Cost to Develop a News App Like Khaleej Times: Factors, & More

In a Nutshell:

• 55% of the UAE’s internet users actively follow news online; it’s the right time to invest
• The cost to develop a newspaper app like Khaleej Times ranges from AED 50,000 to AED 200,000. The final cost depends on whether you build a basic, advanced, or AI-based news app.
• More complex features and design directly push your development cost higher.
• Cross-platform development maximizes reach while keeping costs between AED 15,000 and AED 25,000.
• Hidden factors impacting the cost are security, testing, and maintenance, which can add 35–60% on top of your initial budget.
• Smart strategies can reduce the overall cost of MVP development, agile methodology, and cross-platform selection, effectively lowering overall costs.
• Nimble AppGenie is your trusted Dubai partner with 8+ years of experience. The company delivers custom news apps with the latest technologies.

Discovering what’s the cost to make an app like Khaleej Times?

Well, on average, the cost to develop a newspaper app like Khaleej Times varies from AED 50,000 to AED 200,000 ($13,615 to $54,460).

This cost further depends on various determinants such as the complexity of features, the design of the app, functionality of the app, the technology stack, and many other factors.

The news app market is expected to reach USD 5.49 billion by 2033. Hence, it’s a great opportunity for you to enter this industry.

There are various other determinants related to cost that you should be aware of, such as factors influencing this cost, money-making strategies, and much more.

Let’s discover it all here.

What is the Khaleej Times App?

Khaleej Times is the longest-running English newspaper in Dubai, delivering real-time news, breaking alerts, and in-depth news coverage related to businesses, lifestyle, and sports.

The app features a modern, user-friendly interface, live blogs, offline reading modes, and personalized notifications for a fast-loading and immersive experience. Here the users can find comprehensive coverage of local UAE news, regional updates, and global affairs.

The working process of Khaleej Times app includes content management, personalization, API-driven backend, push notifications, and multimedia integration. The app does provide the feature of offline reading for its users.

Khaleej Times app serves over 1 million app users, providing real-time, personalized news updates to a significant audience in the UAE and internationally.

If you are looking for the numbers, let’s check out the following section for the same.

News App Market Statistics

Let’s evaluate certain numbers of global and UAE app market stats below:

• The global news and magazine app market size was valued at USD 2.13 billion in 2024, and is expected to grow from USD 2.37 billion in 2025 to USD 5.49 billion by 2033.

• When it comes to Dubai, among the 10.14 million people using the internet in 2024, 55% of the internet users say that they follow the news and current affairs.
• The most popular news app portals in the UAE are Khaleej Times, Gulf News, and Yahoo News.
• There are arround 52% people in the UAE reported that they find Khaleej Times a reliable newspaper.

Well, this growing interest of people in Khaleej Times represents that the app’s usage is increasing in the UAE.

Hence, if you are an entrepreneur in journalism industry of the Gulf region, and are thinking to develop a mobile app in Dubai, then it’s the right time.

Well, you can create an app like Khaleej Times by understanding the market, evaluating the right features for your app, considering app design, proceeding with app tech stack, and then performing testing, deployment, and maintenance.

But even before you create an app like Khaleej Times, cost is an important factor that might bother you the most. Hence, now, the question is, “How much does it cost to create an app like Khaleej Times?”

Let’s discover the complete answer in the following section.

What’s the Cost to Develop an App Like Khaleej Times?

An average cost to create an app like Khaleej Times can vary from AED 50,000 to AED 200,000 ($13,615 to $54,460). This cost is further impacted by different factors such as app functionality and complexity, different features, design of the app, technology stack, and the team of developers.

Khaleej Times is one of the most famous apps in Dubai, and you should evaluate all the factors that directly or indirectly impact the complete cost to make a journalism app like Khaleej Times.

