Foreign company formation in Saudi Arabia
Foreign Investment Company Formation in Saudi Arabia with 100% Ownership
Set up your company with full foreign ownership and no Saudi partner. Under the new Investment Law the SAR 60,000 annual subscription is no longer collected, and the process is now registration in the National Investor Register.
What has changed for foreign companies in Saudi Arabia?
Under the previous system, the investment licence cost SAR 2,000 as a basic licence fee plus a SAR 10,000 Investor Services subscription in the first year, rising to SAR 60,000 in the following years. Under the current Investment Law: the process has become registration in the National Investor Register, collection of the former high annual subscriptions (SAR 10,000 and SAR 60,000) has been suspended, and the registration fee is set officially by the Ministry of Investment in the payment notice issued when the application is approved, according to the activity classification.
Commercial Registration for an LLC: SAR 1,200 a year + SAR 500 to publish the articles of association + 15% VAT, through the Saudi Business Center. Under the new Commercial Registration Law, branch registrations and the traditional expiry date were abolished and replaced by an annual data confirmation.
Choose the investment route for your activity
Service company setup
IT, consulting, contracting, logistics, hospitality, healthcare and education. 100% ownership and no fixed minimum capital in most activities.
Industrial company setup
100% foreign-owned factories with an industrial licence on Sinaei, customs exemptions on machinery and raw materials, and SIDF financing.
Trading company setup
Wholesale, retail, import, distribution and online stores: SAR 30 million for 100% ownership, or SAR 26,666,667 with a 25% Saudi partner.
RHQ and Entrepreneur licence
The Entrepreneur licence for tech startups, and the RHQ with 0% income tax for 30 years and a 10-year Saudization exemption.
Your company setup in 5 stages
01
Legal review and document attestation
We check your activity against the national ISIC4 classification and list the documents to attest at the Saudi embassy in your country.
02
Investment registration with MISA
We file your registration in the National Investor Register online; it is processed within up to 10 working days of a complete application.
03
Articles of association and unified CR
The articles of association are notarised and the unified Commercial Registration issued through the Saudi Business Center within 72 hours, with Chamber of Commerce registration.
04
Government files
We open your company’s files with Qiwa, GOSI, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) and the National Address (SPL).
05
Visas and bank account
We issue the general manager’s visa and iqama, activate Absher Business and Nafath, and open the company’s corporate bank account.
Why Legal GCC?
Fully specialised
We only set up and structure foreign investment companies, and we track every regulatory update.
Verified information
Every fee and timeline we quote comes from the official source, with the date we last checked it.
Three offices
Riyadh, Doha and Amman, with service in English and Arabic.
Frequently asked questions
Has the SAR 62,000 foreign investment licence fee been cancelled?
Its collection has stopped. Under the previous system the cost was a SAR 2,000 basic licence fee + a SAR 10,000 Investor Services subscription in the first year, then SAR 60,000 in following years (SAR 62,000 a year with the licence fee). Under the new Investment Law the process became registration in the National Investor Register, the SAR 10,000 and SAR 60,000 subscriptions were suspended, and the registration fee is set in MISA’s payment notice on approval according to the activity classification.
Can I own 100% of a company in Saudi Arabia without a sponsor or Saudi partner?
Yes. In most activities open to foreign investment you can own 100% with no sponsor or Saudi partner, after investment registration with the Ministry of Investment. Some activities carry special conditions, such as trading (SAR 30 million for 100% ownership) and certain professional and restricted activities.
How long does it take to set up a foreign company in Saudi Arabia?
Investment registration is processed within up to 10 working days of a complete application, then the articles of association and Commercial Registration are issued through the Saudi Business Center within 72 hours. The total time depends on how fast documents are attested in your country and on your activity’s requirements.
Can an online store be set up under the Entrepreneur licence?
Not if it sells goods. Wholesale and retail trading (including online stores selling goods directly) is subject to the rules and capital of the trading activity (SAR 30 million for 100% ownership, or SAR 26,666,667 with a 25% Saudi partner). The Entrepreneur licence is reserved for technology and innovation startups and innovative digital platforms holding an endorsement letter from a licensed Saudi incubator or accelerator, a Saudi university, or a patent. It is not granted for conventional trading.
Which documents does investment registration require?
A copy of the foreign company’s commercial registration attested by the Saudi embassy, its financial statements for the last fiscal year attested by the Saudi embassy, and the requirements of the registered activity. Premium Residency holders are exempt from the commercial registration and financial statements.
Start your company today
Tell us about your activity and we will send you the right route, the costs and the current procedures.