How to choose a reliable software company in Riyadh

The software development landscape in Riyadh

Partly driven by the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative – which seeks to diversify the Saudi economy – Riyadh offers numerous software development and web design agencies. However, compared with global best practices, Saudi companies tend to offer less ‘specialized’ services; which is to say that design duties are often fulfilled by frontend or backend developers – rather than providers with highly specialized skill sets, services are often provided by ‘jacks-of-all-trades’.

Although this situation is changing as the market matures, the fact remains that Riyadh’s software development sector still has a shortage of specialist talent.

Despite the encouragement of Vision 2030, Riyadh (and Saudi Arabia) is still in the process of evolving into a sophisticated digital economy, and experienced local talent remains in short supply compared to the country’s Western peers. As for foreign developers living in Riyadh, they do exist but economic factors discourage a large population of expat coders. While the cost of living in Riyadh is only about 10% up on Warsaw (source: Numbeo.com), the average developer salary in Riyadh is just $20K per year compared with around $30K in Warsaw (source: Talent.com).

So, in Riyadh, demand for app and software development is growing, but local talent cannot keep pace; and ‘imported’ talent is not so established. This is a challenge if you’re in Riyadh and looking for a partner to design and build truly world-class digital products. This fits with the wider across the MENA countries…

A MENA perspective

It’s not just Riyadh and Saudi Arabia experiencing this disconnect between demand and available talent. The Middle East and North Africa nations are catching up with other regions – in 2023, the combined digital economy for MENA passed the 100 billion dollar mark (source: SQLI.com). Meanwhile, in September last year, Gartner forecasted that MENA IT expenditure in 2024 would increase by 4% compared to 2023 (with software spending set to grow at three times that rate). Gartner’s Miriam Burt (VP Analyst) has said:

IT spending in MENA is increasing because organizations, particularly in the GCC region, continue to focus on digitalizing their IT infrastructure. This is required to support regional governments’ push to implement their country visions for economic diversification, enhance public-private collaboration, and bolster sustainability efforts towards net-zero targets.

Burt continues, suggesting that the increased investment will

accelerate digitalization and streamline operations by continuing cloud migration efforts and increasing automation and IoT capabilities. By 2024, we expect local organizations to increase their spending on embedding artificial intelligence (AI) into their strategic business and IT planning. Improving data management to yield greater monetization as well as strengthening cybersecurity security and risk management will remain top spending priorities in the region.

The priorities for the region, and Riyadh, are clear. But if you’re part of this surging demand for development services, how do you find the perfect software development partner in Riyadh?

Choosing a software company in Riyadh – check your criteria

The first step comes before you even begin looking at software companies – you need to be crystal clear on what you aim to achieve with your app or website. What business needs or objectives will it fulfill? What is the goal of the digital product you want to create? What will it do?

Once you have a clear vision of the product, its broad features and functions, and the target user audience, you can apply the following criteria to the software companies you’re thinking of partnering with.

1. Track records

Basically, what experience do they have in developing the kind of product you’re looking for? Is it an app, a website, or something more sophisticated, like an e-commerce platform, an AI-powered service, or an ERP portal? To be on your shortlist, a company should have examples of similar products in its portfolio and relevant case studies it can point to.

When considering suppliers, Clutch.co is an excellent source of references and information based on client interviews, with the help of independent analysts for credibility. With over 280,000 service providers across the globe, Clutch.co is a crucial resource.

Likewise, Dribbble and the Awwwards platform provide similar independent assessments for graphic and website design services.

2. Communication

What is your potential partner like at staying in touch, keeping you informed of progress, and getting back to you when you have a question? You’re testing this criterion from the first moment of contact. From the first email or message inquiry, you can get a feel for how they communicate, how quickly they reply, what manner or attitude they adopt, and whether you feel you’re speaking to the right person or are being passed through a series of gatekeepers.

At Boldare, we feel our service standards are what clients have a right to expect:

• First reply within 24 hours (usually quicker).
• Assign an expert to respond based on the potential client’s stated needs.
• After an initial analysis, either a further consultation or a choice of two outline solutions.
• Product discovery workshops are used to bring the client together with the Boldare team and dive into the specific requirements and research.
• Agree and sign a contract, and start work.

This process is rigorous in that we get to know the client’s needs in depth, yet sufficiently flexible to fit any client’s circumstances. If a software company tells you they have the solution to your problem after just a quick chat, be wary. Excellent digital products are based on a deep knowledge of your business and your customer/user needs.

3. Design and development methodology

There are many different approaches and methodologies to developing digital products. At Boldare, we strongly recommend an agile approach (e.g. Scrum) which engages with the client (you!) from the start of the development process. Work is divided into short periods of focused effort, called sprints. Each sprint results in a functioning iteration of your product. The process is flexible and responsive to new and emerging information, and you can easily pivot to a new goal if testing and feedback indicate a better direction of development. Agile approaches are also highly user-centric, focused on the needs, desires, and pain points of the people who will be using your app or website; making it much more likely that the final result will offer users genuine value.

In contrast, the more traditional ‘waterfall’ methodologies are heavy on documentation and relatively inflexible, with limited client input once a project is underway. Briefly, the differences between agile and waterfall are as follows:

Agile:

• The development process is split into sprints.
• Flexible – the product/design can be modified at any point.
• The client is an active participant in the development process.
• Works well with any type of product – simple app to complex, custom online platform.
• Incorporates continuous testing and continuous integration.
• The team is proactive, with a sense of responsibility for the project’s success.
• Budgets are flexible and can be modified, if necessary.
• The client has access to and can communicate with the whole team.

Waterfall:

• The development process divided into distinct, set phases.
• More rigid – once the documentation is signed off, modifications are not allowed.
• The client’s role is limited to providing project documentation.
• Works better with less complex projects.
• Testing takes place after product delivery.
• Responsibility for project success lies with the project manager.
• The budget is agreed on up front.
• Client communication is mainly limited to project manager.

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The great dilemma. Agile or waterfall?

4. Dedicated development team

When is a product team not a product team? When the people working on your digital product are also working on a number of other projects at the same time. This tends to be true of independent freelancers and, sometimes, the teams offered by software companies are also juggling multiple projects. This kind of arrangement – while perhaps understandable – can impact the teamwork and communication of your project, and the quality of the final product. This is why, at Boldare, we only provide dedicated teams who aren’t working on other projects and include professionals with experience in the specific product under development.

Boldare in the Middle East

By now, you might be wondering why we are basing this analysis of software development in Riyadh. The answer is our extensive experience of working with clients in various Middle East countries.

For years as a foreign collaborator, we have worked on quality digital products with a variety of MENA clients; including:

• An MVP of a web and mobile app for Radio Virgin Oman, in only four weeks.
• Scaling a working app for IonoView, operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Lebanon.
• A fully functional e-commerce platform for Takamol Holding, based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, within six weeks.
• An e-invoice integration solution for ZATCA compliance in Saudi Arabia.

For more, why not visit our Clutch.co profile and check out our 54 reviews so far?

Software development in Riyadh

Riyadh is on its way to becoming a key digital center and local demand for professional design and development services is at an all-time high. For any Riyadh business looking to establish its online presence or digitally transform its offering, finding the right digital partner is essential. At the moment, if your needs are straightforward (generic apps or websites), local providers may be enough. However, for more complex or custom projects, it’s worth looking abroad for a partner with the right track record and collaborative approach, experience in Saudi Arabia, and a deep understanding of the latest digital possibilities.