Saudi business
Saudi Business Solutions and Market Entry
Entering the Saudi market is a sequence of approvals, each one depending on the last. Register as an investor. Form the entity. Obtain the Commercial Registration. Register the national address. Open the bank account. Register for tax and social insurance. Only then can you sponsor your first employee.
Most delays happen because a step was taken out of order, or because a document prepared abroad was not attested correctly before it arrived.
We coordinate that sequence.
Who this service is for
- Foreign investors establishing a presence in Saudi Arabia
- International companies opening a subsidiary or branch
- Entrepreneurs and startups entering the Saudi market
- Companies already operating in the GCC and expanding into the Kingdom
- Existing Saudi entities needing help with licensing, renewals or restructuring
Services
Business Setup & Company Formation
Structure selection, incorporation documents, Commercial Registration, national address, bank and office readiness.
Read moreForeign Investor & MISA Services
Investor eligibility, Investment Registration with MISA, activity classification, sector approvals.
Read more
We also coordinate the ongoing obligations that follow incorporation: see Government, PRO & Corporate Support.
The pathway from decision to operating entity
- Consultation: your objective, your activity, your ownership intent and your timeline
- Activity classification and structure: confirming your activity is open to foreign investment and choosing the right entity form
- Investment Registration with MISA
- Trade name reservation and constitutional documents
- Commercial Registration (CR) with the Ministry of Commerce
- National address, Chamber of Commerce, municipality and sector approvals
- Tax registration with ZATCA, coordinated with qualified tax professionals
- GOSI registration and the Qiwa establishment file
- Corporate bank account
- General Manager visa and residence permit, then employee visa quota
What we coordinate, and what we do not
We coordinate: structure and activity guidance, document preparation and attestation, submissions to the relevant authorities, follow-up, and sequencing across the whole pathway.
We do not: provide legal opinions, act as your legal representative, provide tax advice or file tax returns, provide audit services, or make any decision that belongs to a government authority. Where your matter requires a qualified lawyer, accountant, auditor or tax adviser, we will say so and coordinate with them.
We also do not claim privileged access to any government platform or authority. We prepare, submit and follow up. The decision is always the authority's.
What commonly causes delay
- Parent-company documents
- Certificates of incorporation, ownership structures and audited financial statements prepared abroad must be attested correctly before they arrive. This is the single most common cause of delay, and it is almost entirely avoidable with planning.
- Activity classification
- Choosing an activity that does not match what you actually intend to do creates problems later at licensing and visa stages.
- Banking
- Account opening timelines are set by the bank and its compliance processes. We prepare the file thoroughly, but no consultancy controls this step, and any firm promising you a fixed banking timeline is overpromising.
- Sector approvals
- Some activities require approval from a sector regulator in addition to the standard steps.
Fees and timelines
We publish fees and timelines only where they are confirmed. Government fees are set by the relevant authority and change; we will point you to the current published schedule. Our own fees are given in writing, with the scope, before any work begins.
Official sources
We check this page against the authorities below. Where you are making a decision, read the authority itself rather than any summary of it, including ours.
- Ministry of Investment (MISA)
- Ministry of Commerce
- ZATCA
- GOSI
- Qiwa
Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Next review due 13 January 2027. Immigration and business rules change between reviews, so confirm the current position with the relevant authority before you act on it.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can a foreign investor own 100% of a Saudi company?
Full foreign ownership is possible for many activities, but not all. Some activities are restricted or excluded, and some require additional approvals. Your activity determines the answer, which is why classification comes first.
Is it still called a MISA licence?
The term is still widely used, but the current process is investor registration with the Ministry of Investment under the Investment Law that came into force in February 2025.
How long does the whole process take?
It depends on your activity, your structure, the completeness of your parent-company documents and your bank. We will give you a realistic sequence and tell you which step is likely to control the timeline.
Do I need to be in Saudi Arabia to set up a company?
Not for every step, but some stages require a physical presence or an appointed representative with proper authorisation. We will tell you which.
Do you provide accounting and tax services?
We coordinate registration and work alongside qualified professionals. We do not provide tax advice or filing services ourselves.