Software, Web and App Development for Saudi Arabian Businesses
Saudi Arabia is the most populous GCC country, and digital projects there are shaped by rules that have tightened in recent years. The Personal Data Protection Law is now enforced by SDAIA, ZATCA has made electronic invoicing mandatory in phases, and the National Cybersecurity Authority sets controls that government bodies and their suppliers must meet. Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province each have their own business culture, and many projects need to serve all three.
Saudi buyers expect Arabic to be the primary language, not a translation of an English site. Customers pay with Mada cards by default, sign in to government services through Nafath, and expect Hijri dates where religious or official timing matters. B2B clients ask early whether a system can issue ZATCA-compliant e-invoices, because a platform that cannot is not usable for their finance team.
We are based in Doha, Qatar, with no office, staff or commercial registration in the Kingdom. We deliver Saudi projects remotely from Doha, which shares Saudi time and the Friday and Saturday weekend, so our working days line up fully. Where a tender requires local registration or Saudi content, we tell you at the start so you can decide whether a remote supplier fits.
What changes for a project in Saudi Arabia
- VAT and e-invoicing
- VAT is 15%. ZATCA's FATOORA programme requires electronic tax invoices, and businesses are brought into the integration phase in waves based on revenue.
- Data protection
- The Personal Data Protection Law is enforced by SDAIA and restricts transfers of personal data outside the Kingdom unless specific conditions are met.
- Payments
- Mada is the national debit network and is expected at checkout. SADAD is used for bill payments, and BNPL services are regulated by the Saudi Central Bank.
- Digital identity
- Nafath is the national single sign-on used across government services, and many regulated private services also verify users through it.
- Calendar
- Official and religious timing often uses the Umm al-Qura Hijri calendar, so forms, reports and schedules may need both Hijri and Gregorian dates.
- Cybersecurity
- The National Cybersecurity Authority publishes mandatory controls for government bodies and critical national infrastructure, which often pass down to their suppliers.
Our services for Saudi Arabia businesses
Website Development
Saudi e-commerce sites need Mada as a first-class payment option alongside Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and BNPL services such as Tamara and Tabby. We build Arabic-first RTL layouts where English is the secondary version. Store pages also need the business details that the Saudi e-commerce law requires sellers to display, such as the commercial registration number.
Mobile Applications
Saudi apps often need Nafath or national-identity verification for regulated services, Mada and Apple Pay in the checkout, and Hijri and Gregorian date display. We test Arabic layouts on the Android and iOS devices common in the Kingdom and design for users who expect to complete everything in the app rather than on a website.
Enterprise Software
Any Saudi ERP, POS or billing system that issues invoices must comply with ZATCA's FATOORA e-invoicing rules, including XML invoices, QR codes and, in the integration phase, real-time clearance or reporting through ZATCA's platform. We build the integration against ZATCA's sandbox before go-live, with 15% VAT logic and Arabic invoice fields.
Digital Marketing
Snapchat is a mainstream channel in Saudi Arabia, alongside X, TikTok and Instagram, so campaign plans usually include it. Influencers who promote products need a Mawthooq licence from the General Authority for Media Regulation, which we verify before a campaign runs. Timing is planned around Ramadan, the two Eids and Saudi National Day on 23 September.
Graphic Design
Saudi brand work is Arabic-led: the Arabic logotype, typography and tone of voice are designed first, with English following. We design for the conservative norms expected in Saudi public advertising and keep separate asset sets for Riyadh-focused corporate audiences and consumer campaigns in Jeddah or the Eastern Province where tone differs.
SEO Services
Saudi search is largely Arabic, and dialect matters: people search using Saudi terms that differ from Modern Standard Arabic and from other Gulf dialects. We research keywords from Saudi search data, localise city pages for Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam only where a business actually serves them, and set up Arabic structured data.
Cyber Security
Organisations that supply Saudi government or critical-infrastructure entities are often asked to meet the National Cybersecurity Authority's Essential Cybersecurity Controls. We run gap assessments against those controls and against the PDPL, including its rules on transferring personal data outside the Kingdom, and help plan remediation.
Video Production
Video for Saudi audiences is scripted in Saudi-accented Arabic rather than generic Gulf or Levantine Arabic, with English subtitles where needed. We produce vertical cuts for Snapchat and TikTok as well as horizontal formats. Filming inside the Kingdom requires local permits, so on-location shoots are done with a licensed Saudi crew.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Doha-based company deliver a project for a Saudi business?
Yes, for most private-sector projects. We contract as a Qatar company and deliver remotely from Doha. We have no Saudi commercial registration, office or staff, so we are not eligible for tenders that require a local entity or local content. If your procurement has those rules, tell us early and we will say plainly whether we can bid.
Do our working hours and weekends line up?
Fully. Doha and Riyadh are on the same time zone, and both countries take Friday and Saturday as the weekend. Meetings, releases and support hours follow the same Sunday to Thursday week. For in-person workshops in Riyadh, Jeddah or the Eastern Province, we travel on dates and costs agreed in advance.
Can you build ZATCA-compliant e-invoicing into our system?
Yes. We generate invoices in the XML format ZATCA requires, add the QR code and cryptographic stamp, and connect to ZATCA's platform for clearance of B2B invoices or reporting of simplified invoices. We onboard the solution in ZATCA's developer sandbox first and test with your real invoice scenarios before your integration wave deadline.
Where will our customer data be hosted?
Under the PDPL, transferring personal data outside the Kingdom is restricted. For Saudi consumer data we normally recommend hosting in a cloud region inside Saudi Arabia, which the major cloud providers offer. We design the architecture so that personal data stays there, and your legal adviser confirms the final position for your sector.
How is payment for the project handled?
We invoice from Qatar in a currency agreed in the contract, usually QAR, SAR or USD. The riyal of each country is pegged to the US dollar, so exchange movement is minimal. Payment is tied to delivery milestones written into the contract. Your finance team should check how Saudi VAT reverse charge and withholding tax apply to services imported from Qatar.
Can you add Mada, Apple Pay and Tamara to our store?
Yes. Mada, Apple Pay and card payments usually come through a single licensed gateway such as HyperPay, Moyasar or PayTabs, and BNPL services such as Tamara and Tabby have their own integrations. You sign the merchant agreements; we build and test the checkout in SAR, including refunds and partial captures.