How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App Like Qiwa in Saudi Arabia? - AI-Driven Software Solutions

As businesses in Saudi Arabia rapidly embrace digital transformation, platforms like Qiwa are becoming essential. Qiwa, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), simplifies employer-employee interactions, workforce documentation, and compliance with Saudi labor laws.

If you’re planning to build a similar app, understanding the cost, features, and development factors is crucial. This blog provides a detailed breakdown of what it takes to develop a Qiwa-like platform.

What is Qiwa, and Why is It Important?

Qiwa is a digital labor market platform that offers employment services to businesses and individuals. It streamlines processes such as contract management, visa issuance, workforce compliance, and employment verification.

Core Features of Qiwa

To develop an app like Qiwa, key features include:

Employment Contract Management – A digital platform where businesses can create, sign, and verify employment contracts.
Work Visa Issuance and Renewal – Helps businesses facilitate visa approvals for foreign employees.
Professional Verification System – Ensures employees hold required certifications.
Saudization (Nitaqat) Compliance – Helps track local and expatriate employee ratios for compliance with national policies.
Digital Labor Services – Offers services like salary adjustments, sponsorship transfers, and business classification checks.

Building an app with these functionalities requires secure data handling, AI-driven verification, and third-party integrations.

Factors Influencing the Cost of Developing a Qiwa-Like App

1. App Complexity and Features

The cost largely depends on the app’s complexity.

A basic version with user authentication, contract management, and dashboards can cost SAR 135,000 to SAR 400,000 ($36,000 – $106,000) and take about 3 to 5 months to develop.

A medium-complexity app with advanced analytics, digital approvals, and role-based access can range from SAR 400,000 to SAR 900,000 ($106,000 – $239,000), requiring 6 to 9 months of development.

For a fully advanced platform with AI-powered automation, blockchain verification, multi-language support, cloud storage, and API integrations with government services like Absher, the cost can exceed SAR 900,000 to SAR 2,500,000+ ($239,000 – $666,000+), taking 9 to 15 months.

2. Mobile App Development Approach

The choice between native or cross-platform development significantly impacts costs.

Native development (separate apps for iOS and Android) offers the best performance but is more expensive.
Cross-platform development (using Flutter or React Native) is cost-effective and faster but might limit some features.
A web-based version would require additional development, adding to the cost.

3. Third-Party API Integrations

Integrating external services is crucial for automating labor-related processes. Some essential APIs include:

Absher API for government verification and visa status tracking.
Mada Payment Gateway for secure payroll processing.
Saudi National Address API for address verification.
SMS & Email Notifications for real-time alerts.

Each integration incurs licensing and operational costs.

4. Cloud Hosting & Storage

Since a Qiwa-like platform will handle a massive volume of employment data, cloud hosting and storage costs must be considered.

For platforms hosted on AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud, the monthly cost typically ranges between SAR 10,000 to SAR 50,000 ($2,600 – $13,300), depending on traffic, storage, and computing power needs.

5. Security & Compliance Costs

Handling sensitive employment and labor data means strong security measures must be in place.

End-to-End Encryption can cost anywhere from $10,000 – $30,000.
Penetration Testing & Security Audits require an annual budget of $20,000 – $50,000.
Compliance with ISO 27001 and Saudi cybersecurity regulations can add an expense of $50,000 – $100,000+.

Ignoring security measures can lead to data breaches, heavy fines, and even app shutdowns.

6. Maintenance & Post-Launch Support

Once the app is live, ongoing updates, bug fixes, and support will be necessary.

Regular bug fixes and software updates typically cost between SAR 75,000 – SAR 150,000 ($20,000 – $40,000) per year.

Maintaining cloud servers can cost between SAR 100,000 – SAR 200,000 ($26,600 – $53,000) annually.

Customer support, AI chatbots, and user assistance require an additional SAR 50,000 – SAR 100,000 ($13,300 – $26,600) annually.

How to Reduce the Cost of Development?

Here are some strategies to minimize development costs:

Start with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) – Focus on essential features first and expand based on user feedback.
Use Open-Source Technologies – Reduces licensing expenses.
Choose Cross-Platform Development – Helps cut costs by using a single codebase for iOS and Android.
Outsource Development to Experts – Hiring an experienced development team like Appfodev can optimize project costs while ensuring quality.

Final Cost Estimate for a Qiwa-Like App

To give a complete picture of development expenses:

App Design & Development: SAR 400,000 – SAR 2,500,000 ($106,000 – $666,000).
Cloud Infrastructure: SAR 100,000 – SAR 600,000 ($26,600 – $159,000).
Security & Compliance: SAR 50,000 – SAR 300,000 ($13,300 – $80,000).
Third-Party API Integrations: SAR 75,000 – SAR 200,000 ($20,000 – $53,000).
Post-Launch Maintenance: SAR 75,000 – SAR 250,000 ($20,000 – $66,600) annually.

The total estimated cost ranges between SAR 900,000 – SAR 3,850,000+ ($239,000 – $1,026,000+), depending on the complexity, features, and compliance requirements.

Conclusion

Developing a Qiwa-like employment management platform in Saudi Arabia is a high-investment but high-impact opportunity. The cost varies based on features, security measures, cloud infrastructure, and compliance with Saudi regulations.

At Appfodev, we specialize in enterprise software, AI-driven solutions, and secure cloud-based platforms. If you’re looking to build a custom labor management app for Saudi Arabia’s PropTech, FinTech, or HR sectors, our team can help deliver a cost-effective, scalable, and compliant solution.