ZTABS designs websites for Riyadh businesses — Arabic-first bilingual experiences for Saudi government entities, corporate enterprises, and consumer brands. Vision 2030 aligned, CITC compliant, and built for the mobile-first Saudi audience.
Riyadh is the center of the most ambitious digital transformation program in the Middle East, and website design is where that transformation meets the public. Vision 2030 has set explicit targets for government service digitization, and every ministry, government entity, and state-owned enterprise is either rebuilding or launching digital platforms. But Saudi web design carries requirements that make it fundamentally different from web design in any Western market. Arabic is the primary language, not a secondary translation. RTL (right-to-left) layout is the default, not an adaptation. The Saudi audience is overwhelmingly mobile — smartphone penetration exceeds 98%, with iPhone dominant in the premium segment and Samsung leading the broader market. Saudi users expect fast, native-feeling Arabic digital experiences, and they have low tolerance for websites that feel like translated English sites with Arabic text pasted in. The CITC (Communications, Space and Technology Commission) regulates digital content and communications, the NCA (National Cybersecurity Authority) sets security requirements for government-connected systems, and the NDMO (National Data Management Office) governs data handling standards. Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), effective since September 2023, imposes GDPR-like requirements for websites collecting personal data from Saudi residents, including consent management, data minimization, and breach notification obligations. Designing websites for Riyadh means designing Arabic-first, mobile-first, regulation-compliant digital experiences that serve a young, digitally sophisticated population (70% of Saudi Arabia is under 35) with the highest expectations for digital quality in the region.
Riyadh's web design demand is driven by government digital transformation, corporate modernization, and the explosion of consumer-facing digital businesses. Government represents the largest single client: the Digital Government Authority (DGA) oversees digital transformation across all government entities, and its Unified National Platform (my.gov.sa) sets the standard for government web design in Saudi Arabia. Individual ministries, agencies, and entities (ZATCA, HRSD, MOH, MISA) each need citizen-facing portals, internal dashboards, and public information websites that comply with DGA standards and NCA security requirements. Government procurement follows Etimad processes and requires specific certifications. Corporate Riyadh is undergoing a parallel transformation: Saudi Aramco, SABIC, STC, Al Rajhi Bank, and dozens of large enterprises are modernizing their digital presence as part of broader corporate transformation programs. These companies need websites that communicate global competitiveness while respecting Saudi cultural values and Arabic-first communication. The giga-projects (NEOM, The Red Sea, Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate, ROSHN) each represent massive web design opportunities — project marketing websites, investor portals, residential community platforms, and destination websites. Real estate is booming: ROSHN, Dar Al Arkan, and private developers are launching residential and commercial projects across Riyadh at unprecedented scale, each needing property marketing websites with Arabic virtual tours, payment plan calculators in SAR, and WhatsApp-integrated lead capture. Healthcare groups (Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib, Mouwasat, Al Hammadi) need patient-facing websites with appointment booking, Arabic health content, and insurance verification integration. The SME sector (3 million+ registered small businesses) represents a long-tail opportunity: Saudi SMEs selling on Salla and Zid need professional web presence beyond their marketplace storefronts.
