SA 
KW 
IE
AU
UAE
UK
USA 
CA
DE 
QA
ZA 
BH
NL 
MU
FR [ LET’S TALK AI ]
X
Discover AI-
Powered Solutions
Get ready to explore cutting-edge AI technologies that can transform your workflow!
Get ready to explore cutting-edge AI technologies that can transform your workflow!
People in Saudi Arabia order food on apps, shop on apps, and look for discounts on apps. They make payments on apps and even look for ride hailing services on apps. In simple words, Saudi Arabia is living on mobile apps – a clear reason why lifestyle and deals apps are growing fast there.
Apps like Waffarha bring food, shopping, and daily offers into one place. Users save time. They save money. They do not need to jump between different platforms. For businesses, this model is powerful. It connects them directly with customers who are already ready to spend. For startups and investors, it opens the door to long-term growth.
Smartphone use is high in Saudi Arabia. The population is young and digital-first. People like cashback, rewards, and simple buying journeys. Hence, lifestyle app development in Saudi Arabia is a strong business idea. It fits local habits and supports digital growth. And it solves real problems for users.
If you are thinking about Waffarha-like app development, the timing is right. The market is active. The users are ready. And the demand for lifestyle apps keeps rising.
Now, let’s understand what Waffarha is and why its model works so well.
Also Read: The Rise of Super Apps in UAE: Revolutionizing Daily Life
Waffarha is a lifestyle and savings app. It helps users find discounts and cashback from nearby stores and brands. Food. Shopping. Services. All in one place.
The idea behind this app is simple. Users look for deals. Businesses want more customers. And Waffarha connects both.
For users, the value is clear. They save money. They discover new places. And they do not need to search across many apps. For merchants, the app brings steady traffic. It helps them promote offers and also builds repeat customers through rewards and cashback.
This model works because it fits daily behavior. People already spend on food, fashion, and services. A deals-based lifestyle app just makes that spending smarter. That is why Waffarha-like app development is gaining attention. It is not just a discount app. It is a lifestyle platform. One that mixes savings, convenience, and local business discovery.
Saudi Arabia is one of the best markets for such app ideas because here mobile usage is high and local businesses are growing fast; this model can scale easily. And it will create value for users, merchants, and investors at the same time.
But why is Saudi Arabia such a strong market for this kind of app?
Also Read: Top 10 Best Super Apps in the Middle East Driving Digital Transformation in 2026
Saudi Arabia is already living inside mobile apps. And the numbers prove it.
99% of the population uses the internet. Also, there are 48+ million mobile connections in the country. This means almost everyone is reachable through a mobile app. That is a strong base for lifestyle app development in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia’s eCommerce market is expected to reach $29 billion by 2030. Most online purchases happen on mobile, not desktop. This behavior supports models focused on offers, rewards, and daily spending. The same logic behind Waffarha-like app development.
Over 60% of the population is under 35 years old, and this group prefers – cashback, app-based rewards, and one app for many needs. That is why lifestyle super app development is gaining interest. Fewer apps. More value. One platform for food, shopping, and services.
Restaurants, salons, gyms, and retail stores want visibility. They want footfall. They want repeat customers. A lifestyle app helps them:
This makes on-demand lifestyle app development useful for both users and merchants.
All these trends point toward a rising demand for smart, convenient app experiences. A lifestyle app that brings deals, savings, and local services into one place fits perfectly with today’s Saudi consumer expectations.
That is why many companies now want to build a lifestyle app like Waffarha instead of creating single-purpose apps. The opportunity is not future-based. It already exists.
And for brands planning Saudi lifestyle app development, this market offers scale, spending power, and strong adoption.
To build a successful Waffarha-like app, the app must serve 3 core user groups: users, merchants, and administrators. Each needs clear tools and simple journeys. Below are the must-have lifestyle mobile app features.
Users can quickly register using their phone number, email, or social media accounts. A smooth sign-up process improves retention and keeps users coming back.
The app shows offers and discounts near the user’s location. This makes deals relevant and convenient, increasing engagement.
Users can explore food, fashion, beauty, fitness, and more in one place. Easy navigation encourages them to spend more time on the app.
Users can filter deals by price, brand, or distance. Quick search helps them find exactly what they want without wasting time.
Users earn points, discounts, or wallet credits for every purchase. Rewards keep them motivated to use the app repeatedly.
Secure wallet and payment options let users pay seamlessly. It makes buying hassle-free and builds trust.
The app sends alerts about new offers, expiring deals, or special promotions. Timely notifications bring users back to the app.
Businesses can sign up and verify their accounts easily. Verified merchants build trust with users and ensure quality deals.
Merchants can create, edit, and schedule discounts or special deals. This flexibility helps them attract more customers.
Merchants can track which deals are popular and who is redeeming them. Analytics help businesses make smarter decisions.
