Software & Mobile App Development Company in Saudi Arabia
Arabic-first apps, web platforms and AI for Saudi businesses and Vision 2030 projects, with PDPL compliance, mada and Apple Pay checkouts and ZATCA-ready invoicing.
- NDA & full IP ownership
- Senior engineers
- Working hours that overlap with Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is in the middle of the largest digital build-out in the region. Vision 2030 has pushed ministries, banks, retailers and giga-projects to digitise services at speed, and the private sector is following. Sigmato is a software development company supporting Saudi Arabia’s businesses with Arabic-first mobile apps, web platforms, SaaS products and AI, for organisations in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and around NEOM. We engineer from Bengaluru, India, with a branch office in the UK.
How Vision 2030 Shapes Software Demand
The direct answer: Saudi Vision 2030 has created demand for software in sectors that barely needed it a decade ago. Tourism, entertainment, sport, logistics and housing all have national targets, and each target depends on apps and platforms. Projects we can deliver include:
- Tourism and entertainment: event ticketing, visitor guides and hospitality apps for new destinations and the Red Sea coast.
- Logistics and last-mile delivery: fleet tracking, warehouse tools and on-demand delivery apps for a country building itself into a logistics hub.
- Fintech: fintech app development covering digital onboarding, lending, payments and Islamic finance products for a sector the central bank actively encourages.
- Construction and real estate: project management tools, digital twins and buyer portals for large developments.
- Healthcare and education: patient apps, appointment platforms and Arabic e-learning apps.
Compliance: PDPL, NCA Controls and Sector Rules
Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) has been enforced since September 2023 and is overseen by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA). It covers consent, purpose limitation, data subject rights, breach notification and strict conditions for transferring personal data outside the Kingdom. Other rules frequently apply:
| Requirement | Who it affects | What we build in |
|---|---|---|
| PDPL | Any organisation processing personal data of people in Saudi Arabia | Consent flows, retention rules, transfer assessments, breach procedures |
| NCA cybersecurity controls | Government entities, critical infrastructure and their suppliers | Hardening, access control, logging and secure development practices aligned with the National Cybersecurity Authority |
| SAMA regulations | Banks, payment and fintech firms | Strong authentication, fraud monitoring, audit trails; see the Saudi Central Bank |
| ZATCA e-invoicing (Fatoora) | VAT-registered businesses | Compliant invoice generation, QR codes and integration with the ZATCA platform |
For many projects we recommend hosting in Saudi cloud regions, which several global and local providers now offer, so that sensitive and government-related data stays in the Kingdom.
Arabic-First Product Design
In Saudi Arabia, Arabic is not a secondary locale; it is usually the primary experience, with English as the add-on. Our design teams start in Arabic, using right-to-left grids, Arabic typefaces chosen for screen legibility and copy written for a Saudi audience rather than translated word for word. We support the Hijri calendar, which remains important for official dates and religious events, and we plan content and campaigns around Ramadan, when app usage patterns change significantly with late-night activity peaks.
Payments Saudi Customers Expect
Saudi Arabia is one of the most cashless consumer markets in the Middle East, and a checkout without local methods will lose sales:
- mada, the national debit network, used for most card payments and supported in Apple Pay;
- Apple Pay, which is extremely popular among Saudi smartphone users;
- STC Bank (formerly STC Pay) and other digital wallets;
- SADAD for bill and government payments;
- Tabby and Tamara for buy now, pay later, both licensed in the Kingdom.
We integrate these through licensed Saudi payment gateways and make sure your refunds, settlements and VAT invoices line up.
Mobile Market Traits
Saudi Arabia has a young, highly connected population, very high smartphone use and fast 5G coverage in major cities. iPhones are particularly popular in Riyadh and Jeddah, while Android remains strong across the wider market. Social commerce and video are major traffic drivers, so we design for quick sign-up, phone-number login with OTP and smooth handoffs from social media into the app. If you are unsure where to start, our comparison of native, hybrid and cross-platform apps can help.
Working Week and Time Zones
The Saudi working week runs Sunday to Thursday, while our Indian team works Monday to Friday. That leaves four full shared days each week, and we schedule weekend cover when launches or support require it. Arabia Standard Time is two and a half hours behind India, so our engineers are online through almost your entire business day. Our UK branch is three hours behind Riyadh in winter and two in summer.
Our Delivery Approach
- Discovery: we map users, data classification, regulatory scope and integrations such as Nafath national single sign-on where your organisation is eligible, payment gateways or your ERP.
- Arabic-first design in Figma with interactive prototypes.
- Agile build in two-week sprints with demos timed for your Sunday to Thursday week.
- Security testing aligned with OWASP guidance and your NCA or SAMA obligations.
- Launch and support, including App Store and Google Play submission for the Saudi storefronts.
Indicative Budgets
These USD ranges are for early planning only; final quotes depend on scope, integrations and compliance work. We can quote in Saudi riyals (SAR) on request.
| Project type | Indicative range (USD) |
|---|---|
| Arabic-first mobile app MVP | $25,000–$65,000 |
| E-commerce platform with mada, Apple Pay and BNPL | $30,000–$80,000 |
| Fintech product MVP | $50,000–$130,000 |
| Enterprise portal or government supplier platform | $60,000–$150,000 |
| Dedicated developer per month | $3,000–$6,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the PDPL allow developers outside Saudi Arabia to work on our system?
It can, but transfers and remote access to personal data must meet PDPL transfer conditions. We usually host data in Saudi regions, give developers access only to anonymised or test data, and document any necessary transfers.
Can you integrate ZATCA e-invoicing?
Yes. We generate compliant electronic invoices with QR codes and connect your system to the ZATCA Fatoora platform as required for your phase of the rollout.
Do you build apps primarily in Arabic?
Yes. We design Arabic-first interfaces with proper right-to-left layouts and add English as a second language, rather than adapting an English design afterwards.
Can you support Sunday to Thursday working?
Yes. We plan sprint ceremonies on shared days and arrange cover on Sundays for releases, incidents or client workshops.
Let’s Build for the Kingdom
Tell us about your project, whether it is a startup MVP or a large platform tied to a Vision 2030 initiative. We will respond within two working days with next steps.