Why Saudi Arabia, and why now
The region's largest economy is rebuilding itself in public. Here is what that means in practice for a company thinking about entering.
Vision 2030 changed the rules for foreign investors
A decade ago, entering the Saudi market meant finding a local partner and working through long paper procedures. Today a foreign company can own its entity outright, complete most procedures online, and hire, contract and bid like any domestic establishment.
100% ownership
Available in most activities through a MISA licence.
0% personal income tax
No tax on individual income, which lifts the real value of salaries.
30-year RHQ relief
A tax incentive package for groups relocating their regional headquarters.
Enormous public spending
Infrastructure, housing and transport programmes creating steady supplier demand.
Where the spending is flowing
The giga-projects are not just headlines — they are open supply chains: contracting, logistics, hospitality, technology and support services, all needing qualified suppliers.
NEOM
A new city and economic region on the Red Sea, including The Line, Oxagon and Trojena.
Qiddiya
A major entertainment, sports and culture destination south-west of Riyadh.
Red Sea Global
Luxury tourism development driving demand in hospitality, transport and services.
Diriyah
A heritage, cultural and residential development around historic Diriyah.
What the pitch deck leaves out
The Saudi market is genuinely attractive, but it is not frictionless. We would rather you saw the whole picture before committing, because the projects that stall are the ones that entered with unrealistic expectations.
The Saudi authorities are relatively fast. What consumes the weeks is attesting your parent company's documents in the home country. Start attestation before anything else.
Your local hiring ratio directly affects your ability to issue visas, transfer sponsorships and bid for work. Treat it as part of the hiring plan from month one, not a problem to fix later.
Getting the licence and registration is much faster than getting a working bank account. Bank compliance requirements are strict and any gap in the file sends you back to the start of the queue. We prepare the file before the appointment, not after.
Contracts, official correspondence, invoices and government interfaces are in Arabic. Companies that treat Arabic as an afterthought pay for it in delays and regulatory misunderstandings.
The activity you register decides your licence, your capital and what you may sell and invoice. Choosing an approximate activity looks like a shortcut and becomes an obstacle at your first significant contract.
Where we see the most entries
Contracting & infrastructure
Driven by the giga-projects, housing and transport — and needing classification and vendor registration.
Technology & software
Growing government and enterprise demand, with rising in-Kingdom data-residency requirements.
Logistics & supply chain
A location linking three continents and heavy investment in ports and logistics zones.
Hospitality & tourism
A relatively new sector growing fast around the major destinations and events.
Healthcare & education
Privatisation and expanding private-sector partnerships.
Manufacturing
Industrial localisation incentives and the Special Economic Zones.
We will assess your market entry at no cost.
Send us your activity, your size and your plans and we will come back with a straight assessment: whether the market suits you now, which structure fits, and what it realistically costs.