Setting Up a Company in Saudi Arabia

Here's what you need to know:

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a leading nation in its support of innovative ideas that enrich the economy, contribute to the society’s growth, and align with Vision 2030’s objective to build a bright future for the Kingdom.

We’re seeing an unprecedented boom in entrepreneurship, with investment capital financing for startups jumping by 55% in 2020. Eighty-eight of these investments have enriched Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation efforts in e-commerce, enabling Saudis to register and run startups remotely.

What does that mean for you?

Business processes that used to take a few weeks to complete are now available for you to accomplish quickly and easily online.

Are you looking to launch a startup?

There are several routes you can take. One of them is enrolling in a business incubator or a startup accelerator. Of course, if you’d like to venture on your own, setting up a business in Saudi Arabia has never been easier. You will need to research, conduct a market study, define your niche and outline a business plan to provide you with a solid start.

Once you do so, you can go ahead and begin the legal process of setting up your business. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Visit the Ministry of Commerce website companycr.mci.gov.sa and click the ‘Enter System’ button.
2. To log in, enter your National ID number and the password associated with your Absher account.
3. Click the “Set Up Company Contract” button.
4. Define your company’s activity.
5. Define the duration of your company’s commerce registration.
6. Define the amount of your company’s capital.
7. Choose the headquarters of your company.
8. Define your company’s business partners. If there are none, just continue.
9. Input the name of your company, or use your name as a placeholder. (Tip: It is better to have your official business name ready to get immediate approval.)
10. Fill out the company’s capital amount, adding the number of shares to be distributed among business partners.
12. Managing the Company: You may assign roles at this step, such as choosing your company's CEO, managers, board members, etc. If you’d like to give it more thought, skip to the next step.
13. Authorization: For your peace of mind, assign the power of proxy here, and sign.
14. Now all you need to do is pay the registration fees (through Visa, Master Card, or Sadad), and you’re good to go!

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