Want to know the cost of mobile app development in Dubai in 2025?

Let’s get started! With the UAE being one of the most digitally connected countries globally, the scope for mobile app penetration is also high. In fact, as per some stats, the average mobile app downloads in the country crossed the threshold of 500 million in 2024.

The country ranks second on the world’s fastest average mobile internet speed index right after Qatar. That said, it’s pretty clear that with the strong digital infrastructure of the country, businesses are increasingly shifting towards mobile apps to level up their game.

Why is Mobile App Development Important?

Here are 3 essential reasons why every business needs a mobile app:

• Greater Brand Awareness:
  
  
  Remember that saying out of sight, out of mind? Well, it holds even in the digital realm. Once a customer has installed your mobile app on his device, every time s/he scrolls it, they’re most likely to come across the app. That is why so much thought and effort are put into designing the perfect mobile app logo. It needs to be something that gets imprinted on the psyche of the customers. Moreover, with reminder advertisements such as customized push notifications, businesses with a mobile app have higher brand awareness.

• Seamless Online Shopping Experience:
  
  
  Mobile apps offer greater creative liberty to designers to design intuitive designs that align with the business’s vision. Also, with the integration of third-party platforms, the entire shopping experience gets reduced to a few clicks. Repeated purchases get a boost through mobile apps.

• Better Customer Monitoring:

  
  A business must understand their target audience and customers such as their online behavior, likes and preferences, and so on. Without mobile apps, they need to rely on surveys and third-party data gathered through different sources. However, with mobile apps, customer segmentation becomes easier. The app can monitor a customer’s search history and past orders and accordingly suggest similar products and services to them thereby creating a more personalised experience for the users.

Now let’s move on to the

Factors That Impact Mobile App Development Cost

• Features and Functionalities:

  
  There’s no doubt that mobile apps are comparatively more expensive than websites. Thus, a lot of small to medium businesses hesitate to invest in a mobile app. However, mobile app development can be economized by planning and choosing the best agency (more on this later). If you’re just starting, keeping the list of features and functionalities short is advisable. This will keep the cost of development under the belt. Similarly, as and when the list of features expands, the cost would go up. Moreover, apps that demand greater third-party integration, complex design, etc inflate the overall development cost.

• App Complexity:

  
  As the list of features and functionalities expands, it affects the overall complexity of developing the app. Since it demands more time and expertise to develop such apps, it gets visible on the bill. On average, a simple app takes 3-6 months to make while a moderately complex to complex app may take 6-8 and 9-12 months respectively.

• Ongoing Maintenance Support:

  
  App development is not a one-time task. It requires ongoing maintenance by the developers to tackle bugs and errors that may arise during its functioning and ensure smooth operation. A good development company offers prompt support even after the app is delivered to the client. However, the maintenance service is not for free and the cost varies from one agency to another.

• UI/UX:

  
  UI/UX design is the deal maker or deal breaker in mobile apps. An intuitive UI/UX design can contribute significantly to greater user engagement and retention and vice versa. Thus, agencies with expert UI/UX designers usually charge higher than the nascent ones. Furthermore, certain factors within UI/UX that can alleviate the overall cost of mobile apps are visual elements, portrait or landscape mode, branding, button placement, color psychology, content writing, and more.

• App Platform:

  
  The platform on which your app would be available for downloads also has an impact on the cost. For instance, mobile apps for Android are cheaper than those for iOS. Similarly, businesses may opt for a cross-platform app (ie. available both on Android and iOS) which again will inflate the cost of app development. However, if you’re just starting, it’s recommended to choose a single platform and switch to cross-platform once your business has started growing.

• Technology Stack:

  
  The tech stack that the agency uses for developing mobile apps also matters. If they’re using robust and efficient technologies that are relevant to the present times, it is going to cost you. However, compromising on tech stack just to save some bucks is highly inadvisable.

• Expertise of Team Working:

  
  It goes without saying that if the team has seasoned developers and designers, the cost will be higher than a team that has a bunch of newbies.

Now, the next logical question is,

How to Find the Best App Development Company in Dubai?

Here are a few tips to find the best-in-class app development company in Dubai:

• Examine Company’s Portfolio

While looking for an app development company for your business, check out their portfolios. Here, you will get an idea of the projects they have worked on, what their clients have to say about their services, and so forth.

• Evaluate Cost and Delivery Time

Once a company piques your interest, get in touch with them and explain your vision regarding the mobile app. At this point, look for an agency with people who are willing to listen to your concerns and share insights. If there are hindrances in communication, it might not be the best pick for you. Also, get quotes and analyze and compare them to get a fair idea.

• Know the App Requirement

To communicate your business’s vision with the development team, you need to be clear about what you want. Thus, formulating a list of features and functionalities before scheduling a meeting with the team is of utmost importance.

• Check the Company’s Team, Skills and Reputation

An agency with developers and designers who are qualified and experienced will quote more. However, quality need not always come at a greater expense. Thus, look for an agency that has team spirit, willingness to learn, appropriate skills, good projects under their belt, and testimonials before making a decision.

The best part is you don’t have to spend endless hours looking for the right mobile app development company in Dubai. Noortaj Marketing ticks all of the above boxes. It has a dedicated team of professionals with the right set of qualifications and industry experience, excellent testimonials, and a bunch of successful projects under their belt. Check out our Mobile App Development Services today to give wings to your business!

Rough Estimation of Mobile App Development Cost in Dubai

Please note that this is a rough estimation, the actual costs may vary.

Tips for Budgeting Your App Development Cost

• Set Clear Objectives

It’s unwise to create a mobile app for your business without knowing what you want to achieve through it. When you are clear with the objectives, prioritizing the features and functionalities will become easier. With a list of features in your hand, you’ll be able to create a rough estimation for your mobile app.

• Negotiate and Clarify Terms

To save yourself from any future trouble, get proper quotes with specifications for every service. Also, you can always negotiate to ensure it doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket.

• Develop MVP First

One interesting way through which you can reduce the cost of mobile app development is by creating a Minimum Viable Product or MVP. An MVP will have all the basic yet essential features of an app and you can use it to test it among your target audience. Once the MVP succeeds among your potential audience, you can move on to create a full-fledged app.

If you want to have a detailed understanding of the mobile app development process, check out our detailed step-by-step guide for 2025.