Questions for the client

These questions need your answer before we build the related parts of the Alf Laila app. We have suggested an answer for most of them. If you agree, press “Agree” or just write “OK”.

ألف ليلة وليلة

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  • Needed nowThese block the start of work (Milestone 1).
  • By end of week 3Needed before we build bookings, payments and invoices (Milestone 2).
  • By week 8Needed before we build groups, community and the admin panel (Milestone 3).

Already decided

  • One phone number can be used as both a customer and a provider account.
  • ZATCA e-invoices are issued by the platform at launch. Later, each provider will issue their own, by linking their own ZATCA device from their Fatoora portal.
A

Accounts, Access and Legal

Needed now
A1

Accounts we need access to.

Please create these accounts, or give us access to them, under the company's name. The company must own every account.

# Account Notes
1 GitHub organization All code is stored here
2 Server / hosting See A2
3 Domain name e.g. alflaila.sa. We will use api., admin. and provider. subdomains
4 Apple Developer (Organization) Requires a D-U-N-S number. Approval can take 1–2 weeks, so please start now
5 Google Play Console (Organization)
6 Firebase (Google) Push notifications
7 Moyasar merchant account Payments. Includes Apple Pay merchant setup
8 Cloudflare Image and file storage
9 SMS provider See A3
10 Sentry Error tracking. A free plan is enough to start
11 ZATCA Fatoora portal The platform's own e-invoicing setup. Needed because the platform issues the invoices at launch
A2

Where should the servers be hosted?

Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) affects where customer data may be stored.

  • Option 1: a cloud provider inside Saudi Arabia (e.g. STC Cloud, Oracle Jeddah/Riyadh, Google Cloud Dammam).
  • Option 2: an international provider (e.g. Hetzner, DigitalOcean).
Our suggestion

Option 2, an international provider. Please confirm with your legal advisor that this meets PDPL requirements.

A3

Which SMS provider should send the login codes?

Options: Unifonic, Taqnyat, Msegat, or another. Is a sender name (for example "AlfLaila") already registered with CST?

Our suggestion

Unifonic or Taqnyat. Sender name registration takes time, so please start it now.

A4

App name in the stores.

Please give the Arabic name, the English name, and a short description. Is "ألف ليلة وليلة" registered as a trademark? Common names are sometimes rejected by Apple and Google, so a backup name would help.

A5

Brand identity.

Do you have a logo, brand colors and an app icon?

  • If not, we will propose 2–3 color palettes and a simple icon for you to choose from.
A6

Legal texts.

The stores require Terms of Use and a Privacy Policy, in Arabic and English. Providers also need a provider agreement covering commission, payouts and refunds. Who will write these?

Our suggestion

your legal advisor writes them. We add them to the app.

A7

Customer support contact.

Which phone number, WhatsApp number and email should appear in the app's "Contact us" page?

A8

Test builds.

Who should receive the test versions of the app? Please list their names and emails. iPhone testers need an Apple ID email. Android testers can receive a link.

A9

Clickable prototype.

In Milestone 1 we will deliver a prototype for you to review the app screens.

  • Option 1: built inside the real app, so you can try it on your phone.
  • Option 2: Figma designs.
Our suggestion

Option 1.

B

Users and Login

Needed now
B1

Admin login.

How should admins log in?

  • Option 1: phone number + SMS code, the same as other users.
  • Option 2: email + password, with an extra verification step.
Our suggestion

Option 1.

B2

Phone numbers.

Should only Saudi numbers (+966) be accepted, or international numbers too?

Our suggestion

Saudi numbers only at launch.

B3

Customer profile.

What information do we ask customers for? Name only, or also email, gender and date of birth?

Our suggestion

name is required. Email is optional.

B4

Account deletion.

Apple requires a "Delete my account" option inside the app. When a customer deletes their account, what happens to:

  • their upcoming bookings
  • their wallet balance
Our suggestion
  • Deletion is blocked while the customer has upcoming bookings or a wallet balance. The app explains why.
  • Past invoices are kept, because the law requires it.
B5

Admin team.

How many admins will there be at launch? What should a moderator be able to do, compared with a super admin?

Our suggestion

a moderator can review provider documents, the community and reports. Money, commissions and admin accounts are for super admins only.

B6

Riyadh districts.

We will add the standard list of Riyadh districts, about 170. Do you have your own official list to use instead?

C

Providers

By end of week 3
C1

Providers without VAT registration.

At launch the platform issues all invoices. Later, providers issue their own. Small freelancers often have no VAT number, so they cannot issue ZATCA tax invoices themselves. What happens to them after the switch?

  • Option 1: the platform keeps issuing invoices for these providers.
  • Option 2: they can stay. No tax invoice is issued for their bookings, only a payment receipt.
  • Option 3: only VAT-registered providers can stay.
Our suggestion

Option 1.

C2

ZATCA link after the switch.

Once providers issue their own invoices, must a VAT-registered provider link their ZATCA device before their services can be booked?

Our suggestion

yes, with a grace period. The platform keeps invoicing for them until they link, or until the grace period ends.

