App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia 2026 (SAR)

The short answer

An iOS and Android app for the Saudi market starts from about SAR 1,500 ($400) for a simple app without a backend, about SAR 7,500 ($2,000) for an MVP with a backend and admin dashboard, and about SAR 15,000 ($4,000) for a fuller launch with user roles, notifications and publishing on both stores. Saudi apps should budget from the start for mada and Apple Pay through a local gateway, Arabic-first design, and the Personal Data Protection Law, plus ZATCA e-invoicing if the system issues tax invoices.

Saudi founders and business owners usually ask two questions about app cost: "what will the build cost?" and "what else will I pay for in the first year?" Most price guides answer only the first. This one answers both, in Saudi riyals, with the local requirements that change the scope: mada, Arabic-first design, the data protection law and, for some systems, e-invoicing.

We price in US dollars; the riyal amounts below use 3.75 SAR to the dollar, which is the official peg, so they are a dependable guide.

The build: app prices in SAR

Type of app	What it includes	Starts from	Typical time
Starter app	Up to 5 screens, no backend (catalog, content, calculator)	About SAR 1,500 ($400)	Days
Web app / browser MVP	Sign-in, database, one core workflow, admin view	About SAR 5,600 ($1,500)	About 3 weeks
Mobile MVP	iOS and Android, up to 8 screens, backend, admin dashboard	About SAR 7,500 ($2,000)	2–6 weeks
Bigger web MVP	2–3 workflows, user roles, payments integration	About SAR 11,250 ($3,000)	About 5–6 weeks
Full mobile MVP	Up to 15 screens, user roles, push notifications, publishing on both stores	About SAR 15,000 ($4,000)	Depends on scope

One codebase covers both iPhone and Android. Two-sided apps (customer and provider, student and tutor, rider and driver) start at the MVP tier because they include two user apps and an admin dashboard. The final price is fixed in a written scope before you pay anything, and you see a first working preview within 72 hours.

For comparison, quotes in the Saudi market range from a few thousand riyals from individual freelancers to six-figure amounts from large agencies. The difference is usually team size, overhead and how much of the scope is spelled out, not the technology.

What a Saudi app needs that a generic quote may miss

mada and Apple Pay through a local gateway

mada is the national debit network, and Apple Pay is extremely common at Saudi checkouts; mada cards work inside Apple Pay too. A Saudi app that sells anything should accept mada, Visa/Mastercard and Apple Pay through a gateway that serves Saudi merchants, such as Moyasar, HyperPay, Tap or PayTabs. The best choice depends on your commercial registration, sector and the fees each one offers you. Cash on delivery is still important for some delivery and e-commerce businesses, so decide early whether you need it.

Arabic first, with Hijri dates where they matter

Saudi users expect an app designed in Arabic, right to left, with English as the second language if needed. Many users and official documents also use the Hijri (Umm al-Qura) calendar alongside the Gregorian one, which matters for HR systems, government-facing services, events and anything tied to Ramadan or Hajj seasons. Mention it in your brief so it is in the scope. Our Arabic and RTL checklist covers numerals, dates and fonts in detail.

The Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)

Saudi Arabia's PDPL has been fully enforced since September 2024 by SDAIA, and it applies to anyone processing the personal data of people in the Kingdom, including companies based abroad. In practice your app needs a clear privacy notice, consent where required, only the data it truly needs, and a known answer to "where is our customers' data stored?" Transfers of personal data outside the Kingdom must follow SDAIA's transfer rules, and some sectors, such as government and health, have stricter hosting requirements. Raise this before development, not after.

ZATCA e-invoicing, if you issue invoices

VAT in Saudi Arabia is 15%, and systems that issue tax invoices, such as point-of-sale, ordering or B2B billing systems, must meet ZATCA's e-invoicing (Fatoora) requirements. A booking app that only takes payments through a gateway may not issue invoices itself; a sales system usually does. Ask the question early, because integration affects the price.

Licensing for regulated services

Some app categories are regulated. Ride-hailing companies, for example, need a license from the Transport General Authority, and the rules define who can drive. If your idea touches transport, delivery, health or finance, check the licensing path before you spend on the build.

The full first-year budget

This is the budget most people forget to draw up. Third-party fees are paid by you directly, so the accounts are yours.

