"New Users" register IRL, and can then use either the website on desktop, the website on mobile, or the app. There is no ease of onboarding provided by the app, given that onboarding happens IRL.

Perception varies by cultural context, so it doesn't really matter how people with no connection to Saudi Arabia perceive things.

Removing the app would mean making travel even harder, not easier - you should look at how all of this worked before the online service was introduced.