What is a commercial registration?
A commercial registration, or CR, is a business’s entry in Saudi Arabia’s commercial register, kept by the Ministry of Commerce; its CR number identifies the business.
Published by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Last updated
General information about Saudi law — not advice on your situation.
At a glance
- In Arabic
- السجل التجاري
- Said as
- al-sijill al-tijārī (as-si-JILL at-ti-JAA-ree). In English, usually shortened to CR.
- Official channel
- The Ministry of Commerce, through its online portal.
- Can you use it from abroad?
- Partly. You sign and certify documents in your country, and we coordinate the applications in Saudi Arabia.
Tell us briefly what you plan to do in Saudi Arabia, or which Saudi company you are dealing with and its CR number, if you have it.
Why does a commercial registration matter if you are a foreigner?
It matters when you set up a business in Saudi Arabia. It also matters when you deal with a Saudi company, such as one that owes you money.
If you are a foreign investor, the CR comes after investment registration with the Ministry of Investment (MISA). Investment registration records you as a foreign investor, but it does not create a company. The company is created with the Ministry of Commerce, which gives it a CR. Tax, labour and other registrations follow, and the CR must then be kept up to date.
If you deal with a Saudi company, the CR number is how you identify it exactly. The name on an invoice is not always the registered name. So before you sign a contract or make a claim, note the company’s exact legal name and its CR number.
Where will you meet a commercial registration?
You will meet it when you set up in Saudi Arabia, and whenever you need to name a Saudi company exactly:
the stages, from choosing a structure to the registrations after the CR.
Setting up a company in Saudi Arabia as a foreign businessthe step that comes before the CR.
Foreign investment registration in Saudi Arabia: how it works nowwhy investment registration and the CR are separate steps.
“MISA licence” or registration? What the term means nowwhy the CR number of the company that owes you matters.
Recovering an unpaid invoice from a Saudi companytax, labour and address registrations.
After the commercial registration: the registrations that followComing soon
Can you deal with a commercial registration from outside Saudi Arabia?
Partly. You sign and certify documents in your country, and we coordinate the applications in Saudi Arabia. Some steps usually need someone there in person, and we tell you which before you plan a trip.
The Ministry of Investment’s own answers say that, for a company set up from abroad, the CR is issued electronically. Your company’s owners usually sign a power of attorney and the company documents in their own countries. These then need official stamps there, so check whether your country uses an apostille or legalisation. Our page on setting up a Saudi company from abroad explains who signs what, and where.
If a Saudi company owes you money, you can start from abroad too. Send us its exact name and its CR number, if you have it, and we check the CR first.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get a commercial registration in Saudi Arabia?
A foreign company usually registers its investment with the Ministry of Investment (MISA) first. According to MISA’s frequently asked questions, the articles of association are then authenticated and the commercial registration (CR) is issued electronically, after a file is opened on the Ministry of Commerce website. Our page on setting up a company in Saudi Arabia explains each stage.
Source: Ministry of Investment (MISA) · Frequently Asked Questions
How do you check a Saudi commercial registration number?
Use the Ministry of Commerce’s official channels, such as Wathq, its platform for verified commercial data about registered businesses, not a third-party site. Compare what you find with the contract or invoice in front of you, including the company name and the CR number. A check shows what is registered, not whether the company has debts or disputes. For a large deal, we can review the company more fully.
Is a Saudi CR the same as my company’s registration at home?
No. Your company’s registration in its home country is a separate document. According to MISA’s frequently asked questions, a copy of it, authenticated by the Saudi embassy, is among the documents a foreign company provides when it registers an investment. The Saudi CR is issued later, with the Ministry of Commerce, and it is a different record.
Source: Ministry of Investment (MISA) · Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Saudi commercial registration need renewing or updating?
Yes, it must be kept up to date. The commercial registration is a business’s entry in the commercial register kept by the Ministry of Commerce, so the ministry sets the current rules on renewals and changes. Check them on its official channels. After a change in your company, we check what your company needs to update.
Official sources
This page draws on 2 official sources. Each line shows who publishes it, its language and, where recorded, the date we last checked it.
- Ministry of Commerce · Ministry of Commerce Pending verification
- Ministry of Investment (MISA) · Frequently Asked Questions (in English) · checked
General information about Saudi law, not advice on your situation. Contacting us does not create a lawyer–client relationship until an engagement letter is signed.