Android OS Continues To Dominate The UAE’s Smartphone User Market With 84.5% Of Users, Leaving Businesses In A Dilemma: Go Android-First Or Choose Cross-Platform App Development?
Dubai, UAE - 5 June, 2025: A renowned statistical data provider recently revealed that the Android Operating System (OS) dominates the smartphone user market of the UAE with an 84.5% share.
The World Competitiveness Report ranked the UAE in 7th position in 2024. Furthermore, the UAE holds the 13th position in the world in terms of GDP. Nevertheless, the Android OS has a larger market share.
Digitalisation is growing rapidly in the UAE. Mobile app development is now a common practice among UAE-based businesses. Small or Large, Startup or well-established enterprises, mobile applications are a business essential for everyone these days.
However, the revealed market share puts businesses in an age-old dilemma: whether to invest in cross-platform or native app development for business.
Customisable UI Makes Android Top Priority for Emiratis
The Emirati audience is creative, innovative, and dynamic. According to the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the UAE ranked first in for creative thinking and financial literacy in the Arab world.
Creative people prefer customisable User Interfaces as it gives more personalised user experience to the users. In an internal survey held with 150 participants, a group found that 88% people admitted that a customised device UI gives a sense of belongingness.
Furthermore, a customisable UI helps the user learn device features and functions much faster and digital adoption becomes easier.
A Variety of Device Styles Attracts Users Towards Android
Moreover, Android devices are far more advanced in product design in comparison to iOS devices. While iOS devices have still not come out of their handful of signature designs, Android device manufacturers, especially, Samsung have revolutionized smartphone designs.
From Flippable to Foldable screen devices to wide range of screen sizes, Android devices have multiple options. Smartphones to Android Tablets and Smart TVs, Android OS has a much wider and flexible ecosystem. This makes data sharing and porting easier for Android users. Eventually, Emirates living larger than life, prefer large Android screens.
Restrictions on iOS Discourage Smartphone Users
An iOS user revealed to the author that iOS devices have certain restrictions in the UAE. Face Time the most popular feature of iOS devices used for video calling is banned in the UAE due to security concerns.
Reports have also found that iOS 17 implemented GPS tracking system for user safety. However, in the UAE GPS tracking feature is also banned. Likewise, iCloud storage if used with Advanced Data Protection by the user, disables the government of the UAE to access any form of user data. This further negates iOS usage in the culture of the UAE.
So, Is Native Mobile Development Worth The Investment?
This condition might put the aspiring app owners in confusion - whether to choose Native Android app development or choose to make a cross-platform application for business.
However, Cross-platform app development has profound advantages such as optimised development cost, single codebase for two different OS platforms, and faster time to the market (as compared to developing two different native apps). But, Native app development helps businesses to access the majority.
Choosing Android app development services in the UAE may be enough, however, if a business wants to unlock 100% business reach then cross-platform apps can be the right choice. Among the 15.5% of iOS users, the majority of users, that is 47.7% are aged between 25-34 years.
This is followed by 25.7% aged between 18-24, and 21.1% aged between 35-44. Hardly 5% users are aged 45+. So, the choice totally depends upon the target audience of a business.
Development costs does not play a vital role in the case of the UAE. Cross-platform app development costs only AED 5000 to AED 8000 up from Native Android apps. Native iOS apps can cost between AED 65,000 and AED 345,000. But, considering the limited market share and feature restrictions, native iOS app development may offer lower ROI for UAE businesses.
Native Android app development cost at enterprise grade can range between AED 40,000 and AED 260,000 depending upon app’s features, functions, UI UX design and overall complexity.
So, the answer is yes! Native Android mobile app Development is worth the investment for UAE-based businesses. It is cost-effective and with a user base of 84.5%, unlocks a majority of business reach for Emirati businesses.
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