App and UI/UX design cost in Saudi Arabia: 2026 SAR rates
App design cost in Saudi Arabia in 2026, in SAR: Clutch agency rates, Riyadh designer salaries, GOSI and Iqama costs, 15% VAT and withholding tax.
The UI/UX and app design cost in Saudi Arabia starts at a few thousand riyals for a landing page and reaches well over SAR 150,000 for a full product from a Riyadh agency. On Clutch's Saudi directory, the two most common agency rates are USD 25 to 49 and USD 50 to 99 an hour (about SAR 94 to 184 and SAR 188 to 371), each charged by 37% of firms that publish a rate. A quarter of firms that state a minimum will not start below USD 25,000 (SAR 93,750).
Employed designers in Riyadh report about SAR 9,000 to 21,000 a month at mid-level and SAR 12,500 to 28,000 as seniors, on small Glassdoor samples, and employer costs add roughly 13 to 20% in year one. Invoices bring 15% VAT, and paying abroad can bring 5% withholding tax.
This guide is for Saudi founders and product leads budgeting design in riyals, alongside my page on product design for Riyadh startups. Every number is sourced at the end, converted at the riyal's peg of SAR 3.75 to USD 1.
UI UX design cost in Riyadh at a glance
| Option | Typical cost | Data quality |
|---|---|---|
| Agency, most common rates | USD 25 to 99 an hour (SAR 94 to 371) | Good: 59 firms on Clutch |
| Agency, premium | USD 100 to 300 an hour (SAR 375 to 1,125) | Fair: 8 firms |
| Agency minimum project | USD 1,000 to 10,000 for 75% of firms (SAR 3,750 to 37,500) | Good: 60 firms |
| Designer, employed | SAR 5,000 (junior) to 28,000 (senior) a month | Fair to weak: small samples |
| Published Saudi project prices | SAR 5,000 (landing page) to 150,000+ (enterprise) | Weak: agency blogs |
Agency rates in Saudi Arabia: what 76 Clutch listings show
Every Clutch listing shows an hourly band and a minimum project. On 4 October 2026 its Saudi Arabia list of UX firms showed 76 companies on two pages; I counted each once, leaving out three sponsored cards for firms that only "serve" the Kingdom and repeated Leaders Matrix cards. Clutch has no Riyadh list, so Riyadh figures are firms with a Riyadh office.
| Hourly rate band | Firms | Share of firms with a rate | In SAR an hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under USD 25 | 7 | 12% | under 94 |
| USD 25 to 49 | 22 | 37% | 94 to 184 |
| USD 50 to 99 | 22 | 37% | 188 to 371 |
| USD 100 to 149 | 4 | 7% | 375 to 559 |
| USD 150 to 199 | 2 | 3% | 563 to 746 |
| USD 200 to 300 | 2 | 3% | 750 to 1,125 |
Another 17 firms publish no rate. Of the 60 that state a minimum project, 27 start at USD 1,000 (SAR 3,750), 10 at USD 5,000, 8 at USD 10,000, 9 at USD 25,000 and 6 at USD 50,000 (SAR 187,500).
Riyadh dominates: 50 of the 76 firms give a Riyadh office and 16 Jeddah. Of the 40 Riyadh firms with a rate, 16 (40%) charge USD 50 to 99 and 6 (15%) charge USD 100 or more, a little above the national picture.
A Riyadh address tells you less than it seems. Clutch's listing data carries a main postal address, and for 24 of the 50 Riyadh firms (33 of all 76) it is outside the Kingdom, most often in India, the United States, the UAE or Egypt. Clutch also says it may earn a fee for some placements, so use the list for prices, not as a ranking.
Saudi rates lean slightly higher than the UAE's, where my count found 41% of firms at USD 25 to 49 and 27% at USD 50 to 99. Clutch's global pricing guide adds that the average reviewed UX project runs about 10 months at USD 8,895, about SAR 33,357, a month.