Here is a table defining the breakdown of mobile app development costs in Dubai:

App Type	Cost (AED)	What It Includes
Basic App	AED 50,000 – AED 80,000	Simple UI, limited features, standard functionality, basic user authentication
Advanced App	AED 80,000 – AED 140,000	Custom design, third-party integrations, complex backend, multi-platform support
AI-Based App	AED 140,000 – AED 200,000	Machine learning, data processing, intelligent automation, predictive analytics, NLP

Now, as you consider this complete cost figure, let’s discuss the diversified factors impacting the complete cost in the following section.

Factors Impacting the Complete Cost to Make an App like Khaleej Times

Different factors impacting the overall cost to develop an app like Khaleej Times can be the complexity of features, the design of apps, the functionality of the app, and the selection of developers.

Here is a summary table to count on factors:

Cost Factor	Basic App	Advanced App	AI-Based App
Complexity of App	AED 10,000 – AED 15,000	AED 20,000 – AED 35,000	AED 45,000 – AED 60,000
Design of App	AED 8,000 – AED 12,000	AED 15,000 – AED 25,000	AED 25,000 – AED 40,000
Core Technology & Functionality	AED 12,000 – AED 18,000	AED 20,000 – AED 35,000	AED 35,000 – AED 55,000
Selection of Platform (iOS/Android/Both)	AED 8,000 – AED 12,000	AED 12,000 – AED 20,000	AED 18,000 – AED 25,000
Skills & Location of Developers	AED 12,000 – AED 23,000	AED 23,000 – AED 25,000	AED 17,000 – AED 20,000
Total Estimated Cost	AED 50,000 – AED 80,000	AED 90,000 – AED 140,000	AED 140,000 – AED 200,000

Now, let’s discuss the factors in the above table one by one in the following section:

1. Complexity of Features and Size of App

The more complex the app is, high cost will be and vice versa. It is one of the primary drivers of scaling time, resources, and expertise needed for building an app like Khaleej Times.

More complex features require more development hours, even for the larger teams. Similarly, the large size of the app is directly proportional to the cost of making an app like Khaleej Times.

Let’s discover the impact ofthe complexity of features and size on the cost in the given table:

Complexity & Size	Features Involved	Estimated Cost (AED)
Simple News App	Basic article listing, search, push notifications	AED 10,000 – AED 20,000
Mid-Level News App	User login, categories, bookmarking, and ads integration	AED 20,000 – AED 40,000
Complex App (Khaleej Times Level)	Live news feed, multimedia, multilingual (Arabic/English), personalization, analytics	AED 40,000 – AED 60,000

2. Design of App

The mobile app design in Dubai is one of the important factors influencing the overall cost to create a english newspaper app like Khaleej Times, how?

Well, when you design your app, it will consist of selecting and building a wireframe and a prototype. UI/UX is the first impression of your app that should be smooth, consistent, and built on user intent. A complex design will result in high cost, and vice versa.

You should consider the user-centric mindset while creating the design of an app like Khaleej Times. Let’s check out the numbers below:

Design Factor	What It Includes	Estimated Cost (AED)
Basic Design	Simple layout, standard fonts, minimal branding, pre-built templates	AED 8,000 – AED 15,000
Mid-Level Design	Custom UI, branded color scheme, intuitive navigation, responsive design	AED 15,000 – AED 25,000
Advanced Design (Khaleej Times Level)	Custom UX/UI, Arabic/English RTL layout, dark mode, animated elements, accessibility features	AED 25,000 – AED 40,000

3. Core Technology Functionality

The selection of core technologies acts as a primary driver with the potential to swing budgets by 25-30%; here, the technology choices do impact the total number of features you will include in the app.

When it comes to the core technologies for developing an app, it comprises frontend, backend development tools, and infrastructure. The selection of languages and databases does impact the complete cost estimation to build an app like Khaleej Times.

Let’s discover the given table for cost estimation and breakdown.

