Business setup in Saudi Arabia
Pick the right structure, get your MISA licence and Commercial Registration, open a bank account and hire your first team — one clear path, one fixed price.
Six structures — and which one fits you
There is no single best structure. The right one depends on your activity, whether you have a parent company, your hiring plans, and how much reporting you are prepared to carry.
A quick comparison
A guide, not a ruling. We confirm the actual requirements for your activity in the written proposal.
| Structure | 100% foreign owned | Separate liability | Best for | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLC | Yes — most activities | Yes | Companies that will stay, hire and expand | 4 – 8 weeks |
| Foreign branch | Yes | No — parent carries it | Contracting, projects, existing contracts | 5 – 9 weeks |
| Special Economic Zone | Yes | Yes | Manufacturing, logistics, advanced tech | 4 – 10 weeks |
| Regional HQ | Yes | Yes | Groups operating in 2+ countries outside KSA | 6 – 12 weeks |
| Entrepreneur licence | Yes | Yes | Startups backed by an incubator or investor | 3 – 6 weeks |
Your licence type follows your activity
The activity you register decides your licence, your capital and your regulatory obligations. Picking the wrong one costs an expensive amendment later, so we classify it with you before filing.
Commercial
Importing, exporting, distribution, wholesale and retail.
Service
Consulting, technology, education, healthcare, tourism and hospitality.
Industrial
Manufacturing, assembly, processing and industrial production.
Professional
Law, accounting, engineering, architecture and licensed consultancy.
Real estate
Development, management, sales, leasing and brokerage.
Contracting
Construction, infrastructure, operations and maintenance.
Transport & logistics
Freight, transport, warehousing and supply-chain services.
Mining
Exploration, extraction and processing of minerals and metals.
Agricultural
Farming, livestock, fisheries and food production.
From first meeting to a working company
Classify & verify
We match your activity to the right classification, confirm ownership and capital requirements, and settle the structure.
MISA licence
We prepare and file the attested parent-company file with MISA and follow it through to issue.
CR & articles
Name reservation, notarised articles of association, Commercial Registration and Chamber of Commerce membership.
Government registrations
Qiwa, GOSI, Muqeem and Absher Business files, plus VAT registration with ZATCA.
Address & municipality
National Address, an attested lease and the municipality licence through Balady.
Bank account
We prepare the compliance file and sit with you through the bank meeting until the account is live.
Visas & hiring
Visa block, general manager visa, sponsorship transfers, Qiwa contracts and Saudisation planning.
Go live
E-invoicing, the payroll and WPS cycle, monthly books, and a renewals calendar.
What we need from you
Most setup delays come from attestation, not from the authorities. Prepare these early and you save weeks.
The list varies by structure, activity and shareholder nationality. We send a final, tailored checklist after the discovery call.
- Parent company commercial registerAttested by the foreign ministry and the Saudi embassy in the home country.
- Articles & memorandum of associationTranslated into Arabic by a certified translator.
- Audited financial statementsUsually the parent company's most recent financial year.
- Board resolution & power of attorneyNaming the general manager and authorising your representative.
- Shareholder and manager passportsValid copies, with white-background photographs.
- Office leaseRegistered on the Ejar platform and linked to your National Address.
For most steps, no. The bulk can be completed under an attested power of attorney. A few steps still need you in person — chiefly the bank account meeting and biometrics for the iqama — and we group them into one short visit.
Nitaqat sets the share of Saudi employees required for your activity and size. Your band directly affects your ability to issue visas, transfer sponsorships and bid for government work. We build a hiring plan that keeps you in a green band from month one rather than fixing it after the fact.
Registration becomes mandatory once taxable annual turnover passes the statutory threshold, and is optional below it under conditions. Many new companies register early so they can recover input VAT on setup costs. We work out which is better for you before registering.
Yes, but amendments cost time and fees, and can mean changing the articles, the investment licence and the Commercial Registration together. That is why we spend time getting the classification right at the start.
The recurring obligations start: tax returns, annual Zakat, payroll through WPS, GOSI, licence and iqama renewals, and e-invoicing. We give you a deadline calendar and, if you want, run all of it on a monthly package.