MC

​More than a million commercial register contribute to strengthening the trade in Saudi Arabia

 

King Abdulaziz - May Allah rest his soul - in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah 1344 AH (1926 AD) issued what so-called "Sunni Will," that stated that the old active rules which agree to the law of Allah (Shariah), are still active now. After the issuance of this Will, a number of rules appeared and formed many systems, where there was no government agency interested in organizing the trade in the country.

 

The instructions listed stated that trade was an internal affair of the Kingdom. After three months of issuing The Will, His Majesty King Abdulaziz formed a commercial entity to settle traders disputes under the name (Traders Council).

In 1347 company registry system was released and by that, a new job title that was associated with the general attorney under the name "Companies' Register" was issued. The system obliged all the companies and associations to register their names and information at the Register, and that was the first step to organizing the trade business in the country.

 

In the year 1349, the custom's system was released and then released again officially in 1350, by the Royal Decree No. (32) dated 15/01/1350 AH approving the trading system in the Kingdom, called the Commercial Court system.

 

In 1358, the royal decree No.(8762) was issued in 02/28/1358 AH, approving the registration of Trademarks system, then the Royal Decree (No. 8117) in 02/06/1360 H was issued to approve the goldsmiths' system.

 

In the year 1365H - 1946AD the Royal Decree No.2558 in 23/03 H. was issued to approve the establishment of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jeddah, as an institution working to improve trade and industry in the country, and protect it from the foreign competition under the supervision of the government.

 

The Shura Council Decree No. (259) in 15/11/1367 H, ordered the establishment of Chamber of Commerce in Makkah, in the following year 1368, a decree was issued to establish the first system of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and by that a letter from the governor of Eastern Province number (140 806) in 3/10 / 1372 ordered the establishment of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Eastern Province.

 

As a result of the expansion of business activities and growth, Royal Decree No. 5703/5/22/10 in 11/07/1373 AH issued to establish the Ministry of Commerce, and was entrusted with the organization of domestic and foreign trade and trade development. After founding the ministry, many trade-interest parties joined in and supervise the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Kingdom.

 

The beginning of business records goes back to more than sixty years when the first commercial record in Saudi Arabia was dated in 21/08/1376 AH at Jeddah city. The number of companies' records now reached more than 126.000 records, while the total number of the individuals business records estimated by (1.045.869 ) record.

 

At the beginning of the month of Ramadan of the year 1432, the Ministry has launched the first transformational electronic service of its kind to issue the commercial record and obtain membership of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry through a unified E-portal.

 

Then the ministry continued to develop the commercial register issuing procedures to become fully electronically, and within an ideal time of 180 seconds, without the need for any paper transactions, and in all regions of the Kingdom.

 

Commercial agencies system issued by Royal Decree No. M / 11 in 02/20/1382 AH. The number of commercial agencies now are more than 16.000 agency.

 

The application of the trademark system started in the year 1358 AH, and the first trademark was registered in the year 1365 H. Trademarks registration went through many stages till the launch of the electronic system in the year 1434 AH, which contributed in facilitating trademark registration process. The number of the registered trademarks now are approximately 183.000 trademarks.

 

Since the issuance of the Royal Decree approving the establishment of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jeddah until today, 28 chambers of commerce was established in the Kingdom. Many numerous amendments introduced to the system and to the list of commercial and industrial chambers to keep up with the economic growth in the Kingdom. The Chambers of Commerce is representing the interests of the business sector in each region and working on the development of the economic environment and the enforcing the investment and serve businesspeople. The total number of the employees in the Chambers of Commerce, 540 thousand members.