Overview
Payload CMS v3 replaced a locked-down SharePoint publishing workflow for a Saudi Vision 2030-aligned development agency. Payload's code-first schema lets TypeScript types drive both the CMS and the Next.js frontend, ensuring Arabic/English bilingual content stays in sync at type-check time. The fully self-hosted stack satisfies NCSC data-classification Level 2 requirements. Publishing cycle 4 days → same day; content-sync discrepancies 0 for 6 months post-launch.
The challenge
The existing SharePoint publishing process required IT tickets, three approval layers, and often took four business days. Arabic content was maintained in a separate Word document and manually copied into the English CMS, leading to frequent out-of-sync pages. NCSC classified the agency's data at Level 2, ruling out any cloud-hosted CMS solution.
The solution
We adopted Payload CMS v3 — which defines content schemas in TypeScript code — and built bilingual collection types where the ar and en locale fields are required at the type level, making it impossible to publish English content without an Arabic counterpart. The entire stack runs on-premises in the agency's own data centre. We extended Payload with a custom NCSC audit-log plugin that records every document create/update/delete event with the editor's national-ID-linked user account.
Outcomes
Content publishing cycle reduced from 4 days to same-day
Zero Arabic/English content-sync discrepancies for 6 consecutive months
NCSC Level 2 compliance audit passed
Editorial headcount for coordination reduced from 4 to 1
Key metrics
Tech stack
Services
Client testimonial
“Publishing used to be a four-day ordeal involving IT, legal, and two managers. Now any editor can publish in Arabic and English simultaneously in minutes.”
— Nora Al-Qassim, Digital Director — Bawabat Agency
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