An app has a build cost and a permanent cost, and the second one surprises people more than the first. Before asking for a quote, it helps to know which parts you are buying.
Native or cross-platform
Flutter and React Native give you one codebase for iOS and Android. That saves roughly 30 to 40 per cent of build effort and saves nothing on design, testing or store submission.
Native still wins when the app leans on hardware: continuous location tracking, camera processing, Bluetooth peripherals, or when graphics performance is the product. For most business applications in this market, cross-platform is the correct call.
The app is the visible part
Anything with user accounts needs a server, a database, authentication, push notifications and an admin panel. That backend is typically 40 to 60 per cent of the project and appears nowhere in a demo.
If a quote only talks about screens, it has priced half the work.
What is specific to this market
- Arabic and English from day one. Retrofitting right-to-left after the interface is built is a rebuild, not a setting.
- Local payment methods. Mada is not optional. Card-only checkout loses a meaningful share of transactions.
- National identity integration. If your app touches regulated services, plan for Nafath from the start rather than as a phase two.
- Arabic push notification copy written properly, not machine translated. It is the message users see most often.
Realistic ranges
- Catalogue or informational app, no accounts: a low five-figure USD equivalent.
- Accounts, notifications and admin panel: mid five figures.
- Payments, live tracking or integration with internal systems: six figures and upward depending on scope.
The cost nobody budgets
Apple and Google update their platforms every year and retire older interface versions. An unmaintained app stops working on its own, with nobody touching it. Budget 15 to 25 per cent of build cost annually just to keep it operating, plus both developer accounts.
How to spend less without ruining the product
Cut scope, not quality. Launch with the one flow that solves the core problem. Version two should be decided by real usage data, and it almost always removes features that felt essential on the whiteboard.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take?
Three to five months for a serious first version with accounts and a backend. Shorter estimates usually mean a template or a much smaller scope than discussed.
Can I launch on Android only?
You can, and market share sometimes justifies it. With cross-platform the saving from shipping to one store is small, so treat it as a commercial decision rather than a technical one.
