The Ministry of Commerce works together with the Saudi Business Center to make it easier for investors and entrepreneurs to start and operate their businesses in the Kingdom by providing comprehensive services that comply with the highest international standards and best practices.
Wondering how to start your business?
Our commercial registration service enables Saudi investors to start their business immediately by accessing the platform of the Saudi Business Center at https://business.sa and performing the following actions:
- Choose the service for issuing a commercial registration for your establishment.
- Obtain an instant commercial license (optional).
- Open an entity file with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
- Register for Zakat through the online portal of the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority.
- Register the entity with the General Organization for Social Insurance.
- Register with the national address through Saudi Post SPL.
- Register with the Chambers of Commerce according to your location.
Service fees:
SR 200 for the main registration.
SR 100 for the branch registration.
Conditions and requirements:
1. The age should not be less than 18 years old.
2. Should not be a government employee.
3. The capital should not be less than SR 5,000.
4. The main registration file must be active if issuing a sub-registration.
How to start a company?
The process of incorporating companies is done electronically by accessing the service through the Saudi Business Center platform: https://business.sa and choosing the type of company to initiate procedures.
Key Differences between a Company and a Sole Proprietorship:
entity
| Incorporation
| Ownership
| Management
| Financial liabilities
| Sustainability
| Sources of finance
|
Sole proprietorships
| It is founded by a single member.
| The ownership of the proprietorship is limited to the founder only.
| There is only one manager appointed to oversee the proprietorship.
| It does not have independent financial liability
| It is linked to the age or status of the owner, with a relatively low continuity
| Difficulty in obtaining additional sources of financing
|
Companies
| They are incorporated by one member or a group of members.
| Shareholding is divided among shareholders according to their percentage of shares
| One or more managers are appointed to manage the company.
| They have independent financial liability.
| A company is not linked to the age or status of the shareholders, and has a relatively high continuity.
| Ease of obtaining financing sources by adding shareholders to the company.
|
Supporting services for the stages of your commercial project
You can develop your business and benefit from the supporting services for the stages of your business project through the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises website (
https://monshaat.gov.sa). During the planning stage, you can use the electronic consultation and guidance service (Nawafith), as well as the enterprise support centers. During the launch stage, you can benefit from the intelligence center, the issuance of the enterprises size certificate, the business accelerators program, and business facilitation offices. In the development and expansion stage, you can benefit from the specialized intelligence center in data science and artificial intelligence.
You must comply with the ten market rules
When engaging in economic activity, you will be obliged to comply with the ten market rules adopted by government entities, which are monitored continuously. These are:
1. Having a valid commercial registration, regularly updated with all necessary information.
2. Opening a bank account for the entity and avoiding the use of personal accounts for business transactions.
3. Renewing business licenses and updating associated entity's addresses.
4. Registering the entity with the "Wages Protection Program" and recording employee salary data.
5. Electronically documenting all employee contracts and avoiding the employment of illegal workers.
6. Documenting all financial transactions for the entity and adhering to relevant regulations.
7. Preventing non-Saudis from having tools that give them complete control over the entity.
8. Providing electronic payment methods and working on issuing and storing invoices electronically.
9. Financing the establishment and its activities through legal channels and documenting all related processes.
10. Complying with regulations and instructions related to practicing economic activities.