Transparent tracking of earnings and payouts ensures trust and smooth financial management.
Merchants can run seasonal campaigns or flash sales. These features boost visibility and drive more sales.
Admins can approve, block, or manage accounts efficiently. Proper management keeps the platform safe and reliable.
Admins can review and approve deals before they go live. This prevents fake or misleading offers from reaching users.
Admins can track sales, commissions, and app performance. These insights help plan growth and strategy.
Tools to detect fake users or misuse of offers. Protects both users and merchants from scams.
Admins can update banners, categories, and featured deals. Keeping content fresh improves user engagement.
A strong feature set keeps all three sides active. Users save money. Merchants gain customers. Platform owners build a profitable ecosystem. These features also influence the cost to build a lifestyle app, which depends on complexity, integrations, and scalability.
Next, let’s understand how much does it cost to build a lifestyle app like Waffarha in Saudi Arabia, with realistic estimates and factors affecting cost.
The cost of building a lifestyle app like Waffarha in Saudi Arabia depends on several factors. Features, design complexity, platforms, and integrations all play a role. Here’s an estimated lifestyle app development cost:
| App Type | Estimated Cost (SAR) | Estimated Cost (USD) |
| MVP (single platform, basic features) | SAR 93,750-150,000 | $25,000–$40,000 |
| Full-featured app (cross-platform, advanced features, including AI) | SAR 187,500-375,000 | $50,000–$100,000+ |
Also Read: Cost to Build a Super App in 2026
Here are the factors that affect the total app development cost.
iOS, Android, or Both? Developing for a single platform is cheaper. A cross-platform app costs more but reaches more users.
The more features your app has, the higher the cost. Adding advanced features like AI-based deal recommendations or real-time tracking increases costs.
Simple UI with clear navigation is cheaper. Custom animations, illustrations, and gamified rewards increase design costs.
Payment gateways for seamless transactions
Maps and location services for local deals
Third-party analytics and push notifications
Integration complexity can add $5,000–$10,000 to the budget.
Apps need regular updates, bug fixes, and server maintenance. Monthly maintenance: $1,000–$3,000. Annual updates depend on added features and new campaigns.
Key Takeaways
→ Start with an MVP to test the market.
→ Include core lifestyle mobile app features to attract both users and merchants.
→ Budget for updates, promotions, and scaling once the app gains traction.
A lifestyle app like Waffarha is not just about offering deals—it’s a business model designed to generate multiple revenue streams. Here’s how Waffarha-like app development can become profitable in Saudi Arabia:
The most common model is earning a commission on every sale or redeemed offer. Merchants pay a small percentage for each transaction or deal listed. This creates a steady revenue stream while helping businesses reach local customers.
Merchants can pay extra to highlight their deals or appear on the app’s homepage. This increases visibility and drives more sales for businesses. For the platform, it’s a premium revenue source without affecting free listings.
Users or merchants can opt for premium plans with extra features:
_Early access to deals
_Higher cashback rates
_Exclusive campaigns for merchants
Subscriptions offer recurring revenue and improve user loyalty.
Brands can run banner ads, sponsored deals, or video promotions. Ads are especially effective in lifestyle super apps where users spend time exploring multiple categories. This model works well alongside other revenue streams.
Aggregated data from user behavior and deal trends can help merchants optimize campaigns. Selling anonymized insights or offering analytics dashboards to merchants can add another revenue layer.
There are many different ways to monetize a lifestyle application aside from using user transactions. Multiple monetization channels combined (including commission, advertisements, featured promotions, and subscriptions) help create a recurrent cash flow. Lifestyle mobile apps that are well-designed with rewards, discounts, and other interesting content will tend to have high returns because of the repeat traffic that will be generated by users.
Investing in a lifestyle app like Waffarha is more than just funding another mobile app. It provides a unique opportunity to engage with a fast-growing digital ecosystem where businesses can connect directly to millions of mobile-first users within the country. The following illustrates the strategic value of investing in a lifestyle application for all types of companies (startups and enterprises), as well as the investors:
Also Read: Why Businesses Are Investing in Super App Development Like Gojek: 8 Key Reasons
Saudi Arabia’s population is young, tech-savvy, and mobile-first. Users spend hours daily on apps for shopping, food, and services. By investing in a Waffarha-like app, you gain direct access to a highly engaged audience, minimizing customer acquisition costs and accelerating market penetration.
Lifestyle apps are designed to create multiple revenue streams:
This diversified approach ensures predictable and scalable revenue, making the business model highly attractive to investors.
The return of users to the app happens due to the presence of cashback, rewards, and personalized offers. Accordingly, this helps build strong brand loyalty to both the app and its associated merchants. Businesses that use these types of apps can expect repeat customers, greater lifetime value for those customers, and more sustainable growth.
