How to choose an app developer in Dubai: questions to ask before you sign

What a portfolio does not show you

Most developers in Dubai, freelancers and agencies alike, can show attractive screens. The portfolio will not tell you who does the work, what is written down, who owns what at the end, or what happens when something changes or breaks.

The questions below take one call to ask. A developer you can work with will answer them plainly and in writing. If you have not written down what you want yet, start with my guide on how to write an app brief, because the answers you get are only as good as the brief behind them.

The questions, with good answers and red flags

Ownership: the code and the store accounts

Settle ownership before you sign. If the app is published under the developer's Apple or Google account, the listing, the reviews and the download history live in their account. Moving it to you later depends on their cooperation.

You do not need to hand over your password for a developer to publish for you. App Store Connect lets the account holder or an admin invite users with a role such as Developer or App Manager, and for most roles you can limit which apps they see. Google Play Console lets the owner or an admin invite users with account-level or app-level permissions, and set an expiry date on that access. Open the accounts in your company's name, invite the developer, and remove access when the work is done.

The source code should sit in a repository you own or be handed over in full, along with the logins for any services the app depends on, such as the server, the database and email or SMS providers.

Money: price model, milestones and changes

Whether a fixed price or an hourly rate is fairer depends on how clearly the app can be described today. I compare the two in detail in fixed price vs hourly, so here is just the vetting angle: whichever model you choose, the contract should say what a change costs before anyone builds it.

Milestone payments protect both sides. Tie each payment to something you can open and test, such as approved designs, a working build on your phone, and the store submission, rather than to dates on a calendar.

After launch, and Arabic

Ask what "support" means in days and in tasks. Fixing a bug in what was built is different from adding features, and both are different from keeping the app current with new iOS and Android versions. A good developer separates the three and tells you which one costs money. My post on running costs after launch lists what to budget for.

If your customers are in the UAE, ask whether Arabic is in the scope from the first screen. Right-to-left layouts affect navigation, icons, forms and text length, so adding Arabic at the end costs more than designing for it from the start. Ask to see an Arabic screen they have built.

• Red flag: guaranteed store approval, rankings or download numbers.
• Red flag: no written scope, or a scope that is one paragraph long.
• Red flag: the app goes live under the developer's store accounts.
• Red flag: the source code is held back until a final payment with no milestones before it.
• Red flag: you never speak to the person writing the code.

How I answer these questions

I work as one accountable technical lead, so the person you talk to is the person responsible for the build. My case studies are on my work page.

Answering my own questions: the price is fixed against a written scope, from $999 for a 10-screen app to $2,500 for 50 screens with an admin dashboard, and the pricing page lists what each package covers. Some features, such as custom AI, real-time streaming or hardware integrations, are quoted on their own, and hosting, third-party fees and maintenance are billed separately.

I publish under your own store accounts. Approval is decided by Apple and Google, so I do not guarantee it: I prepare and publish the listing, and fix and resubmit at no cost if it is rejected. While my launch offer is running it also includes free store publishing and free support after launch.