Top 5 App Store, 1M+ downloads
- Mobile companion app launched at the height of the Pokémon Go wave
- iOS and Android release pipelines and store rollouts
Software studio · Dubai
Apps and software for UAE companies, with one fixed price set before work starts
Nakhoda is a Dubai software studio. We build mobile apps, websites, web platforms and AI automation. Antonin, the founder, writes your scope and works on the build, and everything we build sits in your company's accounts.
Request a fixed price WhatsApp Antonin
- Step one
- Scope first A written scope before any price. It is free, and you keep it.
- Price
- One figure Fixed before work starts. If our estimate is wrong, the extra work is on us.
- Last payment
- On acceptance You pay the final 20% once you accept the finished build.
- Ownership
- Your accounts Code, cloud and app store accounts registered to your company from day one.
What is Nakhoda?
Nakhoda is a software studio in Dubai, run by its founder Antonin Ribeaud with a small team. It builds apps, websites and software for UAE companies. Each project starts with a free written scope, then gets one fixed price; the last 20% is paid when you accept the build, and the code stays in your accounts.
What our founder built before Nakhoda
Nakhoda opened in 2026. Its founder has built software for twelve years, for L'Oréal, Deezer, Free Malaysia Today, relevanC, Foundingbird, PokeSpot and others. Each entry gives the company and his role. All of it, or the full record on arelion.dev.
R&D teams search 100M+ pages and get answers with their source
- Built the pipeline that reads, OCRs and indexes the documents, on Google Cloud
53M+ songs streamed to 14M+ users in 180+ countries
- Continuously evolved the React and Redux web stack at scale
- Shipped product features on the music-streaming platform
Of all the developers and engineers I've worked with (125+ and counting over 21 years), I've never met one who could balance such a calm, tolerant personality with the often insane workloads he took on. If you get the chance to work with him, take it.
What a low quote often leaves out
A quote is often low because some of these are missing. Each one comes back later as an extra, or as a problem. Our scope lists all six, with a yes or a no for each.
Admin screens
The screens your team uses to manage users, orders and content.
The screens nobody demos
An empty list, a failed payment, a lost connection: your first customers will see them.
Hosting, alerts and backups
Who is told when the app stops in the night, and how data comes back after a mistake.
Moving your existing data
Customers, products and history from spreadsheets or the old system.
Accounts in your company's name
App Store, Google Play, cloud and code. If the vendor holds them, you cannot leave without its help.
Documentation
How the software is built and deployed, so that another developer can take over.
What we build
Mobile app development in Dubai
We build iOS and Android apps for companies in Dubai and the UAE: a written scope, one fixed price, and the code and store accounts registered to you.
Mobile app development in Abu Dhabi
We build iOS and Android apps for Abu Dhabi companies, ADGM firms and health providers included, with a written scope and one price set first.
Website design and development in Dubai
We design and build company websites for Dubai and UAE businesses, in English and Arabic, with one fixed price and the domain in your name.
Custom software development in Dubai
We build custom software for Dubai and UAE companies: internal tools, client portals and integrations, at one fixed price agreed against a scope.
E-commerce website development in Dubai
We build online stores for Dubai and UAE businesses, on Shopify or custom, in Arabic and English, with one fixed price and the store in your name.
We also build web platforms and portals, internal tools, integrations between your systems, dashboards, SaaS products, AI automation and chatbots, the rescue of a stalled project. Ask on the call. All services
Billing by the hour, or one fixed price
| Billed by the hour, locally | Billed by the hour, offshore | Nakhoda | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | An estimate, revised as hours add up | A day rate times the days used | One figure for a written scope |
| If the estimate is wrong | You pay the extra hours | You pay the extra days | The extra work is on us |
| Your contact | Often an account manager | Often a project manager abroad | Antonin, who wrote the scope |
| Code and accounts | Often opened by the vendor | Often opened by the vendor | In your company's name |
How a project runs
You can stop after the quote without paying anything.
Call
You explain the problem and what the software has to change in your business. Antonin asks the questions that decide the price.
Scope
We send a written scope that lists the screens, the integrations, the data and what is excluded.
Quote
One fixed price and a delivery date for that scope. If you stop here, you pay nothing and keep the scope.
Build
A first working version early, then a new one every week. The final 20% is due when you accept the build.
Common questions
What does Nakhoda do?
Nakhoda is a software studio in Dubai. We build mobile apps, websites, web platforms, custom software and AI automation for companies in the UAE, each at one fixed price agreed against a written scope.
How much does an app or software project cost in Dubai?
Published prices disagree. Three 2026 price guides for Dubai put a mid-level business app anywhere from AED 40,000 to AED 400,000, because each guide means something different by mid-level. Our price is one figure for your written scope, and it stays the same through the build.
Who is behind Nakhoda?
Antonin Ribeaud, the founder, with a small team. He has spent twelve years building software, as CTO of four startups and as an engineer at L'Oréal and Deezer. He takes the first call and writes the scope.
Do we own the code?
Yes. The code is in a repository your company owns from the start, the App Store, Google Play and cloud accounts are registered to your company, and the contract transfers the intellectual property to you.
What if our project is too big for you?
If it needs a large team for a long time, a bigger agency is the better choice, and we will say so on the call. We run one or two builds at a time.
Antonin Ribeaud, the founder, reads each request himself. If the project fits, the next step is a call, then the written scope and its price. The scope costs you nothing, and you keep it even if you build with someone else.
Describe your project
A few lines are enough. You get an answer by email.
Thank you, your request is in. You will get an answer by email.
Prefer to talk first? Book a call · WhatsApp · hello@nakhoda.ae