Mobile App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia (2025)

Are you a business owner in Saudi Arabia, planning to digitally expand your business, but highly concerned about the mobile app development cost in Saudi Arabia?

Well, you are not alone. According to Grand View Research, the app market revenue in Saudi Arabia reached $1339.3 million (approx SAR 5000 million) in 2024, which is further expected to grow with a significant CAGR of 10.3%, to achieve the forecasted revenue of $2357.6 million (approx SAR 8841 million) by 2030. Despite the burgeoning market, most of the business owners still hesitate to build their dedicated mobile app due to concerns about the cost of building an app in Saudi Arabia.

The average cost of mobile app development in Saudi Arabia might range between $40,000- $200,000 (approx SAR 120,000- SAR 600,000).To make sure that you don’t take the decision based on vague opinions and rumors, The NineHertz has written a complete guide about the cost to develop a mobile app in Saudi Arabia. Get along with this article and you will have all the ideas about the cost, how you can control the costs, what theu factors that determine pricing and much more. Let’s get started-

What is Mobile App Development?

First of all, let’s talk about a mobile app. It is an online platform owned by an individual, enterprise, government, or any organization with the core focus of disseminating information, offering products or services, and building entertainment centers. However, there is a long process associated with building these high-performing mobile apps, which is collectively referred to as mobile app development.

The entire development process comprises several steps, including ideation, designing, programming, testing, deployment, maintenance, and many more. Each of the stages requires a certain investment, resources, and expertise to achieve the desired output. While the mobile app development approach varies according to the organization, the mutual steps remain unchanged irrespective of the development team.

Mobile App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia [An Overview]

The mobile app development cost in Saudi Arabia can range between $40,000-$200,000 (approx SAR 120,000- SAR 600,000). However, the exact development cost can vary significantly based on several factors like project complexity, development timeline, and much more.

The simple and basic mobile app development projects require less investment as there is less need for third-party services, advanced features, and data outsourcing. On the other hand, complex projects require third-party support, maintenance charges, advanced feature integration, and more time for development. Thus, the cost of building complex mobile apps automatically increases.

Here is the rough comparison of the cost to build an app in Saudi Arabia-

However, you must be mindful about the fact that all those figures are just the rough estimation of mobile app development cost in Saudi Arabia, as the exact cost can only be determined after a thorough analysis of the features, requirements, development platform, and many other factors.

If you are willing to build a mobile app for your business, you can leverage the free consultation session offered by The NineHertz to discuss your requirements and get a fair estimate of investment.

Key Factors Affecting Mobile App Development Cost

As interpreted in the earlier section, there are a number of factors that determine the mobile app development cost in Saudi Arabia. Knowing about these factors can help you estimate the overall cost along with controlling the budget without compromising efficiency.

1. Project Complexity

The complexity of the app development project is the core factor that defines the app development cost in Saudi Arabia. The mobile app that requires advanced technologies, dedicated experts, and third-party integration leads to increased costs. On the other hand, simple projects can be completed with a lower investment.

2. App Features

The number and types of features are directly proportional to the mobile app development cost in Saudi Arabia. The reason behind the circumstances is that more advanced features require additional expertise and resources. At the same time, certain features demand API integration, which is often a separate paid process that increases the app development cost.

3. Designing Customization

Every mobile app has a basic user interface that allows users to navigate through the pages, features, and functionalities. However, opting for exclusive customization like interactive elements, AR/VR integration, and dynamic themes might increase your app development cost. Excessive customization in UI requires more time from designers, which contributes to the app development cost.

4. Project Timeline

There are several hiring model that allows you to partner with the right mobile app development company in Saudi Arabia. One of the most famous models is hourly hiring, which allows the client to pay their development team for each hour they spend working on the project. Thus, as the development timeline stretches, the cost also increases.

5. Development Platform

There are multiple platforms where you can launch your mobile app. However, iOS and Android are the two well-known platforms that allow businesses to connect to the majority of their target audience. The choice between the two platforms depends on the availability of the costumes according to particular offerings of a business. However, the cost of building an app for iOS is generally higher as compared to build an app for the Android operating system.

