New Business License Fees Take Effect Jan 2026

Business owners and investors across Saudi Arabia are preparing for a wave of updated commercial regulations, with new company registration fees and a fully digital renewal system taking effect on 1 January 2026. The changes affect commercial registrations, professional licenses, and municipal permits for new and existing projects.

Under the reform, small Saudi companies see lower costs. For companies with capital up to 500,000 SAR, the initial registration fee drops from 2,000 SAR to 1,000 SAR, while annual renewal falls from 1,500 SAR to 800 SAR. Larger companies face a capital-based surcharge of 0.1% on capital above 500,000 SAR. Micro enterprises (revenue under 200,000 SAR) and small enterprises (revenue under 3,000,000 SAR) qualify for a 50% discount on all registration and renewal fees.

A Commercial Registration (CR) issued through ناجز costs 1,200 SAR and is valid for five years, renewable at the same fee. However, from 1 January 2026 some business activities will see their CR renewal period shortened from five years to one year. All renewals must be completed online, with paper submissions no longer accepted, and the process is integrated with قوى and أبشر for applications, document uploads, and electronic payment.

For foreign investors, the وزارة الاستثمار offers a standard one-year investor license with a services fee of around 12,000 SAR, and a five-year option in the range of about 62,000 SAR for the period, lowering the effective annual cost.

Municipal licenses and safety permits are issued and renewed through the بلدي platform under the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing, allowing owners to complete the process without visiting a municipality office.

The reforms matter to residents and expats running businesses, as reduced fees for smaller firms and a streamlined digital process are intended to ease costs and speed up approvals for new projects.

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