Blog Overview
Our published band is SAR 3,000 to 5,000 for a one to two week engagement. This article explains what it actually covers, the six drivers that push the number higher, and how to compare three proposals on the same lines.
Ask five agencies what UI/UX design costs in Saudi Arabia and you will get five numbers with no shared definition. One covers full research, another covers twenty screens with none, a third sells hours, and a fourth names a figure only to start negotiating. The problem is not the price. It is that you are comparing different things under the same label.
This article separates what our published band actually covers, what pushes the number above it, and how to read three proposals against the same lines. We do not publish a general market range because we cannot substantiate one. We publish our own band and explain what moves it.
What the published band covers
The short engagement is not a miniature version of a full design programme. It has one question and one outcome. In an audit, the question is: where does the product lose users, and what is the evidence? In a design sprint, the question is: what does the most important flow look like after the fix, and does it work with real users?
In both cases you get a review of existing evidence, a map of the current journey, a severity-ranked problem list, an interactive prototype, a test round with five to eight users, and a written handover that explains what to build first. That is enough to make a decision. It is not enough to build a whole product.
What it does not cover is equally clear: a multi-role product, a full design system, thirty screens, bilingual content production, and front-end build. Anyone offering all of that for this figure has either misunderstood the scope or will ask for the difference later.
The six things that move the number
Cost follows scope, and scope is set by six decisions. Each one can be deferred or narrowed, but its effect cannot be hidden.
| Cost driver | What changes the number | How to control it |
|---|---|---|
| User roles | Each role needs its own navigation, permissions, empty states, and errors | Start with the two roles that carry most of the value; defer the rest |
| Flow count | One onboarding flow is not a billing, support, and reporting suite | Rank flows by revenue or support cost; design the top three first |
| Research depth | Interviews, diary studies, and testing add weeks | One round of five to eight users per segment, then decide |
| Bilingual scope | Arabic and English both need typography, content, and RTL testing | Design both directions from the start; retrofitting costs more |
| Design system | A new system needs tokens, components, documentation, and governance | Build only the components the first release uses |
| Content readiness | Real copy, data, and edge cases are needed to design honest screens | Assign a content owner before kickoff; do not design with placeholders |
Why larger work is quoted after discovery
A quote before discovery is a guess with a logo. Nobody knows the real number of roles, how many flows branch off the main one, or which integration will change the data model. We quote a fixed figure after three to five days of discovery, with a written scope and a list of deferred decisions.
Discovery is not free, but it is cheaper than rebuilding. At this stage we answer one question: what is the smallest release that can test the idea with real users? Everything after it is planned from that answer.
From reading to shipping
Want this built, not just explained?
Bring us the problem behind the article. We will tell you what it takes, what it costs, and whether we are the right team.
If your product is a client portal, start with the published cost breakdown: client portal development cost in Saudi Arabia. If you are comparing design directions before setting scope, UI/UX design trends shaping 2026 gives you the context.
How to compare three proposals
Compare five identical lines, not the final number. First: is research included, how many sessions, and who runs them? Second: how many flows and roles are inside the scope? Third: is delivery bilingual, and does it include RTL testing? Fourth: what accessibility level is promised, and who tests it? Fifth: what happens after handover, and who owns the files and components?
Ask for a sample of a previous handover, not a testimonial. Look at a real Figma file: are the states there? Are components tied to tokens? Are there developer notes? Ask who will work on your project by name, and whether they stay from kickoff to handover.
The expensive version of this service
The expensive version skips discovery. The team spends eight weeks designing the wrong flow, engineers build it, and analytics show no change. McKinsey's study of 300 listed companies found that top-quartile design performers grew revenue 32 percentage points faster over five years. That does not mean any redesign will produce a lift, but it does mean measured design compounds.
The other number worth attention is 70.19%, the 50-study average cart abandonment rate reported by Baymard. A 0.1 second improvement in mobile speed was associated with 8.4% higher retail conversions in Deloitte's study for Google. Numbers do not transfer from one sector to another, but they remind you that the interface is a commercial decision.
What to send before the call
The product URL or the current design file, with view access.
Read access to analytics for at least two weeks, or a screenshot of the funnel.
The top three support complaints from the last month, in their own words.
Three to five users we can speak to, or the reason they are unavailable.
Brand assets and any existing identity guide or design system.
Regulatory constraints in your sector, especially data or accessibility rules.
The launch date if it is fixed, and why.
The decision-maker who will attend reviews and sign off.
Frequently asked questions
Is SAR 3,000 to 5,000 enough to design a full app? No. It covers a focused audit or a one-flow sprint. A full app needs a larger scope, quoted after discovery.
Do you charge hourly? No. We work to a fixed scope and price after discovery, because hourly billing rewards slowness and protects neither side.
Can you work with our in-house team? Yes. We deliver the system, components, and specifications, and review the build with your team.
Do you design in Arabic? Yes. Arabic and English from the first wireframe, including RTL and typography testing.
What if we only need a quick review? That is the first case for the band: a one to two week audit with a ranked problem list and a tested direction.
Sources
- McKinsey: The Business Value of Design (2018) — 300 companies and the 32-point growth gap.
- Baymard: cart abandonment rate — the 50-study 70.19% average.
- web.dev: Milliseconds make millions — the 0.1 second, 8.4% retail conversion finding.
- Rasad's published price bands — the figures this article works from.
- UI/UX design and research — scope, process, and delivery.