Security and Legal Compliance

The increasing concerns of users regarding eh safety of their data on digital applications have increased complexities in security and legal compliance. For example, there is a Personal Data Protection Law that all the mobile apps operating in Saudi Arabia have to comply with. Thus, building a mobile app for law-sensitive sectors like healthcare and finance requires additional expertise, which attracts costs.

Breakdown Of Mobile App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia [Various Stages]

The overall cost to develop a mobile app in Saudi Arabia is distributed among the several stages that take place over the development lifecycle. Each stage requires the professional’s input and technical resources, which incur costs.

Here is the simple cost breakdown of mobile app development cost in Saudi Arabia according to different phases of the development lifecycle-

1.Ideation and Brainstorming ($4000- $8000 or SAR 12,000- SAR 30,000)

The ideation phase is dedicated to collaborating with the relevant business stakeholders and discussing the key challenges and required solutions. The ideation and brainstorming also include feature identification, technical feasibility analysis, market assessment, and much more.

The ideation phase requires some costs for analysis software, risk assessments, and collaboration meetings. However, this little cost helps to save the huge costs in later project phases.

2.UI/UX Design ($10,000- $15,000 or SAR 40,000- SAR 60,000)

The next phase is designing the user interface while creating a marvellous virtual experience for the end users. UI designing also consists of building a prototype for the client that allows them to get a clear idea about design, features, navigation, and themes. The thorough assessment of this prototype makes it easier to suggest feedback and room for improvement.

3.Programming and Development ($20,000 – $40,000+ or SAR 80,000- SAR 150,000)

This is the phase of core development where mobile app developers in Saudi Arabia make the overall solution functional. It includes building the frontend and backend of the solution. APIs and third-party integrations are carried out to help bring certain features into the app. Moreover, the programming and development phase also consists of setting up the database and admin panel to foster complete control over the platform.

4.Testing & QA ($5,000 – $10,000 or SAR 20,000- SAR 40,000)

As the name suggests, the quality analysis phase is dedicated to conducting a range of tests that help to ensure that only the best version of the mobile app is deployed to the final software. The range of testing includes manual testing, automated testing, speed testing, performance testing, unit testing, and much more. At the same time, the quality analysis phase also ensures that the overall solution complies with relevant security and legal compliance.

5.Deployment & Launch ($1,000 – $3,000 or SAR 3,000- SAR 15,000)

This is the final development stage in which the mobile app development company in Saudi Arabia launches the mobile app on the relevant marketplaces like the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. He process also includes regulatory compliance, final review, store optimization, and much more.

6.Post-Deployment Support ($4,000- $10,000 or SAR 12,000- SAR 40,000)

It is important to opt for post-deployment support as it ensures the seamless mobile app performance for a longer time. The post-deployment support ensures the periodic updates, adding or eliminating the features, conducting performance analysis, etc.

Cost to Create a Mobile App in Saudi Arabia on an Industrial Basis

The mobile app development cost in Saudi Arabia is determined by the features and functionalities, which makes it very obvious that apps developed for businesses of different industries vary highly in pricing. Every industry has particular challenges to solve, which require different types of technological support and features.

Here, we have tried to estimate the cost to develop a mobile app in Saudi Arabia on an industrial basis-

Healthcare App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia

Estimated Cost- $30,000-$60,000 or SAR 120,000- SAR 240,000

Healthcare is a law-sensitive domain that requires the app developers to be highly connected to the relevant laws and regulations. At the same time, apps for EMR integration, appointment scheduling, teleconsultation, and symptom tracking require high-level data encryption that can bring the patient’s reliability into the system.

Fitness App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia

Estimated Cost– $25,000-$60,000 or SAR 100,000- SAR 250,000

Fitness mobile apps are in high demand with the increasing concern of users towards their fitness schedule. Whether the software is designed to integrate with fitness wearables like smartwatches, fitness, or simply a mobile app that allows users to share their fitness goals and get personalized food recommendations, recipes, exercise, and more, fitness mobile apps have been offering a significant return on investment.