Our Riyadh web design process is Arabic-first, meaning Arabic is the primary design language and English is the adaptation, not the other way around. We begin the design process in Arabic: wireframes are created in RTL, content is written in Arabic first (by native Arabic copywriters who understand Saudi communication conventions, not translators), and typography is selected for Arabic legibility before English pairing. This approach produces fundamentally different results than the common practice of designing in English and then adding Arabic. Arabic-first design addresses: RTL layout architecture (navigation flows right-to-left, content hierarchy reads right-to-left, and visual weight distribution follows Arabic reading patterns — a hero image positioned on the left in English moves to the right in Arabic, but the entire composition must be reconsidered, not just mirrored), Arabic typography (Arabic typefaces have different x-heights, different stroke weights, and different spacing characteristics than Latin typefaces — IBM Plex Arabic, Noto Sans Arabic, or Tajawal are selected based on the brand voice and sized to achieve visual balance with their English counterparts), cultural visual language (Saudi web design has specific visual conventions — green carries national significance, calligraphy is a respected art form that can elevate brand perception when used appropriately, and imagery must respect Saudi cultural values while reflecting the modernity that Vision 2030 represents), and Saudi payment integration (Mada debit network, STC Pay, Apple Pay, and Tamara/Tabby BNPL for e-commerce sites — payment flows designed in Arabic with SAR as the primary currency). Mobile-first is absolute: with 98%+ smartphone penetration and Saudi users averaging 7+ hours of daily screen time, every design decision is made for mobile first. We design for iPhone 15 as the premium baseline and Samsung Galaxy A-series as the mass-market baseline, ensuring that the experience works across the full range of devices Saudi users carry. PDPL compliance is built into the design: consent collection for data processing, purpose disclosure in Arabic, and data subject rights pages that comply with SDAIA (Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority) guidelines. For government clients, we ensure NCA Essential Cybersecurity Controls (ECC) compliance at the hosting and application level, DGA digital standards alignment, and accessibility following Saudi accessibility guidelines.
Real Estate / Government
A Riyadh-based giga-project developer (government-backed entity developing a SAR 100B+ mixed-use destination) needed a public-facing website for: (1) Investor relations — presenting project financials, construction progress, and investment opportunities to sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, and international partners. (2) Residential sales — marketing residential units to Saudi nationals and expatriates, with pricing in SAR, payment plan options, and WhatsApp-integrated lead capture. (3) Corporate communications — project announcements, leadership profiles, sustainability reporting, and media assets. (4) Recruitment — attracting Saudi and international talent for 2,000+ positions. The existing website was a basic WordPress site created during the project's announcement phase — English-only, desktop-designed, with no Arabic content, no investor portal, and no residential sales capability. The client required a bilingual Arabic-English website that reflected the project's position as a national priority and met NCA security requirements for a government-connected entity.
We designed and built the website over 12 weeks on Next.js with Sanity CMS: (1) Arabic-first design: the entire site designed in Arabic first — Arabic typography, RTL layout, Arabic content hierarchy — then adapted to English. The Arabic site uses Noto Kufi Arabic for headings (conveying modernity and authority) paired with Noto Sans Arabic for body text (readability at all sizes). The English version uses a complementary sans-serif that harmonizes with the Arabic typographic system. (2) Investor portal: a gated section with financial reports, construction progress dashboards (real-time integration with the project management system showing percentage completion by zone), and downloadable investment memoranda. Designed for institutional investors — data-rich, no-nonsense layouts with clear data visualization. NCA-compliant authentication with Nafath (Saudi national digital identity) integration for Saudi investors and standard email/OTP for international investors. (3) Residential marketing: property listing pages with Arabic virtual tours (Matterport integration with Arabic labels and RTL navigation), floor plan viewers, SAR payment plan calculators showing monthly installments with down payment options, and WhatsApp-integrated lead capture (pre-filled messages in Arabic including the specific unit the prospect was viewing). (4) Bilingual CMS: Sanity configured for parallel Arabic-English content management with a translation workflow — Arabic content created first, English content created as a parallel version (not a translation field), and publication requires both languages to be approved. (5) Performance and security: deployed on AWS Middle East (Bahrain) region with CloudFront CDN for fast delivery across Saudi Arabia. NCA Essential Cybersecurity Controls compliance including WAF, DDoS protection, encryption at rest and in transit, and access logging. PDPL-compliant cookie consent and data handling.
Launch impact: 2.3 million sessions in the first month (70% Arabic, 30% English) — driven by national media coverage of the project. Arabic engagement: Arabic visitors spent 4.2 minutes average on site (vs. 2.8 minutes for English visitors), viewed 5.1 pages average (vs. 3.4 for English), and had a 12% lower bounce rate — validating the Arabic-first design approach. Residential sales: the website generated 4,800 qualified leads in the first quarter through WhatsApp integration. The payment plan calculator was the highest-engagement feature — used in 68% of sessions that resulted in a lead. Investor relations: 340 institutional investors accessed the portal in the first 6 months, with average session duration of 8.2 minutes — indicating deep engagement with financial content. Recruitment: 12,000+ applications submitted through the careers section in the first quarter. The Arabic-language job descriptions attracted 40% more Saudi national applicants than the previous English-only listings. NCA compliance: passed NCA security assessment on first review. Development cost: SAR 680,000. The residential lead volume alone justified the investment within the first month.
