The short answer: web design proposals look alike on page one: "professional design, responsive, SEO-friendly". The real differences between companies sit in things proposals rarely spell out: whose name the domain is registered in, who owns the accounts and source files, how mobile performance is measured, who writes the content, and what happens after launch. This guide gives you 12 criteria to check before choosing a web design company in Saudi Arabia, and a simple way to compare two quotes fairly.
Last updated: October 2026
Why a portfolio and a price are not enough
A portfolio shows what past sites look like, not what happened behind them: was the domain handed over to its owner, does the site load fast on mobile data, is it still maintained? And price alone compares nothing, because two quotes at the same price can differ in page count, second language, copywriting and support period.
Your audience in Saudi Arabia mostly reaches you on a phone. DataReportal's "Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia" report puts internet users in the Kingdom at 34.4 million, a 99% penetration rate at the end of 2025. A site that does not work well on a phone loses that audience, however good it looks on a meeting-room screen.
The 12 criteria
1. The domain is in your name
Ask directly: whose name will the domain be registered in, and who holds the registrar account? It should be you or your company, with you holding the login. If the domain sits in the agency's name, moving your site later depends on your relationship with them.
If you want a .sa domain, Saudi domain names (.sa and .السعودية) are regulated by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission through SaudiNIC, and registration goes through accredited registrars under conditions that include the entity being licensed to operate in the Kingdom. The application is made with your company's details, not your designer's.
2. Every account is yours
Not just the domain. Ask for these to be opened in your name from day one, with the agency added as a user, not an owner: hosting (or the platform account for a store), Google Search Console and Google Analytics, your Google Business Profile, email on your domain, and any ad accounts and pixels.
3. Source files and ownership
Will you receive the design files (Figma or equivalent) and the source code at handover? Do design rights transfer to you once paid? If the site uses a paid theme or template, whose name is the licence in and does it renew yearly?
4. Scope written page by page
A good quote does not say "complete corporate website". It names the pages, sets the number of revision rounds per stage, and defines what counts as extra work. Vague scope is the main cause of handover disputes and mid-project cost increases.
5. Who writes the content?
Most projects slip because the copy never arrives. Is copywriting included, in which languages, and is it written to be understood and found (clear headings, the questions your customers actually ask)? A two-line services page will not rank or convince, whatever the design.
6. Mobile speed is measured, not promised
Google's Core Web Vitals have published thresholds on web.dev: LCP (largest content visible) is good at 2.5 seconds or less, INP (responsiveness) at 200 milliseconds or less, and CLS (layout stability) at 0.1 or less. Ask for the key pages to be delivered within the "good" range on mobile, with the measurement shown before the final payment.
7. Search basics built in from the start
Not a monthly SEO retainer, but what every delivered site should have: a unique title and description per page, readable URLs, a sitemap and a sound robots file, correct structured data for the business (with no invented reviews), a page per service, and Search Console connected in your name. For bilingual sites, ask how the two language versions are linked for search engines.
8. Accessibility and readability
The international reference is W3C's WCAG 2.2 (a Recommendation since October 2023): enough contrast, alt text for images, tap-friendly buttons, labelled form fields. Ask whether these basics are checked before handover, and how.
9. Forms and personal data
Every contact or booking form collects personal data. Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law, supervised by SDAIA, applies. Ask where submissions are stored, who can see them, whether the site has a privacy policy explaining this, and whether enquiries reach your WhatsApp or inbox directly.
10. The admin panel: what can you edit yourself?
Ask for a live demo of the admin before signing. Can you change text, an image, a phone number or add a service without going back to the agency? A site only the agency can edit means every small update waits in a queue, and you pay for it.
11. After launch
How long is the free bug-fix period and what does it cover? Who updates the system and plugins, who takes backups and where are they kept? If the site goes down on a Thursday evening, how do you reach them and how fast do they respond? Written answers beat verbal ones.
12. Legal entity and contract
Work with a business that holds a valid commercial registration, ask for the number and check it in the issuing country's register. Insist on a written contract before any payment: scope, timeline, milestone-based payments, ownership of accounts and files, and what happens on delay or cancellation.
Compare two quotes fairly
Put both quotes in one table: named pages, second language, copywriting, who owns the domain and hosting, source-file handover, mobile performance commitment, post-launch fix period, yearly running costs, and timeline. Do not compare totals until the rows match. If one quote is cheaper because it excludes content, the second language or hosting, add those costs before judging.
Warning signs
- No page list, or "unlimited pages".
- Refusing to register the domain in your name.
- Full payment upfront with no contract.
- Promising "page one on Google in a week".
- Testimonials you cannot verify.
- No answer to "what happens after launch?".
How Naqla works
We are a licensed Gulf company (CR 1647570) designing websites and setting up Salla stores, and we hold ourselves to the criteria above: domain and accounts in your name, staff access instead of your password, a written quote with scope and timeline, and a contract before any payment. See company websites, bilingual websites, landing pages and our work in Saudi Arabia. For Salla stores, start with Salla services or our Salla packages with published prices. For a written quote: contact us.
FAQ
How do I choose a web design company in Saudi Arabia?
Compare what happens after handover, not just the design: who owns the domain and accounts, whether you receive the files, whether pages are named in the quote, who writes the content, whether mobile performance is measured, and the post-launch fix period. Then ask for a written contract before paying.
Does my website need a .sa domain?
No. A .sa domain sends a clear local signal, but registration requires an entity licensed in the Kingdom and goes through an accredited registrar. A .com works too. Either way, it must be registered in your name.
What should I receive at handover?
Logins for the domain, hosting and admin panel, ownership of your Google accounts, design files and source code as agreed in the contract, the mobile performance measurement, and how backups are taken and restored.
Is the cheapest quote always worse?
No, but the cheaper quote usually leaves something out: content, the second language, hosting, or post-launch support. Equalise the rows first, then compare totals.
By Naqla Digital SolutionsPublished All articles
