Why this project
needed to exist
Mabaat set out to become the go-to short-term rental booking platform for Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The market needed a trustworthy, culturally aware alternative to global platforms that overlooked local hospitality standards and preferences.
Hard to find reliable stays
Users in the Saudi and UAE market struggled to find reliable, well-presented short-term rental options. Existing platforms offered fragmented experiences with inconsistent listing quality.
Cultural preferences ignored
Global platforms didn't cater to local cultural preferences and hospitality standards. There was a gap for a product that understood the nuances of the Saudi and Emirati guest experience.
No unified discovery experience
There was no unified experience for discovering, comparing, and booking unique stays in the region. Users had to jump between multiple apps and websites to find suitable options.
Low platform trust
Low trust in online rental platforms due to inconsistent listing quality, lack of verification, and poor customer support created hesitation among potential users.
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.
Qualitative insights
from real users
We conducted structured user research to understand behaviours, needs, and attitudes around short-term rental booking. Insights from interviews and brainstorming sessions directly informed our design decisions.
Stakeholder Interviews
Conducted 5 in-depth stakeholder interviews about online booking behaviour, preferences, and pain points in the current rental experience.
- Understanding booking decision factors
- Mapping current pain points and workarounds
- Identifying trust signals users look for
- Exploring cultural expectations around hospitality
- Documenting feature priorities from user perspective
Brainstorming & Synthesis
Collaborative brainstorming sessions to gather early insights and synthesize findings into actionable design opportunities.
- Affinity mapping of interview findings
- Identifying recurring themes and patterns
- Prioritising user needs by frequency and impact
- Generating "How Might We" statements
- Defining design principles from research
User Behaviour Analysis
Understanding user behaviour, needs, and attitudes through observation and data analysis to inform the booking experience design.
- Booking journey mapping end-to-end
- Identifying drop-off points in competitor flows
- Analysing search and filter usage patterns
- Understanding decision-making timelines
User Flow Mapping
Visualisation of steps users take to complete booking tasks — from discovery through to confirmed reservation and post-stay review.
- Search and discovery flow
- Listing detail and comparison flow
- Booking and payment flow
- Post-booking communication flow
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.
Key platform features
Beyond the four pillars, we built specialised filters for finding the perfect stay, awareness features to help users discover new destinations, and direct messaging between guests and hosts for seamless communication.
property listings, and key features here
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
Designing a rental booking platform for a specific regional market taught me valuable lessons about cultural sensitivity, trust-building, and the importance of deep market understanding.
Cultural context is not optional — it is foundational
Designing for the Saudi and UAE market required more than translation. Understanding hospitality expectations, family travel patterns, and local privacy preferences fundamentally shaped every design decision.
Trust is earned through transparency, not claims
Users didn't trust the platform because we said it was trustworthy. They trusted it because verified hosts, clear pricing, honest photography, and responsive support proved it over time.
Speed of booking directly correlates with conversion
Every additional step in the booking flow was a potential drop-off point. Reducing friction from search to confirmation had the single biggest impact on conversion rates.
Research before pixels saves time and money
The upfront investment in stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis, and user behaviour mapping prevented costly redesigns later. Research is not a phase — it is continuous.
Mobile-first is non-negotiable in this market
With 72% of bookings happening on mobile within 48 hours of search, designing for mobile first was not a strategy choice — it was a market reality that dictated every layout decision.