Three quoting traps that stall Dubai software projects
Founders searching for a software development company in Dubai usually encounter two extremes: large enterprise consultancies quoting six-figure discovery phases before writing a line of code, or low-cost hourly shops that say yes to every feature and bill indefinitely without shipping a working release.
The safest middle path is a fixed-scope release anchored to one testable user workflow. When the scope, price, acceptance checks and code handoff are written down before work starts, both sides know what done looks like.
- Trap 1 — Vague feature nouns: 'AI dashboard' or 'CRM integration' without specifying which records are read, written or approved.
- Trap 2 — Missing operating-cost boundary: bundling build fees with unspecified cloud and LLM token bills that surprise the founder in Month 2.
- Trap 3 — Repo lock-in: keeping the code and cloud accounts under the agency's private organization until a final buyout.
How NayaCloud structures public starting tiers
NayaCloud is a Dubai-based product studio (DIFC) with engineering operations in Islamabad. We publish clear starting tiers in USD so founders can sanity-check their budget before booking a call.
| Tier | Starting price (USD) | Typical timeline | Best used when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launchpad | $995 | Target: 48 hours for published scope | You need a sharp validation page and working lead/waitlist capture before building software. |
| AI Sprint | $2,495 | Target: 1 working week for 1 workflow | You want one working AI workflow (RAG, voice intake, or automation) with web UI and code handoff. |
| Platform | $4,995 | Scoped in written proposal | You need multiple workflows, role permissions, dashboards and connected systems. |
Five questions to ask any software studio before you sign
- What exact user task will work end to end in the first delivery, and how will we test it?
- What happens when an AI model returns an uncertain answer or an external API times out?
- Which costs are part of the build fee, and which monthly provider bills (Cloud Run, Supabase, OpenAI, ElevenLabs) do we pay directly?
- Do we receive full source-code handoff and deployment instructions on completion?
- What can we cut from Version 1 so we can test with real customers sooner?
Estimate your starting AI MVP scope & build tier
Select the workflow stage and requirements to see which public NayaCloud starting tier fits your first release.
Target: 1 working week
A usable first version built around one core AI workflow, so you can test it with the people who matter.
A focused MVP. Complex integrations, large data migrations and native apps need a separate scope. Hosting, AI usage, external subscriptions and applicable taxes are separate.
1-Page RFP & Vendor Evaluation Template for UAE Founders (Copy & Paste)
Project Name: Primary User & Single Core Task: 3 Representative Input Examples -> Expected Output: Approved Data Sources / APIs Ready Today: Out of Scope for Version 1 (Phase 2): Required Handoff: Full Git repository ownership, deployment scripts, and written acceptance test checklist. Target Starting Tier: Launchpad ($1,500) / AI Sprint ($3,500) / Platform ($8,000).
Common questions
- Does NayaCloud hand over the source code?
- Yes. Our public offers include source code handoff for the agreed implementation once acceptance checks pass.
- Can I scope my project online before scheduling a call?
- Yes. Use our interactive Project Planner (/planner) or the AI Scope Shrinker on the homepage to generate a structured scope and downloadable PDF brief in minutes.