A lifestyle app provides a large quantity of actionable data regarding user behaviors, user preferences, and deal performance. This data can be utilized by both investors and businesses to improve their marketing strategies, develop better offers, and expand into different categories, thus increasing their ROI, while reducing the risks associated with entering the marketplace.
Being part of a lifestyle app gives brands prime visibility among active users. Featured deals, push notifications, and promotions create repeated touchpoints that strengthen the brand and position it as a market leader.
It is a strategic move for investors, startups, and enterprises to invest in Waffarha-like app development in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the most promising opportunities in the digital economy of Saudi.
Now the concern is how to develop an app like Waffarha and who to reach out to for assistance.
Building a lifestyle app like Waffarha is more than just writing code. It’s about creating an app that users love, merchants trust, and investors see value in. The process starts with picking the right development partner.
Finding and collaborating with the right mobile app development company in Saudi Arabia that has good experience in lifestyle like super app development is key. A good partner guides you on features, technology, and market fit. They also help with local regulations, payments, and scalability, which are critical in the Saudi market.
Once you have a partner, the next step is to understand your market. Study your target users—their habits, favorite categories, and spending patterns. Look at competitors like Waffarha to see what works and what’s missing. This research helps you plan features that people will actually use and that merchants will find valuable.
After understanding the market, it’s time to plan the app’s features and monetization strategy. Focus on core features like cashback, rewards, in-app wallet, merchant dashboards, and push notifications. Decide how the app will make money, whether through commissions, subscriptions, featured listings, or in-app ads. It’s also important to leave room for future growth so the app can grow into a lifestyle super app over time.
Design plays a huge role in keeping users engaged. The app should be simple and intuitive, allowing users to browse deals in just a few taps. Clear categories, visuals, and personalized recommendations improve engagement and encourage users to come back regularly. A smooth, enjoyable experience can make the difference between a one-time download and long-term loyalty.
Once the design is ready, the development phase begins. Decide whether to build for iOS, Android, or both using cross-platform technology. Integrate essential tools like payment gateways, maps, push notifications, and analytics. Make sure the backend is strong enough to handle many users, deals, and transactions simultaneously.
Testing is the next crucial step. Conduct trials with real users to check performance, speed, usability, and security. Fix issues before the official launch to ensure a smooth experience. Early feedback saves time and avoids negative user reviews after release.
Finally, it’s time to launch and grow. Start in a small region, then expand gradually. Promote the app through marketing campaigns, referrals, and push notifications. Track user behavior and deal performance to improve features, offers, and monetization strategies. Over time, you can add more categories and services, turning the app into a full-fledged lifestyle super app.
Also Read: Why Invest in Super App Development like Yassir | Benefits & Market Opportunities
Building a lifestyle app is not just about coding. It’s about choosing the right partner, understanding the market, designing for users, and scaling smartly. Done right, it can attract users, merchants, and investors while building a profitable platform in Saudi Arabia.
Starting a project with the right partner is critical when you plan Waffarha-like app development in Saudi Arabia. Techugo is a trusted mobile app development company in Saudi Arabia with extensive experience in on-demand app development. We help businesses, startups, and investors turn their concept into a revenue-generating platform.
Our team well understands the Saudi market and designs apps with the right lifestyle mobile app features. Users get a smooth, engaging experience, while merchants can manage deals and track performance easily. Our team handles everything, from strategy to the launch of lifestyle super app development and update and maintenance so that your app performs well in the real world and stays future-ready.
You get more than just coding at Techugo. You get guidance on features, launch strategy, and growth, so that your journey of Saudi lifestyle app development is smooth and profitable.
A lifestyle app like Waffarha helps users discover deals, cashback offers, and services in one place. Users can browse categories like food, shopping, and wellness, while merchants promote discounts to attract more customers. The app connects both sides, making daily spending smarter and more convenient.
The cost depends on features, design, and platforms. A basic app for a single platform can cost around $25,000–$40,000 (SAR 93,750–150,000), while a full-featured cross-platform app may go up to $50,000–$70,000+ (SAR 187,500–262,500+). Extra features or complex integrations may increase the budget.
Key features include user login, location-based deals, cashback and rewards, in-app wallet, push notifications, merchant dashboards, and admin panels for moderation and analytics. These features ensure a smooth experience for users, effective management for merchants, and control for the platform owner.
Lifestyle apps earn through multiple channels. Common models include commissions on deals, premium subscriptions, featured listings for merchants, in-app advertising, and data insights. Combining these streams ensures steady income and scalability.
The whole process from conception through young children is a huge transition that can lead to a lot of stress, uncertainty, and difficulties in findi..
Even without using AI, I can tell that you are wondering how much it really costs to build an AI-powered mobile app! If you're a business leader o..
Write Us
sales@techugo.comOr fill this form
