Foreign direct investment in Saudi Arabia runs entirely through the Ministry of Investment (MISA). Since April 2026, the ministry has fundamentally transitioned from a traditional licensing regime to an overarching registration framework, and in a move to stimulate inbound capital, the historical issuance fees have been fully suspended. This page maps the path to a foreign-owned limited liability company as it operates in June 2026, within the Business hub on Hala Law. For a comparison with the domestic path, see incorporating a Saudi LLC.
From licensing to registration: the April 2026 shift
MISA's historical issuance fees previously scaled up to SAR 62,000 for standard licenses, against a SAR 12,000 first-year baseline. Per the position standing in June 2026, these fees are fully suspended, and MISA is collapsing multiple operational licenses into a single overriding registration certificate. Per the June 2026 baseline; fees change by subsequent decisions.
Ownership scope and capital requirements
Foreign investors can secure 100% ownership in the vast majority of economic sectors, with notable exclusions remaining for oil exploration, defense, and real estate ownership within the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Capital requirements are heavily bifurcated by sector:
- Service-oriented LLCs, such as digital marketing or IT consulting, frequently secure MISA registration with practical banking minimums of SAR 100,000 to 500,000.
- Wholly foreign-owned wholesale and retail trading entities must demonstrate operations in at least three international markets and commit a minimum capital of SAR 30 million.
Required documents
- Parent company CR and Articles of Association, attested and translated.
- Audited financial statements covering one to three years.
- Board resolution approving the Saudi subsidiary.
- Passports of the Ultimate Beneficial Owners and the General Manager.
Portal sequence
| Step | Platform | What happens | | --- | --- | --- | | 1. Investment Registration Certificate | MISA portal (Invest Saudi) | Parent company file review and certificate issuance | | 2. AoA notarization and CR | Saudi Business Center | Digital notarization and CR issuance | | 3. Government files | ZATCA, GOSI, Qiwa | Tax, social insurance, and labor files | | 4. Premises | Balady | Municipal premises licensing |
The steps above reflect the last verification in June 2026; platform names and labels may change with updates.
Official fees
| Item | Fee | | --- | --- | | MISA fee | SAR 0 currently (suspended); historical baseline SAR 12,000 to 62,000 | | CR issuance | SAR 1,200 annually |
The figures above are per the June 2026 baseline; fees change by subsequent decisions.
Realistic timeline
Three to four weeks overall: the MISA review requires 3 to 5 days, CR issuance 1 to 2 days, while corporate banking compliance checks add 7 to 14 days before the account is activated.
After incorporation, the next steps typically involve registering a commercial lease for the premises, VAT registration, and hiring your first employee. If the structure under consideration is a branch without separate legal personality rather than a subsidiary, see registering a foreign company branch.
When do you need a licensed lawyer or advisor?
The information here is a general framework, not an assessment of a specific case. The sources describe this particular path as one usually managed through specialized advisors, for practical reasons:
- The international attestation chain: notary in the home country, then the foreign ministry, then the Saudi embassy — a defect anywhere sends the file back to the start.
- Certified Arabic legal translation of the parent company's documents.
- ISIC activity code selection: strategically sensitive, as it defines the licensed scope of activity and the capital requirements attached to it.
- Multi-layer ownership structures requiring precise UBO mapping.
In those cases, preparing the file precisely before submission tends to be faster and cheaper than handling rejections or completion requests afterward.