Core Technology Factor	What It Includes	Estimated Cost (AED)
Basic Technology Stack	Simple backend, basic API integration, standard database, minimal server load	AED 12,000 – AED 20,000
Mid-Level Technology Stack	Custom APIs, content management system (CMS), push notification engine, cloud storage	AED 20,000 – AED 35,000
Advanced Technology Stack (Khaleej Times Level)	Real-time news feed, AI-based content personalization, big data handling, high-traffic server architecture, cybersecurity layers	AED 35,000 – AED 55,000

4. Selection of Platforms

Another significant factor impacting the cost to develop an app like Khaleej Times is the selection of platforms. Selecting the platforms totally depends on the target audience and the types of audience.

The selection of platforms can impact the iOS app development cost and Android app development cost in Dubai.

Here is a table stating how the selection of platforms impacts the costbreakdown for developing an app like Khaleej Times:

Platform Selection	What It Includes	Estimated Cost (AED)
Android Only	Single platform development, Google Play deployment, Android UI guidelines	AED 8,000 – AED 13,000
iOS Only	Single platform development, App Store deployment, Apple UI guidelines	AED 10,000 – AED 15,000
Both (Android & iOS)	Cross-platform development, dual deployment, unified codebase (Flutter/React Native), testing on both platforms	AED 15,000 – AED 25,000

5. Skills and Location of Developers

If you are wondering about how to hire mobile app developers in Dubai, then yes, it is a primary factor impacting the Khaleej Times ‘ app development cost. Dubai is a prime location where hiring developers can cost you more.

However, with the right experts and right skills, one can do wonders in the case of mobile apps. Here, the expertise level of the development team affects both the initial investment and long-term costs.

Let’s explore the given table to evaluate the skills and location of the developers:

Developer Type	What It Includes	Estimated Cost (AED)
Small Agency (Dubai-Based)	Small team, foundational skills, basic project management, standard quality output	AED 12,000 – AED 14,000
Mid-Level Agency (Dubai-Based)	Experienced team, moderate expertise, structured project management, good quality output	AED 14,000 – AED 17,000
Top-Tier Agency (Dubai-Based)	Expert team, specialized skills, dedicated project manager, premium quality, faster delivery	AED 17,000 – AED 20,000

Well, these were some of the main and direct factors that influence the development cost to make a clone like Khaleej Times.

In the preceding section, let’s learn some of the hidden factors impacting the cost.

Hidden Factors Influencing the Khaleej Times like App Development Cost

Apart from the main factors impacting the complete cost to build a clone like Khaleej Times, there are other factors to consider.

Let’s learn them all below:

6. Security of App

Security of an app acts as both an upfront investment and a complete cost-saving mechanism. Implementing secure authentication, end-to-end encryption, and data protection measures adds to the development time and labor costs.

Hence, it is one of the critical factors influencing the overall cost to make an app like Khaleej Times.

7. Testing of App

App testing do represents 20-40% of the total development budget. Testing is an integral part of the complete development process; ignoring it can even result in app failure.

Hence, if you are avoiding it as a factor of budget, this can impact the overall development cost of an app like Khaleej Times.

8. Maintenance of App

Mobile app maintenance in Dubai can take approximately 15% to 20% of the initial development cost annually.

Therefore, you should keep your budget for maintenance and updates, as it is the only method to sustain your app in a competitive market.

9. Target Market

You are building your app in order to cater diversified needs of the users. Similarly, one of the targets is to identify the gap in the market and then to bridge it with your app.

Thus, selection of the target audience is one of the important determinants as changing demands based on the market have a prompt impact on app development, selection of features, complexity of app, and finally on the cost to make an app like Khaleej Times.

10. Time Taken to Develop an App like Khaleej Times

Every entrepreneur wants an app that requires less cost and time. Developing an app like Khaleej Times can take 3 months to 9 months, depending on technologies, the skills of developers, and the complexity of the app.

Here, the cost plays an important role; the more time developers take to build an app, the more you need to pay them for your app. Hence, the cost and time are directly proportional factors.

Well, after learning about the factors influencing the complete development cost to make an app like Khaleej Times, you might be thinking, what if there is a way to reduce the complete cost to an extent?

Yes! Certain strategies are practically helpful to reduce complete cost to make an app like Khaleej Times.

Let’s discover them all in the following section.

