The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has revealed that there is 31.7% increase in the issuance of the Commercial Registrations during the first quarter of 2018, compared to the fourth quarter of 2017. Therefore, the Commercial Registrations issued in the first quarter of 2018 reached (61,155), compared to (46.428 ) in the fourth quarter of 2017. The report also showed that the number of Commercial Registrations issued in the third quarter of 2017 reached (38.637), while the second quarter of the same year showed (55.257), meanwhile the number of Commercial Registrations Issued in the first quarter of 2017 reached (54,788). The number of trademarks issued in the first quarter of the current year reached (34.95), and in the same period the number of trade names reached (36,878).
This remarkable growth is the result of a number of initiatives launched by MCI to improve the business environment and to reduce and ease the procedures of business start-ups. Therefore, Electronic Links have been established with several government agencies, also Meras initiative and the Consolidated Service Center have been launched to provide more than 74 e-services by 16 government authorities through one platform, with working hours till 11 p.m. The electronic services launched by MCI have reduced the steps and facilitate the procedures starting by booking the trade name to the issuance of the commercial registration. All these services can be carried out online in a single step for the Establishments and in three steps for the companies. A number of government agencies have been linked to provide online the services of issuing CR, Labor & Social Insurance file, Zakat & Income file and the Municipality license, as well as issuing the Chamber of Commerce Certificate, also the possibility of modifying or renewing the Commercial Registration through using the Security Verification Mechanism via the Ministry of Interior and “Absher” service.
In this regard, MCI launched early this year the Customer Service Center in Riyadh, located at (6 Exit), which comes as a continuation of the development process in the services provided to the business sector, which the Ministry has been continuing and endeavoring to develop and expand according to the best and latest methods and practices. This center provides all kinds of services such as: The Commercial Registration, Corporate and Trademarks services, Trade Names, licenses of Gems & Precious Metals and other e-services.
The Customer Service Center applies the concept of a Comprehensive Employee within a new and sophisticated work environment, based on modern technologies that facilitate the procedures and save the time of the customers. A dedicated area of self-service has been allocated, along with specific routes and groups for each service. This is to ensure providing the best and high quality services to the customers.