In-house designer salaries in Riyadh by level
Pay data for Riyadh designers is thin: Glassdoor has 7 to 18 salaries per design title and none for lead product designer. Its figures are monthly base pay, and GOSI counts housing allowance with basic wage, so check what a figure includes.
| Level | Monthly (SAR) | What the sources show |
|---|---|---|
| Junior or entry titles | 5,000 to 9,000 | Glassdoor product designer: middle half 5,000 to 12,667, median 8,896 (14 salaries). PayScale UX designer: average base about 7,700 a month (27 profiles, 2025) |
| Mid-level | 9,000 to 21,000 | Glassdoor UI/UX designer: middle half 9,028 to 14,828 (18). UX designer: middle half 10,023 to 21,125, median 13,033 (18). Taqdeem: experienced UI/UX designer 10,000 to 20,000 |
| Senior | 12,500 to 28,000 | Glassdoor senior product designer: median 15,165, 75th percentile 28,172 (7). Senior UX median 18,333 (8). Senior UI/UX median 12,644 (8) |
Levels.fyi, which leans towards tech companies and counts bonus and stock, shows median total pay of SAR 202,591 a year for product designers in Riyadh, about SAR 16,900 a month (11 submissions). Bayt's broad "design, creative and arts" category averages SAR 9,031 a month across the Kingdom.
On these samples a Riyadh senior earns less than a Dubai one (Glassdoor median AED 28,250, about SAR 28,850, a month), but treat any single median with care.
The real cost of employing a designer in Riyadh
Saudisation and Nitaqat
Every private employer sits in a Nitaqat band, from Platinum through three greens to Red, by its share of Saudi staff. Red blocks visas for new expatriate hires and Iqama renewals for existing staff. A Saudi counts as one full person from SAR 4,000 a month, and as half below it.
Design now has its own rule. Since 19 April 2026, HRSD requires 60% Saudisation in marketing professions for establishments with three or more workers in them, counting Saudis paid at least SAR 5,500 a month. The list names graphic designer and advertising designer, not UX or product designer, so the occupation on a designer's work permit matters.
GOSI, permits and insurance
- GOSI. For a Saudi already in the system, the employer pays 11.75% (9% annuities, 2% occupational hazards, 0.75% SANED); for Saudis first registered after 3 July 2024, Mercans puts it at 12.75% from July 2026. For an expatriate, the employer pays 2%.
- Work permit levy. SAR 800 a month per expatriate where expatriates outnumber Saudis, SAR 700 where they do not, paid by the employer.
- Iqama. SAR 650 a year, with renewal linked to valid health insurance.
- Health insurance. Employers must insure workers and dependants, including in probation. A vendor guide (Truescho) puts individual cover at SAR 800 to 1,500 a year for basic plans and SAR 4,000 to 8,000 for comprehensive ones.
- End of service. Half a month's wage for each of the first five years, a full month for each year after (Article 84 of the Labour Law).
Worked example: one senior product designer for a year
| Cost line | Expatriate (SAR) | Saudi national (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
| Salary, 12 × 15,165 (Glassdoor senior median) | 181,980 | 181,980 |
| GOSI, if the whole salary is contributory | 3,640 (2%) | 21,383 (11.75%) |
| Work permit levy | 8,400 to 9,600 | none |
| Iqama | 650 | none |
| Health insurance, comprehensive plan | 4,000 to 8,000 | 4,000 to 8,000 |
| End of service accrual, half a month | 7,583 | 7,583 |
| Visa, flights, recruitment | employer pays, varies | recruitment, varies |
| Total of priced lines | about 206,300 to 211,500 | about 214,900 to 218,900 |
That is 13 to 16% above salary for the expatriate and 18 to 20% for the Saudi national, who costs more in contributions because GOSI funds a pension, but counts towards Nitaqat.
The comparison founders miss: Clutch's average UX engagement, about SAR 33,357 a month, is nearly twice a senior hire's monthly cost (about SAR 17,200 to 18,200) on these medians. An agency month buys a team for a fixed period, with no notice period or end of service liability.
Published Saudi prices and freelance rates
Published prices are the weakest numbers here, coming from agency blogs, not surveys:
- Orbix Studio (3 October 2026, no method stated for Saudi figures): landing page SAR 5,000 to 10,000, business website 8,000 to 25,000, app MVP 25,000 to 80,000, SaaS dashboard 35,000 to 90,000, enterprise platform 80,000 to 150,000+. It says Saudi studios quote a blended SAR 200 to 600 an hour, 30 to 50% below Dubai.
