Opening a Company in Saudi Arabia: 2026 Cost Guide

Foreign investors planning to launch a business in Saudi Arabia in 2026 face a clearer and, in several areas, lower-cost path than before. The first mandatory step remains obtaining a foreign investment licence from وزارة الاستثمار before commercial registration, with standard processing taking roughly 3 to 10 business days.

The biggest change this year is on fees. The main licence government issue fee and multi-year renewal charges from وزارة الاستثمار are currently suspended or waived for most investors. Previous headline costs of SAR 12,000 to issue and up to SAR 62,000 in annual renewal are not being charged, leaving commercial registration and chamber costs as the main outlays.

For a foreign-owned limited liability company, typical government cost components include Commercial Registration (CR) issuance of about SAR 1,200 to 2,000 plus 15% VAT, Articles of Association publishing of around SAR 500 (rising to SAR 500–2,000 with notarisation), and Chamber of Commerce membership of roughly SAR 2,000 to 3,000 A Municipality (Balady) licence runs about SAR 1,000 to 5,000, while National Address registration starts near SAR 1,000. Document attestation and certified Arabic translation add a one-off SAR 2,000 to 6,000.

What it adds up to

When combined, first-year government fees for many foreign LLC setups fall in the range of roughly SAR 12,000 to 15,000, excluding office rent and professional service providers, even with the main licence fees suspended.

Staffing carries separate costs. An initial investor or employment visa plus iqama, including mandatory medical insurance, runs about SAR 10,000 to 15,000 with subsequent iqama renewals around SAR 650 For residents and expat entrepreneurs weighing a move into business ownership, the suspended licence fees meaningfully lower the barrier to entry in 2026.

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