START A COMPANY / MIDDLE EAST
How to register a company in Saudi Arabia
Foreigners register as an investor with MISA, then incorporate through the Saudi Business Center and the Ministry of Commerce, get a commercial registration (CR), then register with ZATCA (tax), GOSI (social insurance) and Qiwa (labour).
- REGISTRY
- Ministry of Investment (MISA) and Ministry of Commerce (Saudi Business Center)
- ONLINE
- Fully online
- FROM
- SAR 500 (≈ £99)
- STRUCTURES HERE
- 3
Setting up from abroad
Yes. Foreign investors register with MISA first (up to 100% ownership in most sectors), then get commercial registration from the Ministry of Commerce. Needs a Saudi address and a manager; no local partner for most sectors. Residence (Iqama) and bank account follow.
LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
LLC: Limited Liability Company (Sharikat Mas'uliyya Mahduda)
Most foreign-owned trading and service businesses wanting limited liability.
- Liability
- Limited to what you put in
- You need
- 1 shareholder (up to 50); 1 manager
- Minimum capital
- No statutory minimum under the 2023 Companies Law; MISA or the sector may expect a realistic capital
- Time
- 2 to 6 weeks
Steps
Get a MISA foreign investment registration on the Invest Saudi portal.
Check the activity is open to foreign ownership.
Reserve the trade name via the Ministry of Commerce.
Prepare the Articles of Association on the Ministry of Commerce platform and sign them (Absher or authorised attorney).
Obtain the commercial registration via the Saudi Business Center.
Get a Saudi national address and a municipal (Balady) licence.
Register with ZATCA, GOSI and Qiwa; open a corporate bank account.
Documents
- Passport and attested parent-company documents (if corporate shareholder)
- MISA registration
- Articles of Association
- Lease or national address
- Manager appointment
Official fees
MISA licence about SAR 2,000 a year (reported waived or reduced for some 2026 applicants); CR SAR 200; municipal licence extra. Unverified for 2026.
Budget
| How | About | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | SAR 3,000≈ £590 | DIY: MISA and CR fees plus basic municipal licence, about |
| With an accountant or agent | SAR 15,000≈ £3,000 | About: with a local agent handling MISA, CR and ZATCA |
| Full service | SAR 45,000≈ £8,900 | About: lawyer, office lease, visa and bank account help |
Every year
- Renew CR and municipal licence yearly
- File zakat or income tax return within 120 days of year-end
- VAT returns monthly or quarterly
- Pay GOSI contributions
- Renew Iqamas and work permits
Check before you rely on it. Not confirmed with an official source: MISA fees and exemptions changed in 2025 to 2026; check the Invest Saudi portal. Some sectors are restricted to Saudis.
BRANCH OF A FOREIGN COMPANY
Branch: Branch of a Foreign Company
A foreign company extending its existing business, often for government projects.
- Liability
- Unlimited: you are personally liable
- You need
- A foreign parent company and a Saudi-resident manager
- Minimum capital
- None set; parent guarantees obligations
- Time
- 4 to 8 weeks
Steps
Get a MISA licence for the branch on the Invest Saudi portal.
Attest the parent's documents (home country, Saudi embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
Translate documents into Arabic.
Register the branch with the Ministry of Commerce and obtain a branch CR.
Get a national address and municipal licence.
Register with ZATCA, GOSI and Qiwa.
Open a bank account.
Documents
- Parent certificate of incorporation and articles
- Board resolution
- Attested and translated documents
- Manager's passport
Official fees
MISA licence about SAR 2,000 a year; branch CR SAR 100. Unverified.
Budget
| How | About | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | SAR 3,000≈ £590 | DIY: MISA and CR fees only, about |
| With an accountant or agent | SAR 20,000≈ £4,000 | About: agent plus document attestation and translation |
| Full service | SAR 55,000≈ £11,000 | About: lawyer, office, visas and bank help |
Every year
- Renew licence and CR yearly
- File zakat or income tax and VAT returns
- Audited accounts
- GOSI contributions
Good to know. Parent is liable for branch debts.
SOLE TRADER
Sole Proprietorship: Sole Proprietorship (Mu'assasa Fardiyya)
Saudi residents or nationals running a small business under their own name.
- Liability
- Unlimited: you are personally liable
- You need
- 1 owner
- Minimum capital
- None
- Time
- 1 to 5 days
Steps
Reserve the trade name at the Ministry of Commerce.
Apply for the CR through the Saudi Business Center.
Get a national address and municipal licence.
Register with ZATCA and GOSI.
Open a bank account.
Documents
- National ID or Iqama
- National address
- Municipal licence
Official fees
CR about SAR 200 a year; municipal licence extra.
Budget
| How | About | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | SAR 500≈ £99 | DIY: CR and trade name only, about |
| With an accountant or agent | SAR 3,000≈ £590 | About: with agent and municipal licence |
| Full service | SAR 8,000≈ £1,600 | About: agent handling all registrations |
Every year
- Renew CR yearly
- VAT if over threshold
- Zakat or income tax return
Check before you rely on it. Not confirmed with an official source: non-resident foreigners generally cannot use this form; use an LLC through MISA.
After you register
- Register with ZATCA for tax; VAT 15%, mandatory above SAR 375,000 turnover, voluntary from SAR 187,500.
- Zakat applies to Saudi and GCC-owned shares; 20% corporate income tax on foreign-owned shares.
- Register employees with GOSI (social insurance) and Qiwa (work contracts and permits).
- Get a municipal (Balady) licence and any sector licence.
- Open a corporate bank account (needs CR and Articles).
- Register beneficial owners with the Ministry of Commerce.
- Saudisation (Nitaqat) quotas apply by company size and sector.
Sources
Checked against:
Pound amounts use HMRC's exchange rates for 2026-10 and are a rough guide only.
Other countries in Middle East
This guide is general information to help you plan, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Fees, forms and rules change: check the official registry before you file, and take professional advice for anything complex. Agent and lawyer costs are typical market prices, not quotes.