How to Choose a Developer or Software Company in the Gulf: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign

Choosing the person or company that will build your website or app is one of the most consequential decisions in a digital project. The right partner turns an idea into a product that works and grows. The wrong one can cost you months, a large budget and sometimes your code, accounts and data.

This guide gives business owners in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and the wider Gulf a practical way to evaluate developers and agencies, local or remote: ten questions to ask before signing, the red flags to watch for, and how to set up the engagement so you stay in control.

Freelancer, small studio or agency?

There's no universally best option; match the partner to the project's size and risk.

The 10 questions to ask before you sign

1. Can I see live projects similar to mine?

Ask for links to websites you can open and apps you can download. Test them on your phone. Check speed, design quality and whether they still work.

2. Can I talk to a previous client?

A short call with a past client reveals reliability, communication and how problems were handled.

3. What exactly is included in the scope?

You want a written list of pages or screens, features, integrations, content responsibility and what's explicitly excluded.

4. What's the process and timeline?

Look for discovery, design approval, development in sprints, testing and launch, with dates for each milestone.

5. How will I see progress?

Regular demos, staging links or test builds every one to two weeks, not a surprise at the end.

6. Who owns the code and accounts?

Domain, hosting, app store accounts, source code repository, analytics and payment gateway accounts should all be in your name, with the developer added as a user.

7. How is quality assured?

Ask about testing on devices, performance targets (for example Core Web Vitals), security practices and code reviews.

8. What happens after launch?

Warranty period for bug fixes, support response times, monthly maintenance options and cost of future changes.

9. How are changes priced?

New requests will come up. Agree on how they're estimated and approved before work starts.

10. What's the payment schedule and contract?

Milestone-based payments and a written contract covering scope, ownership, confidentiality, timelines and termination.

Red flags

• No live work you can test, or only screenshots.
• A single total price with no breakdown.
• Promises of "first page on Google in a week" or unrealistic timelines.
• Pressure to pay the full amount upfront.
• Reluctance to put accounts in your name.
• Vague answers about testing, security or maintenance.
• Communication that's slow or unclear before you even sign.

Green flags

• A clear discovery session where they ask about your customers and goals, not just features.
• A detailed proposal with assumptions and exclusions written down.
• A portfolio with live, fast, well-built projects, including apps on the stores.
• Willingness to start with a smaller paid phase (discovery or MVP).
• Clear documentation and handover practices.

Pricing models and what they mean for you

Price details for websites and apps are in How much does a website cost? and How much does it cost to build a mobile app?.

Gulf-specific considerations

• Arabic-first quality: native Arabic copy and correct RTL design, not translated English layouts.
• Local payments: mada in Saudi Arabia, KNET in Kuwait, Apple Pay across the region, and buy-now-pay-later where relevant. See Payment gateways in the Gulf.
• Compliance: VAT invoicing where applicable and data protection laws such as Saudi PDPL.
• Working week and time zones: agree on meeting times and response expectations.
• Bilingual SEO: separate Arabic and English pages with hreflang if you serve expatriates.

Working with a remote developer successfully

Many Gulf businesses work with developers in Egypt or elsewhere, and it works well with the right setup:

1. A written scope and milestone plan.
2. A shared project board and a weekly progress call.
3. Staging links and test builds you can try yourself.
4. Accounts created in your company's name from day one.
5. A single point of contact on each side.
6. A contract that covers ownership, confidentiality and support.

What a good proposal looks like

A strong proposal typically includes: your goals and audience as they understood them; the sitemap or screen list; features and integrations; design approach; technology and why; timeline with milestones; what you need to provide (content, access, approvals); testing and launch plan; post-launch support; pricing by milestone; and assumptions and exclusions. If a proposal is missing most of these, ask for them before deciding.

Example: comparing three quotes for a booking app

A salon owner in Jeddah received three quotes. The cheapest said "complete booking app" in one line and, when asked, excluded the admin panel, payments and store publishing. The most expensive, from a large agency, was detailed but long and included features the salon didn't need yet. The third detailed screens, admin panel, mada and Apple Pay, publishing and three months of support, with an optional loyalty phase later. The third was the best fit: mid-priced, clear and focused on what earns money first. Compare scopes, not totals.

A simple scoring table

Score each quote from 1 to 5 per criterion, multiply by the weight and pick the highest total.

Frequently asked questions

Mohamed SakrWeb & mobile app developer, SEO and digital marketing specialist. He ships complete products end-to-end — design, code, launch and growth — including apps live on Google Play and sites ranking on Google.Apps live on Google PlaySites ranking on Google50+ practical guidesMore about me →