C3

Expired ZATCA certificate (after the switch).

Each provider's ZATCA certificate expires and must be renewed. What happens if a provider does not renew?

Our suggestion

we remind them 30, 7 and 1 days before expiry. If it expires, their services are hidden until they renew.

C4

Registration documents.

The spec asks for a commercial registration (CR) or a freelance document. Do we also need any of these:

  • national ID or Iqama
  • IBAN certificate (needed for payouts, see D5)
  • national address
  • Maroof registration
C5

Who reviews new providers, and how fast?

Is there a target, for example within 2 working days? Should the provider be notified by push notification only, or by SMS too?

C6

Categories per provider.

Can one provider offer services in more than one category? For example, a photographer who also rents bishts.

Our suggestion

yes.

C7

Service area.

The spec puts one Riyadh district on each service. Some providers, such as beauty, logistics and photography, travel to the customer instead.

  • Option 1: each service has one district.
  • Option 2: a service has a home district plus a list of districts it covers.
  • Option 3: venues have a location, and mobile services cover all of Riyadh.
Our suggestion

Option 2.

C8

Provider fees.

Is commission the only fee, with no subscription or listing fees?

D

Prices, Commission and Payouts

By end of week 3
D1

Remaining balance.

Customers pay only a deposit in the app. Is the rest paid directly to the provider outside the app, in cash or by transfer?

Our suggestion

yes. The provider invoices the remaining amount through their own system.

D2

Commission is calculated on…?

  • Option 1: the full package price. For example, 10% of a 10,000 SAR package is 1,000 SAR, taken from the deposit.
  • Option 2: the deposit only.
  • Question: under Option 1, what happens if the commission is larger than the deposit?
D3

Commission rates.

What is the default rate? Should any categories have a different rate?

D4

VAT on prices.

Do the prices providers enter already include 15% VAT?

Our suggestion

yes. Customers see the final price they will pay.

D5

Paying providers.

How and when do providers receive their share of the deposit?

  • When: after the customer pays, or after the event is completed?
  • How: manual bank transfer by the admin, or automatic?
  • How often: per booking, weekly, or monthly?
Our suggestion

the money is held until the event is completed. The admin then makes manual transfers every week to the provider's IBAN.

D6

Payment gateway fees.

Moyasar charges a fee on each payment. Who pays it?

  • Option 1: the platform pays it out of the commission.
  • Option 2: it is deducted from the provider's share.
D7

Deposit limits.

Is there a minimum or maximum deposit? For example, at least 10% of the price.

D8

Price types.

Some services are priced per person or per unit, for example hospitality per guest or dhabaeh per head. Are fixed package prices enough, or do we need "price × quantity"?

Our suggestion

add quantity for packages marked "per unit", with a minimum and maximum quantity.

E

Bookings and Availability

By end of week 3
E1

How is availability counted?

The spec gives each service one date and a daily capacity, for example 2 bookings per day.

  • Do venues or bisht rentals need multi-day bookings?
  • Do beauty services need time slots, for example 4 pm–6 pm?
Our suggestion

start with date + daily capacity. Add time slots later if needed.

E2

Provider acceptance.

Is the booking confirmed automatically once the deposit is paid, or must the provider accept it first?

Our suggestion

confirmed automatically, as the spec says.

E3

Payment time limit.

How long is a date held for a customer who started a booking but has not paid yet?

Our suggestion

15 minutes.

E4

Booking window.

How far in advance can customers book? Is there a minimum notice?

Our suggestion

at least 1 day ahead, and up to 12 months ahead. Each provider can change these limits.

E5

Booking details.

What must the customer enter when booking? For example:

  • event address or location pin
  • number of guests
  • notes
E6

Completing a booking.

The provider marks the booking "completed". What if they forget?

Our suggestion

it is completed automatically 2 days after the event date, unless the customer reports a problem.

E7

Disputes.

What happens if the provider doesn't show up, or the customer complains? Can the admin cancel the booking and give a full refund?

Our suggestion

yes. The admin can cancel with a full refund, and the reason is recorded.

F

Cancellations, Refunds and Wallet

By end of week 3
F1

Who can cancel?

Can the customer, the provider and the admin all cancel a booking?

F2

Provider cancels.

If the provider cancels, does the customer always get 100% back, whatever the refund policy says? Is there a penalty for the provider?

F3

Refund percentage.

The provider's refund policy gives a percentage by days before the event, for example 100% / 50% / 0%. Does this percentage apply to the deposit paid?

Our suggestion

yes. Days are counted in Riyadh time.

F4

Refund method.

Who chooses between a refund to the card and wallet credit?

  • Option 1: the provider's policy decides.
  • Option 2: the customer chooses at cancellation.
  • Option 3: the policy sets a default, and the customer can switch to wallet credit.
F5

Commission on refunds.

When a booking is refunded, is the platform commission refunded too?

Our suggestion

yes, in the same proportion as the refund.

F6

Refund policies.

Must every service have a refund policy? Should the platform provide ready-made templates for providers to pick from?

Our suggestion

yes to both.

