How to Develop An App Like DubaiNow?

Dubai is bringing revolutionary change to its people with smart digital solutions, and the DubaiNow app is one such offering. This multiple service app offer has made life easier for the people of Dubai with its extraordinary features.

This has earned immense popularity in Dubai since it fulfills the needs and demands of the population. Many entrepreneurs today are encouraged to create an app like DubaiNow to lead the competition and join the trend of multi-service apps.

If you are also interested in offering an all-in-one app service, but don’t know how, you landed on the right blog.

Here you will find everything related to the DubaiNow app and also its step-by-step development process.

So, let’s start to explore.

What is the DubaiNow App?

The DubaiNow app is a popular name among the government apps available in Dubai. This is a multifunctional app that offers residents and tourists access to a wide range of services, both government and private.

The app gives the facility to access more than 280 advanced services round the clock from anywhere, and among them, 30+ are from government entities.

The app currently has more than 1 million users, and the segments of services include travel, education, transport, housing, paying bills, legal support, and more. DubaiNow is the first app of Dubai established by the government, but it offers services from both the public and private sectors.

The app was introduced to offer its users high security and convenient services. The app DubaiNow was awarded the “Best Digital Government Experience” in the Seamless Middle East 2022 Awards because of its efficiency.

If you develop an app like DubaiNow, you have a good opportunity to be a part of the digital transformation in Dubai.

Why Build an App Like DubaiNow?

You must be thinking, if you build an app like DubaiNow, what would it be benefitting for your business, which is common.

You know that the app DubaiNow offers multiple services, from government to private, which are convenient for users. Thus, offering your users seamless access to services in the UAE anytime through an app will boost engagement and loyalty.

Let’s dig deeper and see why developing an app like DubaiNow is a viable option.

♦ Contributing to Digital Transformation

The government of the UAE has come up with numerous initiatives to strengthen the path of digital transformation. The government believes that with digital transformation, it can transform Dubai into a smart city.

Businesses in Dubai can contribute to this idea of the government by developing smart apps like DubaiNow. Such innovative technology will help to improve the lifestyle of the citizens by facilitating a strong bridge of communication with the government.

Apps like DubaiNow can establish better engagement and a strong community between the government and citizens.

♦ Benefits for the Businesses

When businesses create an app like DubaiNow, it can prove to be quite beneficial for them. DubaiNow is a user-friendly app that offers access to numerous services, which encourage users to connect with the app more frequently.

So, when a large number of people connect with such an app created by businesses, it will drive better engagement, increase loyalty, and strengthen the brand’s image.

Moreover, building an app like DubaiNow shows the commitment of the businesses towards innovation and achieving customer satisfaction, offering smart app features and services.

♦ Offer Convenience to the People

DubaiNow is specifically famous for offering a one-stop solution to the people of Dubai. Users can access a wide range of services that are offered by the government and private organisations in one place.

This offers convenience to the customers in managing their work without needing to jump from one government portal to another. By registering for this app, people can do a lot of things like pay bills, check visa status, renew licenses, and avail other crucial services from their smartphones, which saves time and effort.

Moreover, interacting with the government through an app feels more interesting than the traditional way.

♦ Revenue Generation Opportunity

By developing an app like DubaiNow brings an excellent opportunity to generate high revenue for the businesses. By offering premium features on the specific subscription plan, businesses get to monetise their app.

Also, every time users make an in-app purchase or avail any service from the app, it will generate revenue for businesses. Businesses that developed the app can collaborate with the government entities, allowing them to access data and APIs to offer unique services.

This is a clever way to earn commission from the government entities and generate revenue.

Market Overview of the App Industry in the UAE

Before going further into this blog, let’s look at the numbers of the UAE’s app industry.

• UAE is a digitally connected country, which ranks at the top globally for high internet and smartphone penetration. Since 99% of the population has smartphones, it is predicted that in the year 2025, the mobile internet usage will reach 96.3%. So, this indicates how much the people of the UAE depend on apps for day-to-day chores.
• Looking into these solid numbers, many businesses in the UAE have started to invest in app development. For this reason, the app development software market has witnessed significant growth.
• The UAE custom software development market generated a revenue of USD 973.2 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 3,255.5 million by 2030.  The growth rate of this market between 2025 to 2030 is expected at a CAGR of 22%.