- Adselams, a Riyadh agency (25 August 2026): app design from SAR 15,000 for a basic app to more than SAR 150,000 for a complex platform.
My Clutch counts do not support "below Dubai": Saudi-listed firms publish slightly higher bands than UAE-listed ones. I found no survey of Saudi freelance UI/UX rates, so treat any freelance rate as a negotiation.
Mobile app design cost in Saudi Arabia, built from the rates
Here is the arithmetic price lists hide: one designer working 40 hours a week at Clutch's two most common Saudi bands. These are estimates, not quotes, and the pairing with published prices is mine.
| Weeks of one full-time designer | At USD 25 to 49 an hour | At USD 50 to 99 an hour | Published Saudi price (Orbix) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks (80 hours) | SAR 7,500 to 14,700 | SAR 15,000 to 29,700 | Landing page: 5,000 to 10,000 |
| 4 weeks (160 hours) | SAR 15,000 to 29,400 | SAR 30,000 to 59,400 | Business website: 8,000 to 25,000 |
| 8 weeks (320 hours) | SAR 30,000 to 58,800 | SAR 60,000 to 118,800 | App MVP: 25,000 to 80,000 |
| 12 weeks (480 hours) | SAR 45,000 to 88,200 | SAR 90,000 to 178,200 | SaaS dashboard: 35,000 to 90,000 |
| 16 weeks (640 hours) | SAR 60,000 to 117,600 | SAR 120,000 to 237,600 | Enterprise: 80,000 to 150,000+ |
One row worked through: 320 hours × USD 25 = USD 8,000, × 3.75 = SAR 30,000. At the top of the next band, 320 × USD 99 = USD 31,680 = SAR 118,800.
Published prices sit at or below the lower band, so many quotes buy less than one full-time designer: SAR 80,000 at SAR 184 an hour buys about 435 hours, under 11 weeks. Then add Arabic, research and 15% VAT from a registered Saudi supplier.
What Arabic, Nafath and Mada add to scope
Saudi users read Arabic first, and Arabic is not a translation job. Each item below costs design and testing time:
- Arabic-first screens: layouts, navigation and directional icons mirror, photos and logos do not, and every screen is checked in both directions.
- Type and numerals: an Arabic typeface that pairs with your Latin one, and one decision on Western or Arabic-Indic digits.
- Hijri and Gregorian dates, labelled so one is never read as the other.
- Nafath sign-in: waiting, approved, expired and failed states, plus a fallback.
- Mada checkout: Mada, card, Apple Pay and wallet steps with clear 3D Secure and failure states.
- ZATCA invoices and PDPL consent: billing screens for your e-invoicing solution, and consent for each purpose.
Left late, each means reworking components, not swapping strings. I found no published figure for what Arabic adds, so ask suppliers to price it as a separate line. My guide to Arabic and RTL interface design covers the rules, and my Riyadh product design page lists what I design for Saudi products.
VAT and withholding tax on design services
Saudi Arabia has charged VAT at 15% since 1 July 2020, up from 5%. Registration is mandatory above SAR 375,000 of taxable supplies a year and voluntary from SAR 187,500.
| Supplier | VAT on their invoice | If you are VAT-registered | If you are not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi supplier, VAT-registered | 15% | Usually recoverable | A real 15% cost |
| Saudi freelancer, not registered | None | Nothing to declare | None |
| Supplier outside the Kingdom | No Saudi VAT | Self-account 15% under the reverse charge, usually deducted in the same return | Reverse charge cannot apply; the foreign supplier is expected to register |
Withholding tax catches many first-time buyers. ZATCA's January 2025 circular lists technical and consulting services from a non-resident at 5%, even when performed entirely abroad, and other services from Kingdom sources at 15%. The Saudi payer deducts it; the Kingdom's more than 56 tax treaties can lower it with a tax residence certificate.
- A Saudi tax invoice must be in Arabic and show the date, a sequential number, both parties and the VAT in riyals.
- Agree in the contract who bears withholding tax: at 5%, SAR 3,000 on SAR 60,000 of design from abroad.
