New Law Lets Saudis 15+ Do Business With Consent

Saudi Arabia's new Commercial Transactions Law introduces a notable change for young citizens, allowing Saudis aged 15 or older to engage in commercial activities — but only after obtaining authorization from a parent, guardian, custodian, or the court. The law takes effect 180 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

The provision does not grant minors an unrestricted right to run a business independently. Instead, it ties the ability to conduct commercial activity to prior approval, setting clear conditions around how and when a young citizen may take part in business.

A single, unified framework

Spanning 271 articles, the law covers a wide range of commercial matters, including merchants, business obligations, accounting records, commercial sales, supply contracts, brokerage, commercial agencies, and negotiable instruments. It consolidates rules that were previously spread across separate commercial, negotiable-instruments, and commercial-books legislation into one reference.

For the community, the change signals a broader effort to modernize and simplify the Kingdom's commercial environment. Bringing scattered provisions under a single framework is intended to make the rules clearer for merchants, families, and anyone involved in trade.

At this stage, no confirmed fees, registration steps, validity periods, or an official online channel for authorizing a 15-year-old have been detailed. Families and young residents interested in commercial activity should wait for the law to take effect and follow official announcements for the practical procedures.

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