User-centered design built on research, wireframes, and usability testing to ensure every interaction feels intuitive and keeps visitors engaged from landing page to conversion.
Modern, responsive layouts built with Figma and Tailwind CSS that adapt seamlessly across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices for a consistent brand experience everywhere.
Unique, branded interface designs crafted from scratch to reflect your company's identity, using custom illustrations, typography, and color systems that set you apart from competitors.
Intuitive navigation structures and seamless micro-interactions informed by user journey mapping and A/B testing to reduce bounce rates and increase time on site.
Stunning visual compositions including hero sections, iconography, and motion design that capture your brand essence and guide visitors toward key calls to action.
Scalable design systems with reusable component libraries, style guides, and documentation that ensure consistency across your entire product and speed up future development.
Riyadh's web design market includes Saudi digital agencies, regional firms, and international agencies with KSA presence. Saudi agencies (Lucidya, Cactus Media, 2P for digital presence) understand Saudi cultural context and Arabic design conventions but vary significantly in technical capability — many rely on WordPress templates with Arabic adaptation rather than custom design. International agencies with Riyadh offices (Accenture Interactive, Publicis Sapient, VML) deliver enterprise-grade work at SAR 500,000-3,000,000 per project with 6-18 month timelines — appropriate for enterprise transformation programs but oversized for focused website projects. GCC regional agencies (Dubai-based agencies serving the Saudi market) understand Arabic design but may lack Saudi-specific knowledge (Saudi visual conventions differ from Emirati, regulatory requirements differ, and cultural sensitivities have distinct Saudi characteristics). Freelance designers in Riyadh charge SAR 200-500/hr but typically lack the multidisciplinary capability (design, development, Arabic content, compliance) needed for professional websites. Indian offshore teams are common in Saudi projects at SAR 80,000-200,000 but produce websites that feel translated rather than Arabic-native. ZTABS delivers Arabic-first web design with Saudi regulatory compliance (NCA, PDPL, DGA standards) at mid-market pricing — SAR 250-450/hr.
Web design in Riyadh ranges by scope and regulatory requirements. Government entity website (DGA-compliant, NCA-secured, bilingual, 10-14 weeks): SAR 400,000-800,000. Corporate enterprise website (bilingual, 20-40 pages, 8-12 weeks): SAR 200,000-450,000. Giga-project marketing website (as in case study, 10-14 weeks): SAR 500,000-900,000. Real estate project launch website (bilingual, virtual tours, WhatsApp integration, 6-8 weeks): SAR 120,000-250,000. SME corporate website (8-15 pages, bilingual, 4-6 weeks): SAR 60,000-120,000. E-commerce design (Salla/Zid or custom, 8-12 weeks): SAR 150,000-350,000.
Verified reviews from real client engagements — sourced from our public testimonial archive and Clutch profile.
My experience is throughout positive. Communication, service, the short response times and the flawless execution of a challenging topic was absolutely great. ZTABS is definitely my first choice again.
Christian Neff
Bank Software Advisory · Bank Software Advisory
Fintech
Fantastic Agency! I couldn't fault them even if I tried. They always go above and beyond to meet your expectations and always produces quality work. Thank you ZTABS.
Stephanie Kal
CEO · Beauty Finder Australia
Marketplace
It has been great working with ZTABS. They bounce off the ideas along the way. Amazing Experience.
Joel Rowe
CEO · Drill Quoter
Marketplace
We don't just contract. We ship and operate our own software. 23 products in production.
Common questions about web design for Riyadh businesses
We design in Arabic first — wireframes, content, and typography start in RTL. Arabic content is written by native Arabic copywriters, not translated from English. The English version is then created as a parallel adaptation. This produces websites where the Arabic experience feels native and natural, not like a reversed English site with Arabic text. The difference is immediately apparent to Arabic-speaking users.
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