Why this project
needed to exist
Mabaat set out to be the trusted short-term rental platform for Saudi Arabia and the UAE—built around local hospitality, not a generic global playbook.
Hard to find reliable stays
Fragmented listings and uneven quality made good stays hard to discover.
Cultural fit missing
Global apps skipped local guest expectations and hospitality norms.
No unified discovery
People bounced between sites and apps to compare and book.
Low platform trust
Weak verification and support made users hesitate to book online.
Understanding the
market opportunity
Before designing a single screen, we invested deeply in understanding the travel and rental market landscape — both globally and within the Saudi/UAE region. Data-driven insights shaped every design decision.
Additional market signals
Our research confirmed strong digital adoption in the region, with 70% digital adoption rate and 82% of all travel bookings now made online. These signals validated the opportunity for a mobile-first rental platform.
Exploring existing
apps in the market
We analysed competing rental platforms in the region to identify gaps, feature opportunities, and areas where Mabaat could differentiate. This feature comparison shaped our product strategy.
| Feature | Mabaat | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security & Verification | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Flexible Duration (No min.) | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| All Property Categories | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Insurance Coverage | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| 24/7 Support | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| iOS & Android & Web | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Delivery to Door | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Maintenance Support | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
What we built
for Mabaat
Our solution centred on four pillars that addressed every key user need — from effortless booking to round-the-clock support. Each pillar directly mapped back to insights from our research and competitive analysis.
Easy Booking
Streamlined booking flow that reduces friction and gets users from search to confirmed reservation in the fewest possible steps.
Happy Stay
Curated listings with verified amenities and honest photography, ensuring the experience matches what was promised.
High Security
Verified hosts, secure payment processing, and insurance coverage give users confidence throughout their stay.
24/7 Support
Round-the-clock customer support through in-app messaging and phone, ensuring help is always one tap away.
Crafting the mobile
booking experience
The Mabaat mobile app is the primary touchpoint for users — designed to make discovering, exploring, and booking short-term stays feel effortless. Every screen was optimised for speed, clarity, and delight on iOS and Android.
Looking for a better place to stay
The home screen welcomes users with a city selector, smart search, date picker, and curated property listings — making the journey from launch to discovery feel instant and intuitive.
Exploring top options suitable to you
Not all users have specific choices — so we designed a flexible explore experience with rich filters, type selectors, and property cards that surface the most relevant stays based on user preferences.
Amenities and details for clarity
To help users make confident booking decisions, the detail screen showcases high-quality photos, ratings, amenities, location maps, and transparent pricing — all within a clean, scrollable layout.
Happy stay with seamless interaction
The booking flow was designed to minimise taps and maximise trust — with request-to-book, service requests, location confirmation, and secure checkout all flowing naturally from the property detail.
The complete mobile experience
From onboarding to checkout, the app delivers a cohesive experience — with consistent navigation, thoughtful micro-interactions, and a design language that feels both modern and culturally relevant.
Designing the web
booking experience
Beyond the mobile app, we designed a full responsive website experience — giving users a seamless way to discover, explore, and book stays from any device. Each page was crafted to build trust and reduce friction in the booking journey.
Looking for a better place to stay
The landing page introduces Mabaat's value proposition with a clear search interface, popular destinations, and trust signals — driving users toward their first booking.
Exploring top options suitable to you
Not all users have specific choices in mind — so we designed flexible search with customizable filters, price range controls, and sortable listing views to help every user find their ideal stay.
Around your destination
Customers sometimes don't know exactly what is around their destination — the interactive map view lets them explore properties geographically, compare prices at a glance, and discover hidden gems near their preferred area.
Amenities and details for clarity
To make the customer comfortable with their choice, we designed a comprehensive detail page showing high-quality photos, amenities, pricing breakdown, host info, and reviews — everything needed to book with confidence.
Happy stay with seamless interaction
The checkout experience was designed to minimise friction — a streamlined booking flow with clear pricing, secure payment, and instant confirmation that builds trust and reduces abandonment.
From research
to final UI
The design process followed a structured approach — moving from broad discovery through focused definition, iterative design, testing, and refinement. Each phase built on validated learnings from the last.
Discovery
Market research, stakeholder interviews, and competitive analysis to understand the problem space and user needs.
Define
Synthesising research into user personas, journey maps, and design principles that guided all subsequent decisions.
Design
Wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity UI design — iterating from low to high fidelity with continuous feedback.
Test
Usability testing with real users to validate design decisions and identify friction points before development.
Iterate
Refining designs based on test results, stakeholder feedback, and technical feasibility constraints.
high-fidelity UI screens here
flow designs here
Results that
validated the work
The redesigned Mabaat booking experience delivered measurable improvements across user satisfaction, booking speed, and platform trust — confirming that a locally-focused, research-driven approach works.
Key takeaways
from the project
What building for a regional market taught me about culture, trust, and friction.
Cultural context is not optional — it is foundational
More than translation — hospitality norms, family patterns, and privacy preferences shaped every decision.
Trust is earned through transparency, not claims
Verified hosts, clear pricing, and honest photography did more than any copy ever could.
Speed of booking directly correlates with conversion
Every extra step was a drop-off risk. Reducing friction from search to confirmation had the biggest impact.
Research before pixels saves time and money
Interviews and behaviour mapping upfront prevented costly redesigns. Research is not a phase — it's continuous.
Mobile-first is non-negotiable in this market
72% of bookings happen on mobile within 48 hours. Mobile-first wasn't a choice — it was a market reality.