{"id":"sa","country":"sa","kind":"country","name":{"en":"Saudi Arabia","local":"المملكة العربية السعودية"},"languages":["ar","en","ur","hi","bn"],"currency":"SAR","symbol":"SAR","fxPerUsd":3.75,"cities":{"T1":"Riyadh","T2":"Dammam","T3":"Unaizah"},"basket":{"teaCup":2,"simpleMeal":20,"haircutMen":25,"milkLitre":7,"breadLoaf":4,"unskilledDayWage":70,"minWageMonthly":1800,"shopRentSqftMonth":{"T1":6,"T2":4.5,"T3":2.5},"electricityCommercialKwh":0.22,"lpgCommercialCylinder":26,"petrolLitre":2.18},"tax":{"salesTax":"VAT 15% (national, ZATCA)","smallBizThreshold":"VAT registration mandatory above SAR 375,000/yr, voluntary above SAR 187,500","localLevies":"Expat levy SAR 700–800/month per foreign worker; dependent fee SAR 400/month; Zakat 2.5% (Saudi-owned) or 20% income tax on foreign share; annual Balady and CR fees"},"licences":[{"name":"Commercial Registration (CR)","fee":"SAR 200/yr main, SAR 100 subsidiary (2026); SAR 1,000 late-renewal fine","authority":"Ministry of Commerce","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/"},{"name":"Municipal (Balady) activity licence","fee":"About SAR 500–5,000 by activity, area and size; model SAR 1,000/yr","authority":"Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (Balady)","source":"https://expandway.sa/business-setup-cost-in-saudi-arabia/"},{"name":"Chamber of Commerce membership","fee":"SAR 200–500/yr (4th grade, capital below SAR 200k)","authority":"Regional chamber","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/"},{"name":"Municipal health certificate for food and salon workers","fee":"Est. SAR 100–300 per worker incl. medical tests","authority":"Municipality / MoH","source":"Est.: Balady health-card requirement; fee not sourced"},{"name":"MISA foreign investment licence (needed for any expat ownership)","fee":"SAR 0–12,000 + high capital rules for retail","authority":"Ministry of Investment (MISA)","source":"https://expandway.sa/business-setup-cost-in-saudi-arabia/"}],"festivals":[{"name":"Riyadh Season","dates2026_27":"about Oct 2026–Mar 2027","effect":"Large event footfall in Riyadh; food and beverage and delivery demand up"},{"name":"Ramadan","dates2026_27":"about 8 Feb–8 Mar 2027","effect":"Daytime food trade shut or slow, night trade until suhoor, grocery bulk buying, Umrah peak in Makkah/Madinah/Jeddah"},{"name":"Founding Day","dates2026_27":"22 Feb 2027","effect":"Public holiday (inside Ramadan in 2027); heritage merchandise"},{"name":"Eid al-Fitr","dates2026_27":"about 9–12 Mar 2027","effect":"About 4-day private-sector holiday; thobe tailoring, salons and sweets peak beforehand"},{"name":"Eid al-Adha and Hajj","dates2026_27":"about 15–19 May 2027","effect":"4-day holiday; livestock and meat demand up; Hajj boosts Makkah/Jeddah"},{"name":"Saudi National Day","dates2026_27":"23 Sep 2027","effect":"Public holiday; green-themed retail and food discounting"}],"seasons":[{"months":"Jun–Sep","what":"45–50°C heat (humid on the coasts); outdoor-work ban 12:00–15:00 from 15 Jun–15 Sep; Jul–Aug family travel cuts demand"},{"months":"Nov–Mar","what":"Mild season: outdoor dining, food trucks, events and desert camping; peak trade"},{"months":"Mar–May","what":"Sandstorms; occasional flash floods (Jeddah, Riyadh)"}],"payments":{"digitalShare":"about 79% of retail transactions electronic (SAMA, 2024; est.)","credit":"Baqala tabs for neighbours; BNPL (Tabby, Tamara) widespread in retail"},"notes":"Saudi Arabia is a large, mostly cashless market, but it is designed for Saudi owners. Expats cannot simply own a baqala or cafeteria: that needs a MISA licence with high capital, and the old 'Saudi name, expat operator' arrangement (tasattur) is now a criminal offence. Every foreign worker costs a SAR 700–800 monthly levy plus iqama and insurance, which roughly doubles a helper's real cost. Nitaqat Saudization quotas tightened in its 2026–2028 phase, and some trades, such as mobile-phone sales and repair, are reserved for Saudis. Government fees are low (CR SAR 200/yr), petrol is capped at SAR 2.18 and power at 22 halalas, but VAT is 15% above SAR 375,000. Vision 