How to Set Up an LLC in Saudi Arabia: Steps & Fees

Setting up a limited liability company (LLC) in Saudi Arabia is now largely a digital process, with incorporation handled online through the Ministry of Commerce and the Saudi Business Center portal. For many applicants, the commercial registration (CR) can be issued immediately once data is complete and fees are paid.

The core service, called “Establish a limited liability company,” is available after logging in with a national ID through نفاذ. Applicants enter the trade name and activity codes, company address, duration and purposes, then add partner details, capital, and the management structure. The electronic articles of association are then approved and issued, with notarization completed through ناجز or an approved notary where required.

Government fees for the LLC establishment service total 1,200 ريال سعودي for the commercial registration, paid electronically by card or SADAD. After the CR is issued, the company registers its national address, obtains Chamber of Commerce membership, and secures a municipal license through Balady for its premises.

What comes after the CR

Once incorporated, the company completes several follow-up registrations: social insurance through GOSI, tax and VAT registration via ZATCA, and a labor establishment file, Saudization (Nitaqat) profile, and electronic employment contracts through قوى. A corporate bank account is also opened.

Foreign-owned companies have one extra step at the start: they must obtain an investment license from وزارة الاستثمار through its portal before incorporation, then use that license when applying for the CR under “Establishing a Company under an Investment License.”

Why it matters: the streamlined process gives residents, expats, and international investors a clearer path to formalizing a business, with predictable steps and a fixed government fee — a practical reflection of the wider goals of رؤية السعودية 2030 to make the Kingdom easier to invest and operate in.

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