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Saudi Arabia × Government & Regulatory Affairs
Licences, approvals and dealing with regulators. In Saudi Arabia, that means local law, local regulators and local practice, handled by a qualified professional who practises there.
On request
No WONE Global Partner holds this yet. Send us your requirement: WONE Global confirms whether a vetted Associate firm can act, tells you who it is and checks for conflicts before any work begins.
Bring a requirement →Riyadh · Tuesday 3 November
21:06
Local time
What the rules say in Saudi Arabia
From the Saudi Arabia market guide: the points that matter most for government & regulatory affairs, each with the source it was checked against.
Full guide · Source-checked research100% of statements checked against a source119 checked against an official source54 checked against a secondary sourceChecked 2026-10-19Not yet professionally reviewed
A foreign investor must register with the Ministry of Investment before engaging in any investment in Saudi Arabia.
Applies to foreign investors generally; investments in securities governed by the Capital Market Law are outside this requirement.Ministry of Investment (MISA) · checked 2026-10-19The Investment Law (Royal Decree No. M/19 dated 16/01/1446H) enters into force 180 days after its publication in the Official Gazette and repeals the Foreign Investment Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/1 dated 5/1/1421H.
Replaces the 1421H Foreign Investment Law and any conflicting provisions.Ministry of Investment (MISA) · checked 2026-10-19The updated Investment Law replaced the previous foreign-investor licensing regime with a registration process.
Foreign investors; the registration is administered by the Ministry of Investment.Saudi Press Agency (SPA) · checked 2026-10-19A foreign investor must obtain Ministry of Investment approval before engaging in any activity included in the List of Excluded Activities, which the competent authority issues and the Ministry publishes.
Applies only to activities on the published List of Excluded Activities.Ministry of Investment (MISA) · checked 2026-10-19The Ministry of Investment must notify the investor of registration within 10 working days once all requirements are met; an incomplete application is given at least 15 working days to be cured before it is deemed cancelled.
Investment registration applications under the Investment Law.Ministry of Investment (MISA) · checked 2026-10-19A registered investor must submit an annual update of its registration declarations; if the update window lapses, registration can be reactivated within three years, after which re-registration is required.
All investors registered with the Ministry of Investment.Ministry of Investment (MISA) · checked 2026-10-19A 100% foreign-owned commercial (trading) activity requires minimum capital of SAR 30,000,000 and presence in at least three regional or global markets; a commercial activity with a Saudi partner requires minimum capital of SAR 26,666,667 and 25% Saudi participation.
Commercial (wholesale and retail trading) activities registered with the Ministry of Investment; further conditions, including Saudi training targets, apply.Ministry of Investment (MISA) · checked 2026-10-19Professional activities registered with a Saudi partner require 25% Saudi participation, both partners must be licensed in the same field, and any non-professional partner's share may not exceed 30%.
Professional activities (for example engineering and similar licensed professions) registered with the Ministry of Investment.Ministry of Investment (MISA) · checked 2026-10-19Read the full guide: Entry, investment and company formation · Employment, payroll and mobility · Licensing, incentives and property · Customs, trade and product rules · Deals, merger control, investment screening and insolvency · Anti-corruption, AML, sanctions and compliance
Scope
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WONE Global Partners in Saudi Arabia
No named lead for Government & Regulatory Affairs yet — these WONE Global professionals already work in Saudi Arabia and can bring the right local colleague in.
Riyadh · Saudi ArabiaWONE Global Partner · Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Yousef Al-Hussaini (License No. 992) is a seasoned accounting and auditing professional with a career spanning leading roles at Ernst & Young (EY) and one of Saudi Arabia’s largest insurance companies, includin…
Jeddah · Saudi ArabiaWONE Global Partner · Saudi Arabia
Jeddah · Saudi ArabiaAlso in Saudi Arabia
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