Item	One-time or recurring	Approximate cost
App build (MVP tier)	One-time	From about SAR 7,500 ($2,000)
Apple Developer Program	Yearly	About SAR 371 ($99)
Google Play developer account	One-time	About SAR 94 ($25)
Hosting and backend	Monthly, grows with users	Often little or nothing at the start
Payment gateway	Per transaction	Per your gateway agreement
SMS for phone sign-in	Per message	Varies by provider
Maps, if used	Usage-based after a free monthly allowance	Small at low volume
Improvements after launch	When needed	Quoted per change; a bug-fix window after launch is included

Our advice: hold back part of your budget for the first two or three months after launch. The changes real users ask for are usually worth more than anything you could add before launch.

Three Saudi examples

A beauty salon chain in Riyadh. Customers book services by branch and stylist, pay a deposit with mada or Apple Pay, and get reminders; managers see calendars and reports. A mobile MVP from about SAR 7,500; if a booking web page is enough, from about SAR 5,600.

A tutoring or Quran academy in Jeddah. A student app and a tutor app with session booking, tutor availability and an admin dashboard. We built exactly this with Lawh Academy, live on the App Store and Google Play. Expect the MVP tier for version one and the full tier once both stores, roles and notifications are in.

A delivery service in Dammam. Customer app, driver app, live tracking, cash and card payments, admin dashboard. From about SAR 7,500 for a lean MVP, about SAR 15,000 for a full launch. Our DriveX apps show this kind of build; see the cost to build an app like Uber for a feature-by-feature breakdown.

How Saudi app budgets go wrong

Arabic added at the end. Mirroring an English app into Arabic after it is built touches every screen. Designing Arabic first costs far less.
Gateway chosen too late. Merchant onboarding with a gateway takes paperwork. Start it while the app is being built, not on launch day.
Developer accounts in someone else's name. If the App Store account belongs to your developer, so does your app's listing. Insist on your own organization account (it needs a D-U-N-S number for your company; Apple says to allow up to about a week).
No plan for invoicing or data. ZATCA and PDPL questions found late can mean rework.
Everything in version one. Loyalty points, chat and referral codes can wait. Launch the core, then grow.

Is a studio outside Saudi Arabia right for you?

We are a web and mobile studio based in Giza, Egypt, working remotely with clients in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. Saudi Arabia and Egypt share a Friday–Saturday weekend, and Cairo is on the same clock as Riyadh in summer and one hour behind in winter, so your working day is ours. Our Saudi work includes the bilingual site for Verkan Stone, alongside our live apps.

We are a good fit for startups and businesses that want a fixed price, fast working previews and full ownership. A Saudi-registered company is the better choice for government tenders that require local registration, or if you need a team on site. Our guide to outsourcing software development to Egypt explains how to protect yourself with any remote team.

Where to go from here

Read how we work with Saudi clients on our app development company in Saudi Arabia page, and see our Arabic app development page for Arabic-first products. The general guide to app development cost in 2026 explains the pricing logic behind these numbers. To get a written scope and fixed price within 24 hours, describe your idea in the project planner.

FAQ

Do I need a Saudi company to publish my app?

No, but it is better to publish under your business. For an organization account on the App Store you need a D-U-N-S number for your establishment, and your company name then appears as the publisher. Google Play organization accounts also avoid the testing period required of new personal accounts.

Can the app accept mada inside Apple Pay?

Yes. mada cards can be added to Apple Wallet, and a Saudi gateway that supports Apple Pay will accept them. We specify the gateway in the quote, and the merchant account is opened in your establishment's name.

Does PDPL mean my data must be hosted in Saudi Arabia?

Not automatically for every app. The law allows transfers outside the Kingdom under SDAIA's transfer rules, but some sectors, such as government and health, have stricter hosting requirements. Tell us your sector and we'll propose hosting that fits it before we start.

Is ZATCA e-invoicing included in the price?

Only if your system issues tax invoices and we agree it in the scope. Many apps don't issue invoices themselves, because payments go through a gateway or an existing accounting system. If yours does, we include the integration in the written quote so there are no surprises.

Do Saudi apps need Hijri dates?

Not every app, but many benefit from them, and some require them, especially HR, government-facing and seasonal services. Supporting both calendars is straightforward when it is planned from the start.

What does an app cost per year after launch?

The fixed part is small: about SAR 371 a year for Apple and hosting that often starts free or low. The rest depends on usage (SMS, maps, gateway fees) and on the improvements you choose to make. Our quotes include a bug-fix window after launch, and further work is agreed only when you need it.