/ both
\u2981 How they find us (Google, Instagram, referrals, ads):
\u2981 Mostly on mobile or desktop?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Pages we need:
\u2981 Pages that need Arabic versions:
\u2981 Landing pages for ads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Who writes the English copy:
\u2981 Who writes or translates the Arabic:
\u2981 Logo, brand guide, photos and videos we already have:
\u2981 Anything we still need (photo shoot, stock images):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Forms \/ WhatsApp button \/ click-to-call:
\u2981 Booking system:
\u2981 Online payments and preferred gateway:
\u2981 Instalment payments (e.g. Tabby, Tamara):
\u2981 CRM or email tool:
\u2981 Maps, Google Business Profile, other links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Brand colours and fonts:
\u2981 Three websites we like, and what we like about each:
\u2981 Websites we dislike, and why:
\u2981 How the site should feel (a few words):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Domain we own (registered to whom?):
\u2981 Current hosting:
\u2981 Platform preference (WordPress \/ Shopify \/ custom \/ open to advice):
\u2981 Business email (Google Workspace \/ Microsoft 365 \/ other):
\u2981 Who holds the admin logins after launch:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Who writes the privacy policy and terms:
\u2981 Cookie banner needed?
\u2981 Personal data our forms collect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Budget range (including or excluding VAT):
\u2981 Target launch date and the reason for it:
\u2981 Person who approves the design:
\u2981 Revision rounds expected:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2981 Who updates the site:
\u2981 Training needed:
\u2981 Maintenance plan or ad hoc support:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of the brief templates you\u2019ll find online were written with other markets in mind. A few things work differently here, and any of them can move your quote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arabic reads right to left. So, the menu, the layout and the forms do too. Every bilingual page also needs a second set of copy, ideally written or checked by a native speaker. Be specific in your brief. \u201cArabic for every page\u201d and \u201cArabic for Home, Services and Contact\u201d are very different jobs, and the price will reflect that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re selling online, say which gateway you use, or say you need advice. Telr, PayTabs, Stripe and the banks\u2019 own gateways each have their own sign-up process and document checks, and approval can take a while. Your developer needs to know which one they\u2019re connecting before they build the checkout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Want a .co.ae address? You\u2019ll need paperwork. .co.ae domains are meant for commercial entities trading in the UAE, and you\u2019ll need a valid UAE trade licence or a UAE trademark to register one. Register it in your company\u2019s name. The full rules are on the .aeDA section of the TDRA website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instruct the developer to provide the location of your licence issuance. The federal data protection law, Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021, does not apply to the free zones with their own data protection regulations, mainly DIFC and ADGM. This consideration may impact your privacy policy language and consent method on your website. Consult a legal adviser to review your policy\u2019s text and ensure that your website\u2019s cookie banner design, the language, and the method of obtaining consent are compliant. The developer\u2019s responsibilities include posting the policy on your website and setting up the cookie banner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note whether your budget includes VAT. Suppliers registered for VAT add 5%, and on an AED 10,000 project that\u2019s AED 500 you may not have planned for.
Considering timing is vital too. For instance, during Ramadan, the working hours become short. If you have a restaurant or shop that you want to open before Ramadan, include this information in your brief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most common one is describing the look with adjectives. \u201cModern, clean, professional\u201d is what everyone wants.
Next is asking for features without saying why. \u201cWe need a blog\u201d could mean a lot of things. \u201cWe want to post our completed fit-out projects every month so new clients can see recent work\u201d tells the developer what you\u2019re after. They might even suggest a simple project gallery that does the job better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leaving Arabic until the end causes real trouble. If the English design is approved first and someone then says \u201cnow let\u2019s do the Arabic,\u201d parts of the layout often need rebuilding. Plan both from day one.
Then there\u2019s ownership. Domains and hosting sometimes get registered in the developer\u2019s name because it was quicker at the time. That works until you want to switch providers. Keep both in your company\u2019s name and give your developer access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two more, quickly. If you leave the budget out, the developer has to guess, and guesses are rarely right. And sending a brief your partners haven\u2019t agreed on just moves the argument into design reviews, where it costs more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Send exactly the same brief to everyone on your shortlist, along with your logo files and any brand guidelines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether you\u2019re talking to a large agency or a freelance web designer in Dubai<\/a>, the good ones will come back with questions. Who\u2019s handling the Arabic content? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you already have a payment gateway? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Questions like these show they\u2019ve read it properly. If a quote lands an hour later with no questions at all, be a little careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When proposals arrive, read each one next to your brief. Look for:
\u2981 the page list and features
\u2981 a timeline with milestones
\u2981 payment stages
\u2981 how many revision rounds you get
\u2981 anything excluded<\/p>\n\n\n\n