Itemized, source-linked cost to register a company in Saudi Arabia under the new 2025 MISA investment regime. LLC, Branch & RHQ. Free entry assessment.
Set your plan to see itemized setup and running costs, a corporate-tax projection, and the incentives you may qualify for. Every figure links to its source.
Optional: estimate corporate tax
Where the 5-year cost goes
Indicative planning figures, not a quote. Foreign-currency amounts use approximate FX. Items marked “verifying” are shown as ranges until confirmed against the official source.
These are the perks Saudi Arabia offers to win your business — cheaper financing, tax holidays, duty-free exports, guaranteed demand. Most don’t show up in the setup fees above, so your real cost of doing business can be a lot lower. Each card says plainly what you get and how to capture it. You may qualify depending on your activity and investment.
Borrow up to 75% of your project's cost from the government at low rates — so you risk far less of your own cash.
How to capture it: Prepare a feasibility study and apply to the SIDF before you start building; approvals take months, so start early.
Cheap, ready industrial land plus zero import duty on your machinery.
How to capture it: Choose a MODON industrial city for your site and claim the machinery customs exemption at import.
Get onto Aramco and government buyer lists so demand comes to you.
How to capture it: Raise your local-content score and register on the IKTVA supplier program.
Your category may appear on IKTVA / local-content buyer lists — mandated demand from Aramco's supply chain and government procurement.
Costs, incentives & matched specialists for Saudi Arabia — free.
Saudi Arabia allows 100% foreign ownership and 0% corporate tax for regional HQs, but expat levies (~SAR 8,400–9,600/expat/yr) and Nitaqat Saudization quotas add real ongoing cost. Best for companies chasing government-driven demand and giga-project supply chains.
The plain-language case for and against — before you get into the numbers.
The simplified route from decision to open for business. Typical end-to-end: ~4–8 weeks. Specialists we match you with can run most of it for you.
The 2025 system replaced the old license with a simpler investor registration.
Your company's official trade license and registration number.
Municipal (Balady) license, national address, and Chamber of Commerce membership.
Needed before you can pay staff and suppliers — often the slowest step.
Work visas, iqamas, health insurance, and GOSI registration for employees.
A flexi desk, office, or subsidized MODON industrial plot, depending on your activity.
If you're coming from — or choosing against — a major Western market, here's how the headline taxes stack up.
Corporate tax rate, side by side
Saudi Arabia shows its standard rate; incentives like RHQ can take it to 0%.
| Country | CITCorporate Income Tax — tax charged on a company's taxable profit. | VATValue Added Tax — a consumption tax added to most goods and services. Registration becomes mandatory above a revenue threshold. / sales tax | Employer social cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia (here) | 20% (0% under RHQ) | 15% | ~12.75% of Saudi payroll (GOSI new-system; 11.75% legacy); ~2% for expats |
| United States | 21% federal (~25.7% with state) | No VAT; state sales tax 0–~10% | ~7.65% (FICA) + unemployment |
| United Kingdom | 25% (19% on profits under £50k) | 20% | ~15% (employer National Insurance) |
| Germany | ~30% combined | 19% | ~21% (employer share) |
Headline rates for orientation only (approximate, 2026). Effective tax depends on structure, deductions, treaties, and — for the US and Germany — state/municipal rates. Not tax advice.
Where you can sell duty-free from Saudi Arabia. Deals with the US, UK, and EU matter most if that's where your customers are.
No FTA — TIFA framework only
US trade ties run through a consultative framework (TIFA, 2003). There are no tariff preferences with the US.
GCC–UK Free Trade Agreement
The first G7–GCC trade deal: tariff cuts plus services and digital access once ratified by all sides.
GCC Customs Union & Common Market
Duty-free trade and free movement of goods, capital and labor across the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA)
Duty-free trade in goods with ~17 other Arab states.
GCC–EFTA FTA
Reduced or duty-free access to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
GCC–Singapore FTA
Duty-free access to Singapore and a gateway into ASEAN.
GCC–EU FTA
Would open duty-free EU access — not available yet.
The non-negotiables that shape your plan — ownership limits, hiring quotas, and tax notes specific to this country.
Every acronym on this page in plain English.
Every figure is drawn from an official or named source and carries a last-verified date. Items still being confirmed are shown as ranges, not single numbers. Salary-based costs assume SAR 8,000/mo for local staff and SAR 7,000/mo for expat staff (editable in a full assessment).
| Line item | Confidence | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| MISA investor registration | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Commercial Registration (CR) | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Chamber of Commerce membership | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Municipal (Balady) license | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| National address registration | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| AoA, attestation & professional setup fees | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Iqama (residence permit) issuance | verified | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Expat levy (Qiwa work permit) | verified | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Work visa + transfer | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Health insurance (CCHI minimum) | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| GOSI employer contribution — Saudi staff | verified | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| GOSI occupational hazard — expat staff | verified | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Flexi desk | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Small office lease | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| Industrial premises (MODON) | estimate | 2026-07-06 | Link |
| ZATCA / VAT registration | verified | 2026-07-06 | Link |
Verification log
Disclosure: Free for you — service providers pay us for introductions you request. We are not lawyers or accountants; treat these figures as planning estimates, not legal or tax advice.
No. Saudi Arabia's 2025 Investment Law replaced the old MISA licensing system with a simpler investor registration. You now register as a foreign investor rather than applying for (and annually renewing) a license. The calculator reflects the new registration regime.
Yes, for most activities foreign investors can hold 100% ownership of an LLC. A small number of restricted activities still require a Saudi partner or are reserved for nationals — your activity category determines this.
Under the streamlined registration regime, a straightforward LLC can be operational in roughly 4–8 weeks once documents are attested. Industrial premises, RHQ structures, or regulated activities add time.
For most commercial activities, no — 100% foreign ownership is permitted and you do not need a local sponsor for the company itself. Individual expat employees still require standard work visas and iqamas.
Most LLC activities have no fixed statutory minimum capital. The major exception is trading/distribution: a 100% foreign-owned trading licence requires SAR 30,000,000 minimum capital (SAR 26.67M with a 25% Saudi partner). A reduction to SAR 5–10M is reportedly under review but not yet in effect. Verify against your activity.
MISA licence issuance and renewal fees are currently suspended under 2026 investor-facilitation measures. Historically they were about SAR 12,000 for the first year and SAR 62,000 on renewal, so most online guides you'll find are out of date. A small electronic service subscription (around SAR 2,000/year) may still apply, and approvals are now issued as Investment Registration Certificates (IRC). Confirm the live fee notice at the time of filing.