- For a registered, fully taxable company, VAT is mostly cash flow; for an unregistered startup, it is a cost.
This is a summary, not tax advice.
Offshore and remote options compared
| Option | Typical agency rate | In SAR an hour | Time from Riyadh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi-listed agency | USD 25 to 49 and 50 to 99 (37% each) | 94 to 371 | none |
| UAE-listed agency | USD 25 to 49 (41% of firms) | 94 to 184 | 1 hour ahead |
| Dhaka agency | USD 25 to 49 (52% of firms) | 94 to 184 | 3 hours ahead |
| United Kingdom, Clutch country average | USD 50 to 99 | 188 to 371 | 2 hours behind, 3 after 25 October |
The riyal is pegged to the dollar, so a USD quote carries no currency risk. My Dubai cost guide has the UAE and Dhaka counts. With any remote team, check hour overlap, a named senior designer, IP handover, Arabic screens they have shipped, and how they invoice for tax.
Which option fits: a decision framework
| Your situation | Best fit |
|---|---|
| One flow or a landing page | Freelancer or small studio, fixed price |
| Mobile app or SaaS over 8 to 16 weeks | Agency or senior remote team, one fixed quote |
| Arabic-first with Nafath and Mada from day one | A team that has shipped Arabic RTL and Saudi flows |
| Continuous roadmap after product-market fit | Senior in-house hire, outside help for peaks |
| Tight budget, senior quality needed | Senior remote team with hour overlap, tested on a small paid piece |
Hire when there is design work every week for years; buy projects when it comes in bursts. In Riyadh, also ask what the role does to your Nitaqat band.
How to brief and compare quotes
- List the flows, not "an app": sign up and Nafath, onboarding, the core task, payments, settings, admin.
- Name the platforms: iOS, Android, responsive web, admin.
- Say which language leads, which numerals and where Hijri dates appear.
- Define deliverables: research, UI, prototype, design system, handoff, development.
- Give a budget band and a date. Vague briefs get padded quotes.
- Ask for a fixed price per phase, with VAT and withholding tax shown separately and named people.
- Compare like for like on one sheet: designer, weeks, price, tax treatment, Arabic scope, IP.
- Start with a small paid piece of work before a large contract.
Red flags and common mistakes
Red flags in a quote: no named designer; a price far below weeks × rate; "Arabic included" with no detail; unlimited revisions; no IP clause.
Mistakes founders make:
- Comparing hourly rates instead of total cost for a defined scope.
- Budgeting a hire at salary only, without GOSI, the levy and insurance.
- Hiring before checking the occupation and its Nitaqat effect.
- Treating Arabic, Nafath and Mada as later additions.
Frequently asked questions
How much does UI/UX design cost in Riyadh?
Saudi-listed agencies on Clutch most often charge USD 25 to 49 or 50 to 99 an hour, about SAR 94 to 371. Published Saudi prices run from about SAR 5,000 for a landing page to SAR 25,000 to 80,000 for an app MVP and over SAR 150,000 for enterprise platforms.
How much does a UI/UX designer earn in Riyadh?
Glassdoor's Riyadh medians run from SAR 8,896 a month for product designers and SAR 13,033 for UX designers to SAR 15,165 to 18,333 for senior titles, on small samples. Levels.fyi shows median total pay of SAR 202,591 a year for product designers. GOSI, the work permit levy and insurance come on top.
How much does it cost to design an app in Saudi Arabia?
One Riyadh agency publishes SAR 15,000 for a basic app to over SAR 150,000 for a complex platform. Built from Clutch rates, 8 to 12 weeks of one full-time designer costs about SAR 30,000 to 88,200 at USD 25 to 49 an hour, or SAR 60,000 to 178,200 at USD 50 to 99.
Do I pay VAT on design services in Saudi Arabia?
A VAT-registered Saudi supplier adds 15%, usually recoverable if you are registered; an unregistered freelancer charges none. A supplier abroad charges no Saudi VAT, and a registered buyer self-accounts for 15% under the reverse charge, usually deducting it in the same return. If you are not registered, ask the foreign supplier how they handle it.
Is withholding tax due when I pay a designer abroad?