F7

Wallet rules.

Please confirm:

  • Can wallet balance partly pay a deposit, with the rest charged to the card?
  • Does wallet balance expire?
  • Can customers withdraw wallet balance to their bank?
Our suggestion

partial use is allowed. The balance never expires. It cannot be withdrawn.

G

Invoices (ZATCA)

By end of week 3
G1

Invoice language.

Should invoices be in Arabic only, or Arabic and English?

Our suggestion

Arabic and English on the same invoice.

G2

Whose name is on the invoice at launch?

The platform now issues the invoices. There are two ways to do this, with different tax results:

  • Option 1: the platform is the seller. The invoice shows the platform's name and VAT number, and VAT is due on the full amount from the platform.
  • Option 2: the platform invoices on behalf of each provider. The invoice shows the provider's name and VAT number. This needs a written agreement with each provider.
Our suggestion

please confirm with your tax advisor before we build invoices.

G3

Switching to per-provider invoices.

When does each provider start issuing their own invoices?

  • Option 1: all providers switch together, on a date you choose.
  • Option 2: each provider switches once they link their ZATCA device. Until then, the platform keeps invoicing for them.
Our suggestion

Option 2. Both modes are built from the start, so nothing changes for customers.

G4

Platform commission invoice.

Should the platform also issue a tax invoice to each provider for the commission? The platform will already have its own ZATCA setup, so this is smaller work than before, but it is still not in the current scope.

G5

Provider support for ZATCA linking.

For the later phase, linking a ZATCA device requires the provider to get a code from their Fatoora portal. Should we provide a short Arabic guide with screenshots for providers?

Our suggestion

yes.

H

Budget Calculator

By end of week 3
H1

What counts as "spent"?

When a customer pays a deposit, which amount is deducted from their event budget?

  • Option 1: only the deposit paid.
  • Option 2: the full package price, because the customer has committed to it.
Our suggestion

Option 2, showing "paid" and "remaining to pay" separately.

H2

Linking bookings to events.

Must every booking belong to an event, or is it optional?

Our suggestion

optional. Only linked bookings affect the budget.

I

Chat

By end of week 3
I1

Sharing contact details.

Should we block or hide phone numbers and links in chat, so customers and providers don't arrange deals outside the app?

I2

Images in chat.

Can users send images in booking and group chats?

Our suggestion

yes.

I3

Chat after the event.

After a booking is completed or cancelled, does the chat stay open?

Our suggestion

it becomes read-only 30 days after completion.

J

Planning Groups

By week 8
J1

Group size.

Is there a maximum number of members per group?

Our suggestion

30 members.

J2

Inviting people who don't have the app.

If someone is invited by phone number and doesn't have the app, should we send them an SMS? SMS messages cost money.

Our suggestion

yes, one SMS with the invite link.

J3

Member permissions.

Can group members:

  • see the budget?
  • edit the budget?
  • make bookings for the event?
Our suggestion

members can view the budget and manage tasks. Only the owner can edit the budget and make bookings.

K

Community

By week 8
K1

Likes and votes.

The spec lists likes and up/down votes. Should a post have both, or just one of them?

Our suggestion

if both are kept, likes show appreciation and votes affect ranking.

K2

Who can post?

Customers only, or providers too? If providers can post, can they advertise their services?

K3

Replies.

Can users reply to comments?

Our suggestion

one level of replies.

K4

Moderation.

Do posts appear immediately, or only after review? Should a post be hidden automatically after a number of reports?

Our suggestion

posts appear immediately. A post is hidden automatically after 5 reports until a moderator reviews it.

K5

Images per post.

What is the maximum number of images in one post?

Our suggestion

4.

L

Reviews

By week 8
L1

Provider replies.

Can providers reply publicly to reviews?

L2

Hiding reviews.

Can the admin hide reviews? In what cases?

L3

Review window.

How long after the event can a customer leave a review?

Our suggestion

30 days.

M

Home, Favorites and Notifications

By week 8
M1

Favorites.

Do customers save services, providers, or both?

Our suggestion

services.

M2

Featured providers.

How are "featured providers" on the home screen chosen?

  • Option 1: the admin picks them manually.
  • Option 2: they are chosen automatically by rating.
  • Option 3: providers pay to be featured.
M3

Banner links.

Banners can link to a category, a provider or a website. Should they also be able to link to a specific service?

M4

Reminders.

Should customers get automatic reminders before their event? For example 7 days and 1 day before.

M5

Channels.

Are push notifications and in-app notifications enough, or do you also want SMS or email for important events, such as booking confirmation and refunds?

Our suggestion

push + in-app only. SMS is used only for login codes and group invites.

N

Launch

By week 8
N1

Target launch date.

Do you have a launch date, or a season you're aiming for, such as before Ramadan or wedding season?

N2

First providers.

How many real providers will join at launch? Will your team help them register? Do you want a short training session for them?

N3

Category content.

Will you provide icons and cover images for the 8 categories, or should we prepare them?

Prepared for the Alf Laila project owner. Once these are answered, we will update the build plan and confirm any changes to the timeline.