Mobile App Development Cost in Saudi Arabia
The Middle Eastern countries, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have been making strides in developing their tech ecosystem and are cultivating a thriving IT industry that can boost the digital empowerment of the Kingdom.
A recently published article on Google’s marketing blog mentioned that around “92% of Saudi Arabians have access to or own a smartphone.” This directly fits into the Saudi government’s ambition of transitioning away from an oil-led economy.
One centerpiece of this transition has been mobile apps. Ranging from shopping to government services, from productivity to recreational activities, citizens of Saudi Arabia have been spending at least four hours every day on their smartphones. Therefore for any businesses looking to make their mark in the Saudi markets, they must have a mobile app.
That being said, the first thing that entrepreneurs, inside and outside will be interested in knowing is the cost of developing a mobile app in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, in this article, we will be diving deep into the factors that affect the cost of developing a mobile app in Saudi Arabia. We will also discuss the factors that affect the cost of mobile app development in Saudi Arabia.
How much does it cost to develop a mobile app in Saudi Arabia
To put it simply, the cost of developing a mobile app will be around 100,000 Saudi Riyal for an app with basic functionality and features. On the top end of this, a complex, intuitively rich app can cost upward of 500,000 Riyal or more.
This cost is determined based on a lot of factors that not just influence the cost but also the performance of the app. As a general thumb rule, the cost of developing a mobile app goes up with the features, functionality, and complexity of the app.
Factors that influence the cost of developing a mobile app in Saudi Arabia
Mobile apps, becoming synonymous with technological adoption, come in all shapes and sizes. This is why the window of cost also varies a lot. Here are the main factors that influence the cost of developing a mobile app.
Native vs Hybrid vs Cross-Platform: As soon as you embark on a mobile app development project, the first decision you’ll have to make is to decide whether you want an app for Android, iOS, or both.
Apps that run dedicatedly on one platform are known as native apps, and apps that are designed for both Android and iOS are known as hybrid and cross-platform apps. This heavily influences the cost as native apps are easier to develop and are less time-consuming as compared with hybrid or cross-platform apps.
UI & UX: As discussed earlier, apps with a well-thought-out and designed UI/UX will cost more than the latter. This is because designing an engaging UI/UX is a challenging task that often requires additional time from UX designers. However, a well-laid-out design of your mobile app will go a long way in meeting the expectations of your consumers thus providing you the return on your investment in the long run.
App features: With the progression of technology, mobile apps now come with a wide range of features. Cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, etc are being increasingly used in apps. Integrating these features into mobile apps is a complex and time-consuming process that significantly increases the cost of developing a mobile app.
Development partner’s location: Mobile app development companies are spread around the globe and offer top-notch services to their clients overseas, including in the KSA. However, the charges of offshore development teams vary greatly based on the region and heavily influence the cost of development. Development teams in The United States and Europe are much more expensive than as compared with app development companies in the Asia Pacific. For instance, the hourly rate of mobile app development is around $100 in the US whereas the price in India is $50 or so. The decision to select the right mobile app development company in Saudi Arabia will go a long way in keeping costs low and delivering a cutting-edge app.
Conclusion
Selecting the best mobile app development company in Saudi Arabia will not just benefit you in terms of cost but will also help you penetrate the tech-savvy Saudi Arabian markets. This will go a long way for your business to get a footing and succeed in the region that is increasingly becoming digitized, sometimes overtaking the rest of the world.