Often, yes. ZATCA's January 2025 circular lists technical and consulting services from non-residents at 5%, even when the work is done entirely abroad, and other services from Saudi sources at 15%. The Saudi payer deducts it, and a tax treaty may reduce it. Agree who bears it, and ask your accountant which category design falls under.
Does Saudisation apply to UX and product designers?
Nitaqat applies to every private employer through its share of Saudi staff. Since 19 April 2026, HRSD also requires 60% Saudisation in marketing professions for establishments with three or more workers in them. The list names graphic and advertising designers, not UX or product designers, so the occupation on the work permit matters.
Does Arabic support make UI/UX design more expensive?
Yes. Right to left changes layouts, components, type, numerals and testing, and many Saudi products also need Nafath sign-in, Mada checkout and Hijri dates. I have found no published figure for the extra cost, so ask each supplier to price Arabic as a separate line and list exactly what it includes.
My recommendation
A project with me starts with a free 30 minute intro call, then a written scope and one fixed quote for the whole project, with no retainer. I work from Dhaka (more about me), and senior work like mine is priced above typical local freelancer rates: you pay for a senior team, a documented design system and a handoff your developers can build from.
Decide whether design is a project or a permanent function. For a project, write the flow list, get three fixed quotes with Arabic, Nafath and payments priced separately, and test the strongest with a small paid piece. For a permanent function, hire a senior, budget 13 to 20% above salary plus visa and recruitment, and check Nitaqat first. To see how I work with Saudi founders, start with product design for Riyadh teams, part of my wider product design service.
Sources and method
Collected on 4 October 2026. For Clutch, I read both pages of the Saudi UX list and counted each of 76 firms once, leaving out three sponsored cards and repeated Leaders Matrix cards; Riyadh means a listed Riyadh office, and "main address" is the postal address in each listing's page data. UAE and Dhaka counts (2 October 2026) and the Dubai salary come from my Dubai guide. Glassdoor figures are published monthly base pay percentiles. Converted at SAR 3.75 to USD 1 and AED 3.6725, rounded. Data is thin for senior salaries, insurance premiums, freelance rates and the cost of Arabic.
- Clutch, UX designers in Saudi Arabia, 76 companies, read 4 October 2026: page 1, page 2
- Clutch, UX pricing guide, updated 21 September 2026: clutch.co
- Glassdoor, Riyadh monthly base pay by title, October 2026: product, UI/UX, UX, senior product, senior UX, senior UI/UX, lead product
- Levels.fyi, product designer pay in Riyadh, updated 4 October 2026: levels.fyi
- PayScale, UX designer salary in Saudi Arabia, August 2025: payscale.com
- Taqdeem, design and creative jobs in Saudi Arabia, 27 August 2026: taqdeem.net
- Bayt, design, creative and arts salaries in Saudi Arabia, read 4 October 2026: bayt.com
- GOSI, contributor FAQ, read 4 October 2026: gosi.gov.sa
- Mercans, GOSI rates in 2026, 22 April 2026: mercans.com
- Middle East Briefing, Nitaqat 2026 update, 15 May 2026: middleeastbriefing.com
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, Saudisation of marketing and sales from 19 April 2026, May 2026: hrsd.gov.sa
- Middle East Briefing, Iqama procedure and costs, 12 August 2025: middleeastbriefing.com
- KSA Expats, Iqama fees and work permit levy, 9 June 2026: ksaexpats.com
- Council of Health Insurance, employer insurance obligation, 28 October 2018: chi.gov.sa
- Truescho, health insurance costs for expats, 26 March 2026: truescho.com
- Playroll, hiring in Saudi Arabia (end of service), updated 1 October 2026: playroll.com
- ZATCA, tax circular on withholding tax, January 2025: zatca.gov.sa
- Grant Thornton, indirect tax guide for Saudi Arabia, 1 January 2025: grantthornton.global
- Pinsent Masons Out-Law, VAT rises to 15% from 1 July 2020, 14 May 2020: pinsentmasons.com
- Orbix Studio, UI/UX design cost guide, 3 October 2026: orbix.studio
- Adselams, app design cost in Saudi Arabia, 25 August 2026: adselams.com
- IANA time zone database via Node.js Intl, 4 October 2026: iana.org
