Short answer
Customers in Saudi Arabia expect mada debit cards and Apple Pay; in the UAE, cards and Apple Pay are standard, and in both countries many shoppers like Tabby or Tamara instalments. Your app connects to these through a licensed payment provider, with the merchant account in your company’s name. National logins such as Nafath in Saudi Arabia and UAE PASS in the UAE need approval for your organisation before a developer can integrate them.
Payments customers expect
- Saudi Arabia: mada debit cards, Apple Pay (which works with mada cards), Visa and Mastercard, and for some shoppers wallet payments such as STC Bank.
- UAE: credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Both: buy-now-pay-later from Tabby or Tamara, popular for retail and higher-value orders.
You don’t connect to each of these separately. A licensed payment provider, often your bank or a payment gateway, offers most of them through one integration. Ask which methods are included, the fees for each, and how quickly money is settled to your account.
Who does what
Your company opens the merchant account, signs the contract and receives the money. The developer integrates the provider’s SDK in the app and the server, handles failed and refunded payments, and tests every method in the provider’s test mode before launch. Card details never touch your own servers when the provider’s hosted fields or SDK are used.
Apple and Google store rules
If you sell digital content used in the app, such as a subscription or premium features, Apple and Google generally require their own in-app purchase systems. If you sell physical goods or real services, like food, rides or appointments, you use your normal payment provider. Getting this wrong is a common reason for App Store rejection.
National logins: Nafath and UAE PASS
Nafath lets people in Saudi Arabia confirm their identity with the national single sign-on app. UAE PASS is the UAE’s national digital identity. Both are powerful for apps that need verified users, but your organisation must be approved and receive access first. Plan for that time, and launch with phone-number login and a one-time code if approval is still pending.
Invoices and VAT in Saudi Arabia
If your company is VAT-registered in Saudi Arabia and the system issues invoices, those invoices must follow ZATCA’s e-invoicing (Fatoora) rules. Tell your developer early whether invoices come from the app, your accounting system or your payment provider.
SMS codes and messages
One-time codes and order updates by SMS or WhatsApp need a messaging provider. Sender names often have to be registered locally, which can take time, so start this before launch week.
Common questions
Can a developer outside Saudi Arabia integrate mada?
Yes. The developer integrates the payment provider’s SDK or API. The merchant account, the contract and the settlement bank account belong to your company.
Do I have to use Apple’s in-app purchase?
Only for digital content or features used inside the app, such as subscriptions. Physical goods and real-world services, like deliveries or bookings, use your normal payment provider.
Is buy-now-pay-later worth adding at launch?
For shops and higher-value orders it often is. For a booking or service app, start with cards and Apple Pay and add instalments when customers ask.
Can you add Nafath or UAE PASS login?
Yes, once your organisation is approved and receives access. Until then, phone number login with a one-time code is the usual choice.
Further reading
Sources checked on 21 October 2026. This is planning advice, not results from a client project.