Saudi Arabia's 2025 Investment Law: Register, Not License

Saudi Arabia's updated Investment Law came into force on 12 February 2025, introducing a key change for foreign investors: the former foreign-investment licence has been replaced by a mandatory registration in the national investor register maintained by the Ministry of Investment. Registration must be completed before any investment activity begins.

Applications are submitted electronically through the Invest Saudi portal of the Ministry of Investment, with no need to visit the Ministry's headquarters. Available activities follow the approved ISIC4 economic-activity categories, while restricted activities require compliance with sector-specific requirements and additional approvals.

What applicants need to prepare

Required documents may include an embassy-authenticated foreign commercial registration, embassy-authenticated financial statements for the most recent fiscal year, partner identification where applicable, and any activity-specific documents. Premium Residency holders are exempt from submitting the foreign commercial registration and financial statements.

The stated review period is up to 10 days. There is no single fixed registration fee published for all cases; instead, the Ministry determines the fee upon approval. Once notified, applicants must pay the approved fee within 15 business days, otherwise the registration is considered void.

The shift from licensing to registration is designed to simplify market entry for international investors and streamline the start of business activity in the Kingdom, in line with the broader goals of رؤية السعودية 2030. For residents and expats planning to invest, the move means a faster, fully electronic process — but it also places responsibility on applicants to prepare authenticated documents in advance and to settle fees promptly to keep their registration valid.

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