2030 brings strong Saudi-SME support (Monsha'at, Kafalah), new demand from Riyadh Season and tourism, and religious-calendar swings from Ramadan, Hajj and Umrah.","factors":[{"id":"P01","cat":"Wages","name":"General minimum wage","value":"None for expats; Saudis count fully for Nitaqat only at SAR 4,000+/month (half at 3,000–3,999)","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/","estimate":false},{"id":"P02","cat":"Wages","name":"Average private-sector wage (Q1 2026)","value":"SAR 9,331/month (+4.7% YoY, GASTAT)","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/","estimate":false},{"id":"P03","cat":"Wages","name":"Expat helper pay (practical floor used as minWageMonthly)","value":"SAR 1,500–2,200/month + housing","role":"HV","source":"Est.: typical baqala/cafeteria worker offers; Qoyod model uses SAR 3,000 for a generic expat employee","estimate":true},{"id":"P04","cat":"Wages","name":"Unskilled day wage equivalent","value":"About SAR 70/day","role":"HV","source":"Est.: SAR 1,800/month over 26 days, about SAR 69","estimate":true},{"id":"P05","cat":"Wages","name":"Skilled trades (barber, tailor, cook)","value":"SAR 2,000–3,500/month or commission","role":"HV","source":"Est.: market recollection","estimate":true},{"id":"P06","cat":"Staff costs","name":"Expat worker levy (maqabil)","value":"SAR 800/month where expats outnumber Saudis, SAR 700 otherwise","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/","estimate":false},{"id":"P07","cat":"Staff costs","name":"Small-establishment levy waiver","value":"2 expats exempt if owner works full-time and is GOSI-registered; 4 if one Saudi employed (firms up to 9 staff)","role":"PD","source":"https://enterpriseam.com/ksa/?p=83659","estimate":false},{"id":"P08","cat":"Staff costs","name":"Iqama and work permit","value":"Iqama about SAR 650/yr; work permit fee SAR 100/yr per worker","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/ ; https://ksaexpats.com/work-permit-fee-calculator/","estimate":false},{"id":"P09","cat":"Staff costs","name":"Dependent fee","value":"SAR 400/month per family member (usually paid by the worker)","role":"HV","source":"https://saudilifeguide.com/saudi-arabia-iqama-fees/","estimate":false},{"id":"P10","cat":"Staff costs","name":"GOSI contributions","value":"Saudis (post-Jul 2024) 23.5% total, employer 12.75%; non-Saudis 2% employer hazards insurance","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/","estimate":false},{"id":"P11","cat":"Staff costs","name":"Nitaqat 2026–2028 phase","value":"From 16 Apr 2026: higher quotas, Yellow band removed, entity-level assessment; Low Green faces visa limits","role":"HV","source":"https://www.envoyglobal.com/news-alert/saudi-arabia-announces-new-nitaqat-phase-for-2026-2028/","estimate":false},{"id":"P12","cat":"Staff costs","name":"Sector Saudization rules","value":"Sales/marketing roles 60%; engineers 30% (5+); mobile-phone sales and repair 100% Saudized since 2016","role":"HV","source":"https://taxnews.ey.com/news/2026-0386-saudi-arabia-increases-saudization-rates-for-roles-in-the-sales-and-marketing-sectors (mobile-shop rule: recollection of 2016 MHRSD decision)","estimate":false},{"id":"P13","cat":"Licences","name":"Commercial Registration","value":"SAR 200/yr main, SAR 100 subsidiary (2026); SAR 1,000 late fine","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/","estimate":false},{"id":"P14","cat":"Licences","name":"Balady municipal licence","value":"SAR 500–5,000/yr by activity and area; model SAR 1,000","role":"HV","source":"https://expandway.sa/business-setup-cost-in-saudi-arabia/ ; https://motaded.com.sa/platforms/balady","estimate":false},{"id":"P15","cat":"Licences","name":"Chamber of Commerce","value":"SAR 200–500/yr at 4th grade","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/","estimate":false},{"id":"P16","cat":"Licences","name":"Foreign ownership via MISA","value":"MISA licence SAR 0–12,000; foreign retail needs high capital (historically SAR 30m for 100%)","role":"HV","source":"https://expandway.sa/business-setup-cost-in-saudi-arabia/ (capital rule: