Cloudways vs Local Saudi Hosting Providers (ExaHost, etc.)

Compare Cloudways with local Saudi hosts on price, performance, support, and data residency.

Introduction

Many people in Saudi Arabia ask: should I use Cloudways or a local host? This choice matters for your website. It affects your site speed. It affects if you follow local data laws. It affects the support you get and the cost. This guide will help you pick the best option for your site and budget.

Quick Summary

• Pick Cloudways for fast growth, developer tools, and global speed.
• Pick a Saudi host (like ExaHost or WafaiCloud) to keep data in Saudi Arabia, get Arabic support, and use local billing.
• Pick a mix if you need both. Use a local host with a cloud connection or Cloudways with a local CDN.

Why Your Choice Matters

• Speed: A local host can make your site faster for people in Saudi Arabia. A global cloud can be faster for people in other countries.
• Rules: Some projects, like for the government, must keep data inside the country.
• Help: Local hosts often offer support in Arabic. Cloudways offers great tools for developers.
• Cost: Cloudways uses a pay-as-you-go model. Local hosts often have fixed monthly plans.

Who Is This For?

• Saudi small businesses building a website.
• Web agencies that build sites for clients.
• Anyone who must keep data in Saudi Arabia or needs Arabic support.

How We Compare

We look at:

1. Speed
2. Price
3. Security and data rules
4. Support quality
5. Tools for developers
6. Reliability and moving your site

1) Speed and Performance

• Cloudways: Uses big cloud companies. Has built-in tools to make sites fast. You can pick a server region close to Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Hosts: Have servers in cities like Riyadh and Jeddah. This means very fast load times for local visitors.
• Tip: If most of your users are in Saudi Arabia, a local host or a nearby cloud server with a CDN is often the fastest. Wondering how Cloudways performs for local users? Check out this detailed Cloudways Review for Saudi Users to see if it’s worth it.

2) Price and Costs

• Cloudways: You pay for what you use. The price changes based on the cloud provider you pick.
• Saudi Hosts: Usually have a fixed monthly or yearly price. This is easier to budget for.
• Watch Out For: Hidden costs like backups or extra bandwidth.

3) Security and Data Rules

• Cloudways: Has strong security. Where your data is stored depends on the cloud provider you choose. Few have servers inside Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Hosts: Keep your data inside the country. They can help with local rules.
• Tip: If the law says you must keep data in Saudi Arabia, you should choose a local host. For a broader look at your options, see this list of the Best Cloud Hosting Providers in Saudi Arabia.

4) Support and Help

• Cloudways: 24/7 support in English. Great for technical problems.
• Saudi Hosts: Often have support in Arabic and local phone numbers. This is very helpful for non-technical users.
• Choose Based On: If you need Arabic help, pick a local host. If you need deep technical help, Cloudways is good.

5) Tools for Developers

• Cloudways: Excellent for developers. Has tools for testing, Git, and SSH.
• Saudi Hosts: Tools vary. Some are great, others are simple for beginners.
• Tip: If you are a developer or an agency, Cloudways can save you time. If you need a host with great developer features and full Arabic language support, this guide on WordPress Hosting with Full Arabic Language & RTL Support can help.

6) Moving Your Site and Reliability

• Cloudways: Offers help to move your site. Has strong reliability from its cloud providers.
• Saudi Hosts: May also help you move your site. Their reliability depends on their own data centers.
• Tip: Always check recent user reviews for any host you pick.

Quick Comparison Table

When to Choose Cloudways

• Your site is growing fast and needs to scale.
• You are a developer and need tools like Git and staging sites.
• Your audience is both in Saudi Arabia and other countries. Looking for a top-tier provider? Here are the Top 10 Cloud Hosting Providers in 2025 to consider.

When to Choose a Saudi Host

• You must keep data inside Saudi Arabia.
• You need support in Arabic and local payment methods.
• You have a small site and a local plan is cheaper.

How to Mix Both

You don’t always have to pick just one.

• Option 1: Use Cloudways but add a CDN with servers near Saudi Arabia.
• Option 2: Keep your main site on a Saudi host for data rules, but use a CDN for global speed.
• Option 3: Start with a Saudi host and move to Cloudways when your site gets bigger.

Steps to Move Your Site

1. Check your current site.
2. Make a full backup.
3. Pick a cloud provider on Cloudways.
4. Test everything on a staging site first.
5. Update your DNS and check your SSL certificate.
6. Watch your site’s speed for a few days after the move.

SEO and Speed Tips for Saudi Arabia

• Use a CDN with servers in the Middle East.
• Make sure your server is close to your users.
• Shrink your images and use speed tools like Redis.

Simple Checklist to Choose

• Must your data be in Saudi Arabia? -> Pick a Saudi host.
• Do you need developer tools? -> Pick Cloudways.
• Is Arabic support important? -> Pick a Saudi host.
• Test both options with your website’s traffic before you decide.

Final Advice

• If your users are mostly in Saudi Arabia and data must be local, pick a good Saudi host and add a CDN.
• If you need to scale fast and use developer tools, pick Cloudways with a server near Saudi Arabia.
• For many, a mix of both is the best path forward.