A senior software engineer for Riyadh teams, in Saudi hours
SaaS platforms, AI and LLM features, security audits and integrations for Riyadh teams, planned around your Sunday-to-Thursday week.
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Why Riyadh teams bring me this work
For a Riyadh team on a transformation programme, the requirements usually come in a particular order: where the data lives, who can see it and how it's documented, then the features. I build SaaS platforms and AI features in that order, under your contract, with data residency agreed at the start, and I write decisions down for the stakeholders who weren't in the room.
What teams across Saudi Arabia bring me
- Your platform processes personal data of people in the Kingdom and must follow the Personal Data Protection Law.
- A transformation program needs senior engineers who document decisions for stakeholders, not only ship code.
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The hours we share with Riyadh
Riyadh is two and a half hours behind Mumbai all year: your 09:00 is 11:30 in Mumbai, and neither clock changes. You work Sunday to Thursday and I work Monday to Friday, so four of your five working days overlap fully; a Sunday question gets its answer on Monday, and anything time-critical for a Sunday is planned the week before.
Each city's 09:00–18:00 working day on the clock in Mumbai (UTC+5:30), in January and in July, so daylight saving is accounted for.
| City | In January | In July |
|---|---|---|
| RiyadhUTC+3 | 11:30–20:30 | The same |
Clocks No daylight saving time; Arabia Standard Time is UTC+3 all year.
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Rules a Riyadh team's software meets
The Cloud Computing Special Economic Zone
The Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority (ECZA) lists a Cloud Computing Special Economic Zone in Riyadh, set up under Council of Ministers Resolution No. 233 of 29/3/1444H, to support the Kingdom's digital transformation through cloud computing. Its regulatory bylaw covers licensed activities, zakat, tax, labour and incentives.
Source: ECZA: Regulations for the Cloud Computing Special Economic Zone
Special economic zones
ECZA lists four special economic zones: King Abdullah Economic City (Makkah Region), Ras Al Khair (Eastern Region), Jazan (Jazan Region) and the Cloud Computing zone (Riyadh).
Source: ECZA: Special Economic Zones
Across Saudi Arabia: Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)
This is engineering guidance, not legal advice: confirm what applies to your business with your counsel.
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Contracts and invoicing
Invoices in Saudi riyals or US dollars, per milestone, paid through Wise or Payoneer. Data residency is agreed at the start, and I can work under your contract.
More on working with teams in Saudi Arabia is on the Saudi Arabia page.
Regional headquarters incentives
Under the Kingdom's Regional Headquarters Program, licensed by the Ministry of Investment, a qualifying regional headquarters gets a zero rate of income tax on eligible income and of withholding tax on certain payments for thirty years, renewable, according to ZATCA's guideline (second version, May 2026). The program is Kingdom-wide, not limited to Riyadh.
Source: ZATCA: Guideline for Regional Headquarters in KSA (May 2026)
Tax and legal treatment depends on your company and country: confirm it with your accountant or counsel.
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Where Riyadh teams usually start
Web platforms and SaaS
Custom web applications, APIs and integrations, built to be inherited.
- Price
- Fixed-scope quote after a discovery call
- Timeline
- Scoped per project, agreed before work starts
AI features in your product
LLM features that work on your real data, measured before they ship.
- Price
- Fixed-price scoping sprint, then a fixed-scope quote
- Timeline
- A scoping sprint first, then a timeline agreed per project
Security audit and penetration test
An attacker's view of your application and infrastructure, and a fix list you can act on.
- Price
- Fixed price per scope
- Timeline
- Agreed per project after scoping
Fractional CTO
Senior technical leadership a few days a month, without a full-time executive hire.
- Price
- Monthly retainer
- Timeline
- Ongoing; days per month agreed with you
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Case studies
- Case study: Vayudoot Aviations · Education platform
- Case study: Immunomate · Telemedicine platform
- registered users
- 500+
- Case study: InfluencerX · Real-time voting platform
- users over the campaign
- 1.6M+
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Questions from Riyadh teams
What hours do we share with Riyadh?
Your 09:00 is 11:30 in Mumbai all year, so from your morning on, Monday to Thursday, our days overlap. Sunday is a working day for you and not for me: Sunday questions are answered on Monday, and anything time-critical is planned the week before.
What is the Cloud Computing Special Economic Zone?
A special economic zone in Riyadh, listed by the Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority and set up under Council of Ministers Resolution No. 233, to support the Kingdom's digital transformation through cloud computing. Its bylaw covers licensed activities, zakat, tax, labour and incentives. Whether it matters to your platform is a question for your counsel and accountant.
Do you have an office in Riyadh?
No. I work remotely from Mumbai, with no office, address or staff in Saudi Arabia, and I don't offer in-person meetings in Riyadh. We work on video in your morning and in writing.
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