Strategies to Reduce the Cost to Develop an App like Khaleej Times

There are different strategies helpful to reduce the overall cost to make an app like Khaleej Times, such as creating an MVP, considering user intent, selecting a cross-platform approach, prioritizing agile methodology, and many more.

Here we’ll learn them all:

• Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Creating an MVP in Dubai is all about selecting the right set of features to launch the first version of the app. This is about building the simplest version of a new product that allows a team to evaluate the learnings related to customers’ views and demands.

MVP will help you to determine what changes in the product can create interest in users in your product.

• Selecting Cross-Platform Initiative

If you select the cross-platform initiative for your mobile app, this can effectively minimize the cost that you might pay later for another platform.

Building an app combined for both platforms can seem costly at first, but this will supposedly save the total cost you might spend later on your app.

• Prioritizing Agile Methodology

Agile development breaks the project into small, manageable stages. Additionally, regular testing throughout development catches bugs early. It is an incremental and productive approach that focuses on flexibility and rapid delivery of functional components.

Agile methodology saves cost through minimizing rework, eliminating wasteful functionality, reducing development time to market, and increasing productivity.

• Streamline App Design

You can streamline the complete app design of your app by adopting a minimalism-focused approach for reducing clutter.

Considering that the user-centric app design can reduce the total cost to make an app like Khaleej Times.

Now, after evaluating the overall cost to create an app like Khaleej Times, let’s explore the strategies on how Khaleej Times earns money in the following section.

How does an App like Khaleej Times Earns Money?

There are different methods through which Khaleej Times, like apps, make money, such as subscription plans, advertising, sponsorships, campaigns, and event promotions.

Let’s discover the complete list of “how mobile apps make money in Dubai” in this section:

• Subscription Plan

The Khaleej Times app uses subscription based monetization model that blends premium content access with tangible, high-value rewards to drive potential customers.

This app offers high-value plans based on the users’ intent and feasibility. Here, the app charges for premium content and offers basic news as a free-to-read option.

• Advertising

Another crucial monetization source for an app like Khaleej Times is advertising. This is an important source of revenue that helps to monetize content through driving traffic to products and managing campaigns for others.

If you are dreaming of building an app like Khaleej Times, then you can charge the other brands to advertise their product or services on your app, and in exchange, you can earn revenue.

• Sponsorships and Campaigns

Through sponsorships and campaigns, the news app, like Khaleej Time,s offers highly effective, non-intrusive monetization options that allow the developers to generate revenue via maintaining a clean and professional experience.

Here, the other brands pay for publishing their content on the news channels and apps’ feeds. Thus, this strategy offers an additional source of revenue for the app, like Khaleej Times.

• Event Promotions

The news apps earn revenue from event promotions through leveraging their large, targeted user base to act as a marketing platform for the brands, local businesses, and event organizers.

You can cover the cost to develop a clone like Khaleej Times by using this monetization strategy for your customized news app.

Stop Imagining and Start Building with Nimble AppGenie

With a news app, you can offer users a customized, real-time access to the breaking news, local headlines, and specialized topics, offering features such as personalized feeds and push notifications.

Connecting with Nimble AppGenie can help you to bring your innovation into reality. Our team knows the market well and specializes in providing you with complete guidance and assistance for your customized news app.

With the latest technologies’ implementation, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and IoT, we can capture your interest and turn it into reality. Partnering with the best Mobile App development Company in Dubai, you can deliver local news via your customized mobile app easily.

We have already done it before!

With the development of an advanced news app, we have built an app that delivers the categories of news and current updates as per the user’s demand. You can trust a company with 8+ years of experience.

Conclusion

Building an app like Khaleej Times is a significant but rewarding investment for entrepreneurs in Dubai’s growing digital news landscape. The final development cost of an app like Khaleej Times depends on complexity, design, technology, platform selection, and developer expertise.

By understanding these cost factors, adopting smart strategies like MVP development and cross-platform approaches, and partnering with the right agency, you can successfully launch a competitive news app in the UAE market.

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