AI Translation vs Agency: Cost Comparison
Translation agencies charge AED 0.30-0.60 per word with 2-5 day turnaround. AI translation costs a fraction and delivers in seconds. Here is the full comparison.
Cost breakdown
| Item | Cost | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Translation agent setup Domain-specific glossary, formatting rules, and integration with document workflows | AED 5,500 | one-time |
| AI processing Based on ~100,000 words/month. Scales with volume | AED 200 | monthly |
| Cloud hosting | AED 100 | monthly |
| Managed Care (optional) Glossary updates, new domain training, quality sampling | AED 1,000 | monthly |
ROI timeline
Compared to: Professional translation agency (Arabic-English)
Current monthly cost: AED 8,000-15,000
- Turnaround of 2-5 days for standard documents
- Rush fees add 50-100% to the base rate
- Consistency varies between different translators
- No integration with your document management system
- Per-word pricing makes costs unpredictable with volume
Instant Turnaround
Documents translated in seconds, not days. No more waiting for agency availability or paying rush fees.
Format Preservation
Translated documents keep their original formatting. PDFs, Word docs, and presentations returned in the same layout.
Custom Glossary
Your industry terminology, brand names, and preferred translations stored in a glossary. Consistency across all documents.
Batch Processing
Translate 100 documents in the time it takes an agency to quote one. Perfect for contract batches, product catalogs, and reports.
Arabic Dialect Awareness
Formal Modern Standard Arabic for government documents, Gulf Arabic for marketing materials. Tone matched to context.
Quality Scoring
Each translation gets a confidence score. High-stakes documents flagged for human review. Routine translations auto-approved.
FAQ
Is AI translation good enough for legal documents?
For internal reference and understanding, yes. For documents submitted to UAE courts or government authorities, we recommend AI translation followed by a certified translator review. This still saves 60-70% compared to full agency translation.
Does it handle Arabic-English and English-Arabic?
Both directions. Also supports Arabic-French and English-Hindi for common UAE business language pairs.
Can it translate technical documents?
Yes. We train the glossary on your industry terminology. Engineering, medical, legal, and financial documents all benefit from domain-specific vocabulary.
How does quality compare to human translation?
For standard business documents, AI quality is comparable to mid-tier agency work. For creative, literary, or legally binding text, human review adds a valuable safety net.
Get your translation cost estimate
Tell us your monthly word volume and language pairs for pricing.