Social Media App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia

Estimated Cost– $40,000-$80,000 or SAR 120,000- SAR 240,000

Social media apps like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest have a monthly active user base of billions, which well portrays the demand and success of apps in this domain. Building a social media mobile app requires huge scalability, innovative features, and a unique idea that makes the platform different from various other solutions in the same domain. The common features that must be integrated into a social media app include messaging, media uploads, likes, comments, shares, editing, etc.

OTT App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia

Estimated Cost– $50,000-$80,000 or SAR 200,000- SAR 250,000

According to Statista, the OTT video market globally is expected to achieve a revenue of $343.8 billion in 2025. The revenue is anticipated to grow with a CAGR of 6.3% to touch the milestone of $466.8 billion by 2030. At the same time, OTT apps are expected to witness a user base of over 473.4 million users by 2030. The apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, and Sony Liv are consistently gaining recognition, multiplying their user base with every passing day.

Appointment Booking App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia

Estimated Cost– $30,000-$50,000 or SAR 120,000- SAR 200,000

Appointment booking apps are versatile solutions that are required in various industries like healthcare, fitness, salon, automobile, and many more. These apps carry features like real-time availability of service providers, built-in calendar, notifications, reminders, appointment postponement, and much more. An appointment booking has a significant track record of offering marvellous returns on investment.

On-Demand App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia

Estimated Cost– $30,000-$60,000 or SAR 120,000- SAR 240,000

There are different types of on-demand mobile apps, which include food delivery, salon booking, ride-hailing, etc. The busy schedules of people and the choice for convenience have made on-demand app development a revenue-driven business idea. The features like restaurant listing, cab listing, price comparison, order scheduling, and online payment are integrated into the on-demand mobile apps.

Conclusion

Mobile app development is undoubtedly a great approach for businesses in Saudi Arabia to move their operations to the digital landscape, ensure strong online footprints, connect with a vast customer base, and leverage the competitive advantages. Not only does it help to sell the product to customers via online platforms, but a mobile app also works as a permanent communication medium between the brand and business.

Despite a long list of advantages, most business owners still hesitate to build their online platform only because of the unclear mobile app development cost in Saudi Arabia. Little do the business owners know, the app development cost hugely depends on the real-time brand and operational requirement, which ensures that the business gets the value of its investment.

As a leading mobile app development company in Saudi Arabia, The NineHertz is partnered with businesses of different sizes and is committed to delivering cost-efficient solutions. At the same time, we also offer a free consultation session that allows the client to make an informed decision about cost, features, timeline, and development process. Our post-deployment services ensure that the final solution performs seamlessly in the live environment while receiving periodic updates over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much does it cost to develop a mobile app in Saudi Arabia in 2025?

Answer- Mobile app development cost in Saudi Arabia costs anywhere between $40,000- $200,000 (approx SAR 120,000- SAR 600,000) and even more. The exact development cost is highly influenced by the particular brand requirements, client vision, and features incorporated into the solution.

2. What affects the cost of mobile app development in Saudi Arabia the most?

Answer- There are a number of factors that affect the cost to build an app in Saudi Arabia. The factors include project complexity, features integrated, project timeline, hiring model, third-party integration, customization, designing, maintenance, etc.

3. How can I reduce app development costs without compromising quality?

Answer- Yes, there are some strategies that can help you reduce costs without compromising quality. The strategy includes-

• Building a Minimum Viable Product
• Having a clear vision of the software
• Choosing the right hiring model
• Opting for a cloud-based solution
• Develop a cross-platform mobile app
• Use open-source tools
• Adopt an agile project management methodology

4. How much time does it take to build a mobile app in Saudi Arabia?

Answer- Generally, it takes anywhere between 4-6 months to build a mobile app in Saudi Arabia. However, the exact development timeline varies depending on hiring model, team size, third-party integration, feedback implementation, designing requirements, etc.