How Much Does a Website Cost in Saudi Arabia?
A practical guide for business owners in Saudi Arabia: what drives website design costs, freelancer vs. agency vs. website builder, and how to compare quotes.
One of the questions business owners type into Google most often is: “How much does it cost to design a website?” The honest answer is that there’s no single figure that suits everyone. A brochure website of a few pages is very different from an online store with hundreds of products, a payment gateway and integration with shipping companies.
In this guide we explain the factors that push the cost up or down, the options available to you in the Saudi market, and how to ask for a clear quote that won’t surprise you with extra costs later.
What determines the cost of a website?
The type of website
The starting point is the question: what do you want from the website?
- Brochure website: presents your business, your services and how to contact you. Usually the simplest and least expensive.
- Service website with booking or ordering: adds features such as appointment booking or a quote request form.
- Online store: needs a shopping cart, a payment gateway, product and stock management, and returns and shipping policies. This type is usually the most expensive because it is more complex to build and run.
- Platform or custom system: such as a customer portal or an internal system. These are software projects whose cost varies with the requirements.
Number of pages and amount of content
Every extra page means time spent on design, writing and review. A five-page website (home, about us, services, portfolio, contact us) is different from a website with a separate page for every service and every branch. And don’t forget that writing the content itself can be a separate line item if you don’t prepare it yourself.
Number of languages
Many businesses in Saudi Arabia need a website in Arabic and English. A second language isn’t just a matter of translating text; it includes the page direction (right-to-left and left-to-right), reviewing the design in both, and search engine optimisation for each language.
Custom design or ready-made template?
- Ready-made template: faster and less expensive, and suitable for most small and medium-sized projects, as long as it is flexible and lets you change colours, fonts and content.
- Custom design: starts from scratch based on your brand identity, and goes through stages such as interface design and then development. It gives you more distinctiveness, but takes longer and costs more.
Online store and integrations
If your website sells, there are extra items such as connecting a payment gateway, setting up shipping methods, and invoicing. Some of these services have their own fees from their providers, separate from the design cost.
Hosting, domain and annual renewal
This item is one many people overlook when comparing. A website isn’t paid for only once; it has ongoing costs:
- Domain name: such as yourbusiness.sa or .com, renewed every year.
- Hosting: the server your website runs on, renewed yearly or monthly.
- SSL certificate: needed for the padlock to appear in the browser, and sometimes included with hosting.
Always ask: how much will I pay in the second year?
Maintenance and updates
After launch, you’ll need to change prices, add a service or update photos. Can you do that yourself? Or will you pay for every change? This question affects the real long-term cost more than many people expect.
What options do you have?
Freelancer
This can be a good option if you find a reliable freelancer with a clear track record. Prices among freelancers vary enormously depending on experience and the type of work. Pay attention to points such as: who owns the hosting and domain accounts? And who will fix any problem after delivery?
Agency or design company
Usually offers a full team: design, development, content writing and search engine optimisation. Suitable for larger projects or those that need a fully custom design. Prices here also vary a lot from one company to another, so you should compare the details of each quote, not just the total.
Website builder platform
Gives you ready-made templates you can customise, lets you edit the content yourself, and usually has clear, published pricing. Suitable for anyone who wants a professional website quickly without getting into a long software project.
Quick comparison
| Criterion | Freelancer | Agency | Website builder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Varies widely | Usually higher | Clear and published |
| Delivery time | Depends on the freelancer | Usually longer | Faster |
| Custom design | Possible | Possible to a large extent | Within the available templates |
| Editing content yourself | Depends on how it’s built | Depends on how it’s built | Usually available |
| Support after delivery | Needs a clear agreement | Needs a clear agreement | Usually part of the service |
Oxira Studio pricing: an example of clear pricing
At Oxira Studio we chose to publish our prices from the start, so you know what you’ll pay before you begin. Three packages are available, each a one-time payment:
- 1,499 SAR
- 2,499 SAR (includes the domain)
- 4,999 SAR
Prices exclude 15% VAT. From the second year, the renewal fees are: hosting 399 SAR per year and domain 99 SAR per year.
And if you need extra features later, you can add them to suit your business, such as an appointment booking system for clinics and salons, or a QR digital menu for restaurants and cafés, instead of building everything from scratch.
How to request a quote that won’t surprise you later
Whether you work with a freelancer, an agency or a platform, ask for an itemised quote, and make sure it answers these questions:
- How many pages are included? And how much does an extra page cost?
- Is the website in one language or two?
- Is the design custom or based on a template?
- Are hosting and the domain included? For how long?
- How much is renewal in the second year and after?
- Who owns the domain and the accounts? (Ideally they should be in your name or your company’s name.)
- Can I edit the content myself?
- What does support after launch include? And how much do changes cost?
- Are prices before or after tax?
- What is the expected delivery time?
With these questions you can compare quotes fairly, because a quote that looks low at first can end up more expensive if changes and renewals are costly.
Tips to reduce cost without sacrificing quality
- Start with what you actually need: a clear website of a few pages is better than a large website that never gets updated.
- Prepare your content in advance: logo, photos, service descriptions and contact details. This saves time.
- Choose a solution you can edit yourself: it saves you the cost of small, recurring changes.
- Think about annual costs from the start: don’t compare only the first payment.
- Add features gradually: start with the basics, then add booking, a menu or other features when you need them.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fixed price for website design in Saudi Arabia?
No. Prices vary widely depending on the type of website, the number of pages and languages, how it is designed, and who builds it. It’s best to request detailed quotes and compare them item by item.
Is a template-based website enough for my business?
For most small and medium-sized projects, yes. A good template can be customised with your colours, logo and content, and gives you a professional website quickly. A fully custom design makes more sense when you have special requirements or a visual identity that needs a different treatment.
What annual costs should I expect after launching the website?
Usually: domain renewal, hosting renewal, and any subscriptions to extra services you use. At Oxira Studio, for example, the renewal fees from the second year are 399 SAR for hosting and 99 SAR for the domain per year, before tax.
Do Oxira’s prices include VAT?
No, all the prices mentioned exclude 15% VAT.
How long does it take to launch the website?
It depends on the size of the website and how ready your content is. Template-based websites are usually much faster than projects designed from scratch, and preparing your content in advance shortens the time even more.
Start your website with a clear cost
If you’re looking for a professional website for your business at a price published from the start, take a look at the Oxira Studio packages, or contact us and tell us about your business so we can help you choose the right package.
And if your company needs a custom website or an online store, take a look at our company website design and e-commerce store design services, and before signing with anyone, read our article on how to choose a web design company.