recollection, not re-sourced)","estimate":true},{"id":"P17","cat":"Licences","name":"Anti-Concealment (tasattur) Law","value":"Expat operating under a Saudi name is a crime: fines up to SAR 5m, prison up to 5 yrs, deportation","role":"HV","source":"Est.: Anti-Concealment Law 2020 penalties from recollection; not re-sourced in 2026","estimate":true},{"id":"P18","cat":"Licences","name":"Food-worker health certificates","value":"Required for every food and salon worker; est. SAR 100–300 each","role":"HV","source":"Est.: Balady health-card requirement; fee not sourced","estimate":true},{"id":"P19","cat":"Taxes","name":"VAT rate and registration","value":"15%; mandatory above SAR 375,000/yr, voluntary above SAR 187,500","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/","estimate":false},{"id":"P20","cat":"Taxes","name":"Voluntary VAT registration","value":"Option between SAR 187,500 and 375,000 turnover; requires Fatoora e-invoicing","role":"PD","source":"https://zatca.gov.sa/en/","estimate":false},{"id":"P21","cat":"Taxes","name":"Zakat / income tax","value":"Zakat 2.5% of base for Saudi-owned; 20% income tax on foreign share","role":"HV","source":"Est.: ZATCA standing rules from recollection; https://zatca.gov.sa/en/","estimate":true},{"id":"P22","cat":"Rent","name":"Riyadh mall rent (H1 2026)","value":"SAR 2,650/m²/yr (+1.2% YoY), 91% occupancy; Jeddah easing, 88%","role":"HV","source":"https://www.meed.com/saudi-q1-retail-spending-underpins-real-estate","estimate":false},{"id":"P23","cat":"Rent","name":"Street shop rent T1 Riyadh","value":"SAR 690–730/m²/yr asking on outskirts (48 m² for SAR 35,000/yr); model SAR 6/sq ft/month","role":"HV","source":"https://sa.aqar.fm/en/store-for-rent/riyadh/west-of-riyadh/3","estimate":true},{"id":"P24","cat":"Rent","name":"Shop rent T2 Dammam","value":"About SAR 4.5/sq ft/month (about SAR 580/m²/yr)","role":"HV","source":"Est.: about 75% of Riyadh street rates; no 2026 source found","estimate":true},{"id":"P25","cat":"Rent","name":"Shop rent T3 Unaizah / small town","value":"About SAR 2.5/sq ft/month","role":"HV","source":"Est.: about 40% of Riyadh street rates","estimate":true},{"id":"P26","cat":"Rent","name":"Commercial property trend","value":"Commercial real-estate prices −3.2% YoY in Q2 2026","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/","estimate":false},{"id":"P27","cat":"Energy","name":"Commercial electricity","value":"22 halalas/kWh up to 6,000 kWh/month, 32 above (since 28 May 2025) + meter fee + VAT","role":"HV","source":"https://www.qoyod.com/en/reports/business-operating-costs-saudi/","estimate":false},{"id":"P28","cat":"Energy","name":"Petrol and diesel (Oct 2026)","value":"91 SAR 2.18/L, 95 SAR 2.33 (capped, unchanged); diesel SAR 1.79","role":"HV","source":"https://www.sayarabay.com/car-news/saudi-arabia-fuel-prices-for-october-2026-petrol-diesel-and-kerosene-rates","estimate":false},{"id":"P29","cat":"Energy","name":"LPG cylinder refill (11 kg)","value":"About SAR 26","role":"HV","source":"Est.: GASCO regulated price about SAR 19–27 after 2024–25 revisions plus delivery","estimate":true},{"id":"P30","cat":"Festivals","name":"Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 2027","value":"About 8 Feb–8 Mar; Eid about 9 Mar; night trade, tailoring and grocery peaks","role":"HV","source":"https://blog.wego.com/ramadan-2027/","estimate":false},{"id":"P31","cat":"Festivals","name":"Eid al-Adha / Hajj 2027","value":"About 16 May 2027; meat demand; Makkah/Jeddah boom","role":"HV","source":"https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/ramadan-eid-al-fitr-eid-al-adha-2027-likely-dates","estimate":false},{"id":"P32","cat":"Festivals","name":"Founding Day, National Day, Riyadh Season","value":"22 Feb and 23 Sep holidays; Riyadh Season Oct–Mar footfall","role":"HV","source":"Est.: fixed national calendar; Riyadh Season by General Entertainment Authority","estimate":true},{"id":"P33","cat":"Climate","name":"Summer heat and midday work ban","value":"45–50°C; outdoor work banned 12:00–15:00, 15 Jun–15 Sep","role":"HV","source":"Est.: annual