Getting a Commercial Registration in Saudi Arabia: Steps and Requirements Under the New Law

The commercial registration (CR) is the official identity of every business in the Kingdom. You cannot operate, open a bank account or sign contracts without it. The new Commercial Register Law made the process simpler, but the steps still need to be done in the right order.

What changed under the new law?

• One unified CR per business for the whole Kingdom instead of separate city registrations.
• No expiry date, with an annual data confirmation instead.
• Easier trade name reservation and registration.

Basic requirements

• National ID or valid iqama for sole proprietors, or partner details for companies.
• An available, compliant trade name.
• A precisely defined activity.
• Articles of association for companies, plus a MISA license when there is a foreign partner.
• A national address.

Steps

1. Reserve the trade name on the Saudi Business Center platform.
2. Prepare and notarise the articles of association for companies.
3. Submit the CR application and pay the fees.
4. Join the Chamber of Commerce.
5. Complete the follow-up registrations.

After the CR

• ZATCA registration.
• Qiwa and GOSI files.
• Municipal and activity-specific licenses.
• A corporate bank account.

Let Rayat Najd handle it

We issue your CR and complete every registration after it until you start operating, for Saudi and foreign investors alike. See our government services or our foreign company formation service.

Note: fees and procedures are set by the Ministry of Commerce and may change, so we confirm them with you before starting.