• In the year 2024, a total of downloaded apps was 572.6 million in the UAE. This number was 4 million more than it was in the previous year. At the same time of the year, it was seen that the population of the UAE has spent $549.8 million on app and in-app purchases at an annual growth rate of 26.5%.

Key Features of the DubaiNow App

To build an all-in-one app like DubaiNow, you must know about the features that make the app an optimal choice in the UAE. We have shared some of the must-have features of the DubaiNow app below, which you can consider using to build your app.

Admin Features:

1. User Login Form

This is the feature that makes the registration process easy for first-time users of the app. Here, a form will be provided to the users where they have to fill in all the basic information and ID, contact details, and others to create their account on the DubaiNow app.

2. Third-Party Integration

Users must be able to connect with healthcare providers and other services right from a single app, offering them convenience. For that, collaborating with third-party service providers is important to connect with their system.

3. Integrate a Payment Gateway

The app must offer its users a smooth checkout process with easy and secure payment options within the app. So, integrating a payment gateway can be a very fruitful feature that connects with third-party payment apps. It gives multiple payment options to the user and offers a digital receipt.

Features for Customers:

4. Profile and Dashboard

The app must have a user-friendly dashboard where users can easily manage their personal information and credentials. There must be a user profile that will be maintained by the user where they can see payment statuses, information, orders, and other related details.

5. Uploading Documents

Users must be able to upload their documents in the app seamlessly; the documents include educational certificates, identity proof, and others. So, integrating a document management system is crucial to store and check the documents easily.

6. Booking and Appointment Reminder

There must be a feature that can alert users about their bookings and appointments so that they never miss important events. Users will get their reminder via email or notification on their phone at the specific time that users set within the app.

Steps to Build an App Like DubaiNow

The journey to develop an app like DubaiNow must start with proper planning and execution. Missing a single step means all the efforts you invested in the app development will go in vain.

You can make the app development journey less challenging by hiring a mobile app startup in Dubai, and the process they will follow, which we have shared.

Let’s look into the steps to create an app like DubaiNow below.

Step 1: Market Analysis

Start the app development process with a thorough market analysis to find out user interest, competitors, and trending features. Research and study about the competitors of the DubaiNow app, which will tell how they are performing and their gaps.

After that, understand the interests and needs of the audience in the market. This will help you to fill the gap and include features in the app that meet audience needs. Lastly, check for the trending features around the DubaiNow app so that you can bring uniqueness to your app.

Step 2: Set Specific Goals

Now, set a goal for your app, which includes choosing features, platforms, and technologies you will use to build an app like DubaiNow. This will also include selecting specific government services that you want to provide to your users through your app.

Additionally, setting a goal also means you have to establish specific goals for your app, which are crucial for you to achieve. Identify the target audience you want to reach through your app and the scope of developing an app like DubaiNow.

Step 3: Coordinate with Government Entities

Since DubaiNow is an app that offers users access to government services, this means you have to connect and collaborate with government entities. This coordination is crucial because you have to get access to the APIs, services, and data of the government entities.

You need to know the rules, regulations, and specifications regarding the integration of the government system. Lastly, you must progress your app development process by integrating the government entities, following the privacy policy, and data security requirements.

Step 4: Design Your App

Start by creating the design of your app, for which you have to create the wireframe and prototype of an app like DubaiNow. Then build the UI/UX of the app, which stands for user interface and user experience.

To make an app like DubaiNow, you have to ensure that you have designed an excellent app interface that is easy to navigate, intuitive, and visually appealing. While designing your app, count on different types of users who will be using it. So, every group of users can use them without any issue and complete their work.

Step 5: Front-end Development

Now you have to start the development process of the app. Firstly, you have to do the front-end development. So, in front-end development, you will build the user interface, add interactive elements or features, and maintain the user flows.

While front-end development, you have to make sure that your app has cross-platform compatibility, so you have to establish a responsive design. To develop the front end of your app, you have to choose the programming language and frameworks for this; select Flutter and React Native.

Step 6: Back-end Development

Now, the back-end of your application is used to develop the core functionality of the app. The backend is responsible for managing the data storage, user authentication, and allowing integration with external services and government entities.

This can be a complicated task for developing an app like DubaiNow, so this can be entirely handed over to an app development company. The mobile app development company in Dubai can create the app by implementing a secure method for user authentication and encryption.

