Foreign investors set up Saudi entities via MISA (Ministry of Investment) licensing: LLC with 100% foreign ownership is allowed in most sectors now, minimum capital varies by activity (often SAR 100,000-500,000), with Musk/Absher e-governance for operations.
Process: (1) MISA investment license — activity-based; most trading/consulting sectors allow 100% foreign ownership (retail had conditions). (2) Commercial registration (CR) with Ministry of Commerce. (3) Chamber of Commerce, GM appointment with visa, national address. (4) Register with ZATCA (tax), GOSI (social insurance), and Qiwa (labor platform). (5) Minimum capital: activity-dependent, commonly SAR 100,000-500,000 for LLCs; trading licenses historically required SAR 30 million (relaxed in some cases). Timeline: 4-10 weeks. Costs: government fees modest; real cost is local substance — office, GM relocation, Saudization quotas (Nitaqat). Regional HQ (RHQ) program offers 30-year tax incentives for companies relocating regional HQ to Riyadh.
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