MHRSD decision, recurring","estimate":true},{"id":"P34","cat":"Payments","name":"Electronic payment share","value":"About 79% of retail transactions (2024); mada, Apple Pay, STC Pay; BNPL common","role":"HV","source":"Est.: SAMA 2024 figure from recollection; https://www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/","estimate":true},{"id":"P35","cat":"Prices","name":"Tea/karak cup and cafeteria meal (T2)","value":"Tea about SAR 1–3; shawarma/broast meal about SAR 15–25","role":"HV","source":"Est.: typical cafeteria and Albaik-type prices","estimate":true},{"id":"P36","cat":"Prices","name":"Men's haircut, milk 1 L, bread loaf (T2)","value":"Haircut about SAR 20–30; Almarai milk about SAR 7; loaf about SAR 4","role":"HV","source":"Est.: supermarket and barber price recollection","estimate":true},{"id":"P37","cat":"Support","name":"Saudi SME support","value":"Monsha'at programmes, Kafalah loan guarantees, Social Development Bank micro-loans (Saudi owners only)","role":"PD","source":"Est.: Vision 2030 SME programmes; https://www.monshaat.gov.sa/en","estimate":true},{"id":"P38","cat":"Demographics","name":"Population mix and languages","value":"About 42% non-Saudi; Arabic official; Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tagalog in trade","role":"HV","source":"Est.: GASTAT census 2022 split from recollection","estimate":true},{"id":"P39","cat":"Demographics","name":"GDP per capita and urbanisation","value":"About USD 33,000; about 85% urban","role":"HV","source":"Est.: IMF/World Bank 2024 values from recollection","estimate":true},{"id":"P40","cat":"Business types","name":"Common starts","value":"Baqala/minimarket, cafeteria (shawarma, broast, karak), barber, thobe tailoring, laundry, food truck, home/cloud kitchen (HungerStation, Jahez, Keeta)","role":"PD","source":"Est.: market observation","estimate":true},{"id":"P41","cat":"Regional rules","name":"Trading hours and prayer times","value":"24-hour trading allowed for a fee since 2019; some shops still pause at prayer times","role":"PD","source":"Est.: 2019 Cabinet decision from recollection","estimate":true},{"id":"P42","cat":"Risk","name":"Saudization crackdown / inspection","value":"Fines and visa freezes if Nitaqat band drops; Balady inspection closures","role":"RE","source":"https://www.clydeco.com/zh/insights/2026/06/developed-nitaqat-programme-key-update","estimate":false},{"id":"P43","cat":"Risk","name":"Tasattur discovery","value":"Business closed, owner fined, expat deported","role":"RE","source":"Est.: Anti-Concealment Law enforcement","estimate":true},{"id":"P44","cat":"Risk","name":"Flash floods / sandstorms","value":"Jeddah floods (2009, 2011, 2022); spring sandstorms shut trade for a day","role":"RE","source":"Est.: historical events","estimate":true},{"id":"P45","cat":"Risk","name":"Levy or fee increase","value":"Expat levy rose in steps from SAR 200 (2018) to 800 (2020); new increases possible","role":"RE","source":"Est.: levy history from recollection; current rate from Qoyod","estimate":true},{"id":"P46","cat":"Risk","name":"Regional conflict supply disruption","value":"2026 Gulf war raised freight and import food costs; local fuel capped","role":"RE","source":"Est.: inferred from 2026 UAE fuel and freight reports","estimate":true}],"regions":[{"id":"sa-riyadh","name":"Riyadh","why":"Highest rents and wages, Riyadh Season and giga-project demand, strictest competition; regional HQ programme expats"},{"id":"sa-jeddah","name":"Jeddah (Makkah region)","why":"Hajj and Umrah gateway, humid coast, softer mall rents, flood-prone, large informal-area demolitions since 2022"},{"id":"sa-dammam","name":"Dammam / Eastern Province","why":"Aramco-linked incomes, Khobar expat hubs, Bahrain causeway trade, Shia holidays and customs in Qatif/Al-Ahsa"},{"id":"sa-makkah-madinah","name":"Makkah and Madinah","why":"Pilgrim-driven demand peaks (Hajj, Ramadan), non-Muslims barred from Makkah, very high central rents"},{"id":"sa-tabuk-neom","name":"Tabuk / NEOM region","why":"Giga-project worker demand, remote supply chains, new municipal frameworks"}]}