Step 7: Integrate API

Apps like DubaiNow, which is a government service provider, means it has to integrate with government entities, third-party API, and exchange data with government services.

Integrating an API is one of the crucial steps if you are planning to develop an app like DubaiNow. You must set up a secure data transmission process and ensure that the system of your app works along with the API provided by the government.

Step 8: Testing and Launching

After developing a new app, test it before the deployment to check whether it has secure, high-quality performance. Moreover, testing the app helps you to find out bugs and other kinds of issues that must be fixed early.

You don’t want your audience to face any problems with your app, so this step is crucial for offering a high-quality app. When done with testing, launch the app on different app stores like the App Store and Google Play.

Before you launch the app, you can promote it on different social media platforms and through email marketing to create buzz.

Cost to Develop an App Like DubaiNow

If you are prepared to make an app like DubaiNow and want similar features, then it can cost you from $30,000 to $150,000. These amounts can vary depending on the functions, feature complexity, and tech stack of the app.

If you want to build the basic version of the DubaiNow app, then it will cost $30,000 or even less than that. A moderate version of the app with little more than basic features and complexity can cost you between $50,000 and $100,000. Lastly, if you are planning to build a full-stack app with top-notch functionality and features, then it will cost $150,00 or even more.

Factors Affecting the Cost to Develop an App Like DubaiNow

Wondering how this cost is decided, or if there is any mistake? Let me make it clear for you by telling you about the reasons that determine the mobile app development cost.

So, here are the key factors that influence the cost to develop an app like DubaiNow.

• Platform Choice

The platform you choose for your app is a significant factor that decides the cost of app development. You have two choices: either go for a cross-platform app or go for native iOS or Android apps.

Operating a cross-platform app is the best choice because it covers both iOS and Android at the same time.

• The Design of the App

The design of the app is an inevitable factor that affects the cost of app development. The user interface and user experience of the DubaiNow app have a flawless design.

So, carrying out an excellent UI/UX design of your app is crucial to offer an optimal user experience and bring uniqueness to the market.

• Choice of Tech Stack

Tech stack is a crucial element in app development, and it plays a huge part in influencing the cost of app development.

You must opt for the latest technologies to build your app so that you can keep up with the competitors and solidify the future of the app. If you are choosing a complicated technology, then it will cost you more but offer good outcomes.

• Size of the Development Team

The type of development team you are hiring to develop your app does affect the price of app development. There are options for offshore and onshore development teams. The first is the local development team, and the latter depicts the team from other countries. Choosing an offshore development team will come under budget and also offer quality.

Monetization Strategies for an App Like DubaiNow

How about earning extra bucks from the app that offers multiple services to your customers? This is an excellent idea that you need to learn to be able to monetize your app.

We have shared some of the app monetization strategies below.

➢ Subscription Plan

Through your app, you can cater to different classes of customers, so with a subscription plan, you can make your app more accessible and also drive revenue.

Make different types of subscription plans with different features. When your customers purchase a subscription plan, they can get to use better features and help you earn more.

➢ Freemium Plan

Give your customers to explore the basic plans of your app for free of cost however they want to move to use premium features, they have to purchase a plan.

This is a good idea to earn revenue from your app. These plans will again come under different prices, which offer different features.

➢ Sponsorship Ads

Sometimes you can see other businesses run their ads on apps; these are sponsorship ads. When you allow other brands to run their ad in your app, you charge some amount, which allows you to earn revenue.

This not only helps you earn money but also helps you create a channel for promoting local businesses and boosting their visibility.

Why Choose Nimble AppGenie to Develop an App Like DubaiNow?

Do you have excellent mobile app ideas, and don’t know who will execute your idea to build an app? You can put your trust in one of Dubai’s best app development companies, Nimble AppGenie.

Owners of many successful apps today have come to us with one question: how to develop a mobile app in Dubai, and get the best solution in return. The best part about Nimble AppGenie is that we offer our services within the budget of our clients.

Conclusion

DubaiNow in the UAE is transforming the lives of its citizens with the best multi-service solution, using a single app. Now you can also develop an app like DubaiNow and offer users access to both government and private services in just a few clicks.

You know everything about DubaiNow, from the process of development to the price it will cost you to develop the same app. Now it’s time to take the leap and transform the idea of your app into reality.

Offer convenience to your users and lead the competition with an extraordinary multi-service app.

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