What it costs to set up a company in Saudi Arabia

The fee schedule, tile by tile

These are the amounts the ministries publish for a company set up under an investment registration. Everything else a consultant charges is service, not government fee.

The Ministry of Commerce lists 15% VAT with the establishment and publication fees. Company registration is issued within 72 hours once your investment certificate is valid for at least 30 days.

Three things worth checking before you pay

Guides

• What MISA actually charges in 2026 Investment registration

  The ministry's own investor guide sets no published licence fee. It says the amount is decided when your application is approved, and gives two different payment deadlines.

• Commercial registration cost, fee by fee Commercial registration

  SAR 1,000 to 1,600 to establish the company, SAR 500 to publish it, VAT on top, and a trade name that costs more in English than in Arabic.

• Minimum capital for a foreign-owned company Ownership rules

  Trading is the expensive door: SAR 30,000,000 fully foreign owned, or SAR 26,666,667 with a Saudi partner holding a quarter. Most other activities set no capital floor.

• Iqama and work permit costs for investors Staff and visas

  What the official guide does document: the documents a manager needs, the two SAR 1,000 penalties, and why no ministry page we could open prints a residence permit price.

• Saudization: what the rules actually say Staff and visas

  Two separate things get called Saudization. One is the Saudi share of your company, fixed per activity. The other is the Saudi share of your payroll, set by ministry decisions.

• GOSI for employers: who is covered Staff and visas

  The social insurance law splits into two branches, and which one covers your employee depends on nationality. The public law page prints no contribution rate.

• What a company costs to keep every year Running costs

  The annual confirmation is the fee nobody budgets for: it repeats your establishment fee every year, per registration, plus whatever MISA sets for the annual update.

• How long company setup takes Process

  Ten working days at MISA, 72 hours at Commerce, and two payment deadlines that quietly decide whether your registration survives.

• How to read a setup consultant quote Buying advice

  Every published government fee for a standard LLC adds up to a number you can check. Anything above it is service, and service is worth paying for when it is named.