I want to be honest upfront: before this project I had never written
a single SQL query. No backend experience. No DevOps. Just React and
CSS for years.
5 months later I launched BTAQA (https://www.btaqa.io) — a live SaaS product
targeting small merchants across the Arab world, with real paying
customers, native Apple Wallet and Google Wallet integration, Arabic
RTL support, and push notifications.
This is how that happened.
The problem I kept seeing
Walk into any coffee shop, bakery, or salon across Saudi Arabia,
UAE, Kuwait, or Egypt. There's a paper stamp card on the counter.
Buy 9, get the 10th free. The merchant has no idea who their
customers are. No way to reach them. No digital connection at all.
The loyalty card market in the Arab world is almost entirely paper.
Meanwhile smartphone penetration across the GCC is among the highest
in the world. Everyone has an iPhone or Android. Almost nobody has
a digital loyalty card on it.
That gap is the opportunity.
Why Arabic-first matters
Most SaaS tools in this space are built for Western markets and
then "translated" to Arabic as an afterthought. RTL layout is
broken. Arabic text renders incorrectly. The UX feels foreign.
I built BTAQA Arabic-first from day one:
- Full RTL layout throughout the merchant dashboard
- Arabic as the default language
- Apple Wallet passes with proper Arabic text rendering
- Multilingual support: Arabic, English, Dutch, Turkish, German, French
- UI decisions made for GCC merchant behavior, not adapted from a Western template
When a merchant in Riyadh opens the dashboard it feels built
for them. Because it was.
What I didn't know when I started
- SQL and database design
- Row Level Security in Supabase
- Backend API routes
- Authentication flows
- Apple Wallet .pkpass file format and signing
- APNs (Apple Push Notification service)
- Google Wallet API
- Billing systems and VAT compliance
- Capacitor for native mobile apps
- Deployment and DevOps
That was my actual gap list. I was a frontend developer.
React and CSS. That was my world.
How Claude Code changed everything
My workflow:
- Understand the concept myself first — never skipped this
- Describe what I needed clearly — requirements and logic only
- Let Claude Code handle implementation
- Review, test, ask follow up questions
- Repeat
The rule I never broke: describe the what clearly,
let Claude Code figure out the how. Vague requests
produce vague output.
The hardest technical parts
Arabic in Apple Wallet passes
Apple Wallet has strict limitations on text rendering. Getting
Arabic to display correctly inside a .pkpass file with proper
RTL alignment required BiDi control characters and careful
field ordering. Not documented anywhere clearly. Took real
trial and error.
Push notifications that actually say something useful
When a merchant stamps a card, the customer gets a notification
on their lock screen. The gotcha: if multiple pass fields update
simultaneously, Apple ignores your custom message and shows
a generic "Store card changed" text. You need to be surgical
about which fields carry changeMessage properties.
Building for low-tech merchants
GCC merchants are smartphone-savvy but not software-savvy.
The onboarding had to be extremely simple. A merchant should
be able to create a branded loyalty card and share it with
customers in under 10 minutes. Every technical complexity
had to be completely invisible.
The stack
- Next.js App Router
- Supabase (database, auth, storage, RLS)
- Vercel
- Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui
- Capacitor (native scanner app, on App Store and Play Store)
- Mollie (payments)
- Resend (transactional email)
- passkit-generator (Apple Wallet)
- Firebase FCM + APNs (push notifications)
What I learned
The Arab market is underserved in SaaS
Most tools are built for the US or Europe. If you speak the
culture, understand the merchant behavior, and build Arabic-first
— you have a real advantage. The competition is thin.
Niche beats broad every time
I could have built a generic global loyalty platform. Instead
I focused on Arab merchants specifically. That focus made every
product decision easier and every sales conversation shorter.
Frontend devs can build full products now
The barrier between frontend and full-stack is lower than it
has ever been. Supabase handles the database complexity.
Vercel handles deployment. Claude Code bridges the knowledge
gap. If you have an idea and frontend skills, you have
everything you need to start.
Where it is today
BTAQA is live across the GCC and expanding into Benelux
under the Kaartle.nl brand. Real merchants. Real customers.
Real stamps being collected every day.
If you're a frontend dev in the Arab world sitting on a
SaaS idea because the backend feels too intimidating —
this is your sign. The tools exist. The market is waiting.
btaqa.io — Arabic-first loyalty cards with native
Apple and Google Wallet integration.
Marhaba in the comments — happy to answer anything
about the stack, the Arab market, or the Claude Code workflow.
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