Egyptians set up a company in Saudi Arabia the same way as any foreign investor: registration with the Ministry of Investment (MISA), then a commercial registration (CR). Two things make the Egyptian file different. Egypt is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so every Egyptian document goes through full legalisation. And your route depends on where you live: in Egypt, or already in the Kingdom on an employee iqama.
Yes, in most activities. The revised Investment Law, in force since February 2025, defines a foreign investor as any natural or legal person without Saudi nationality, and requires registration with MISA before any investment. The company is then incorporated on the Saudi Business Center and the Ministry of Commerce issues the CR. See our page on the MISA licence.
An Egyptian passport brings no special advantage or restriction: the conditions depend on the activity. There is no general legal minimum capital for a services LLC, but SAR 100,000 to 500,000 is expected in practice. Trading with 100% foreign ownership requires SAR 30 million.
Allow 4 to 8 weeks to the CR, document preparation included. That is a provider estimate, not an official deadline, and legalisation in Egypt can stretch it. The rules that apply to every foreigner are in requirements for foreigners.
The first question we ask an Egyptian investor is where they live today. The answer decides the documents and the order of the steps.
Case 1
The usual route is through an existing Egyptian company: its commercial registration and financial statements are legalised in Egypt, then filed with MISA. Without a company, the file is assessed case by case: the entrepreneur track with a support letter from a Saudi university or an accredited incubator, or premium residency, which waives the foreign-company documents.
Case 2
You cannot open a sole proprietorship in your name, or work on your own account while sponsored by your employer. The legal route goes through MISA, with your employer's no-objection letter and a copy of your iqama on the entrepreneur track, then a sponsorship transfer. See setting up a company as a Saudi resident.
The core documents MISA's Investor Guide lists for each case, before the requirements of the activity itself.
Table 1
| Your situation | MISA track | Core documents | Residence after setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Egyptian company becomes a shareholder | Regular registration | Egyptian commercial registration and last fiscal year's financial statements, certified by the Saudi embassy | General manager's iqama, sponsored by the Saudi company |
| Individual living in Egypt, no company | Case by case: entrepreneur track or premium residency | Support letter from a Saudi university or accredited incubator (entrepreneur track) | Work visa, then iqama through your company |
| Egyptian resident on an employee iqama | Usually the entrepreneur track | Employer's no-objection letter and a copy of the iqama | Sponsorship transfer to your company and change of profession |
| Premium residency holder | Regular or entrepreneur | Exempt from foreign-company documents | Premium residency itself, no sponsor |
If you invest from Egypt, the first two steps happen there. The Saudi side is detailed on our formation steps page.
Your Egyptian company or you personally? Resident in Egypt or in the Kingdom? We also check that the activity is open to foreign investment and what capital it requires.
Recent commercial registration extract, articles, financial statements, shareholders' resolution, power of attorney: each goes through the Egyptian and then the Saudi legalisation chain.
Legalised documents are translated into Arabic by a licensed office in Saudi Arabia, including any appendices in English.
Online filing. Fees are set case by case on approval and must be paid within the notified period.
Trade name, articles and CR on the Saudi Business Center: SAR 1,200 for incorporation and SAR 500 for publication, plus 15% VAT.
Bank account, ZATCA (Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority), GOSI, then the general manager's work visa and iqama. See opening a business bank account.
Saudi Arabia has applied the Apostille Convention since 7 December 2022, but Egypt has not joined it. One stamp is not enough: each Egyptian document goes through a legalisation chain. The full list is in our document checklist.
For early trips, the business visit visa is open to all nationalities on the official visa platform, with a stay of up to 90 days per entry. It covers meetings and negotiations, not work. See our business visa page.
Once the CR is issued, the company sponsors its manager: a work visa applied for from outside the Kingdom, then an iqama on arrival. MISA's guide sets no minimum investment for this iqama. It asks for a valid CR and investment registration, a work permit, a medical exam and health insurance. Details: investor iqama.
Do not confuse it with premium residency for investors: a different product that requires a stake of at least SAR 7 million in a registered company and 10 employees, and removes the need for a sponsor.
If you already live in the Kingdom, you need no visa: after the CR, your company takes over your sponsorship, with approval from the Ministry of Human Resources and a resignation letter certified by the chamber of commerce.
The treaty between the Saudi and Egyptian governments was signed on 8 April 2016 and entered into force on 1 July 2017. It covers taxes on income, and ZATCA publishes the full text.
Dividends (article 10): withholding may not exceed 5% where the beneficial owner is a company, other than a partnership, holding directly at least 20% of the capital, and 10% in other cases. Saudi Arabia's domestic rate on dividends paid to non-residents is already 5%, so the treaty does not raise it.
Royalties (article 12): capped at 10%, against 15% under domestic law. That matters if your Egyptian company owns a brand or software it licenses to the Saudi subsidiary. To claim treaty relief, form Q7B is filed online with ZATCA.
The Saudi company's own profits remain taxed at 20% on the share of non-Saudi shareholders. How the treaty affects you in Egypt is a question for a tax adviser or chartered accountant; Tasis is neither.
No. In most activities an Egyptian can own 100% of the capital after registering with MISA. Some activities remain excluded or carry conditions (capital, Saudi participation), whatever the investor's nationality.
No, because Egypt is not a party to the Apostille Convention. The document is certified by the issuing authority, then by Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then by the Saudi embassy or a consulate in Egypt. It is then translated into Arabic by a licensed office in the Kingdom.
Not a sole proprietorship in their own name: the Investment Law requires every non-Saudi to register with MISA, and the Labour Law bars employees from working on their own account. The legal route is a MISA-registered company, with the employer's no-objection letter on the entrepreneur track, followed by a sponsorship transfer.
MISA's Investor Guide lists a copy of its commercial registration and its last fiscal year's financial statements, both certified by the Saudi embassy, plus the activity requirements. The articles, shareholders' resolution and power of attorney are usually needed too, legalised and translated.
Yes. Signed on 8 April 2016, it has been in force since 1 July 2017. It caps withholding on dividends at 5% for a company holding at least 20% of the capital, 10% otherwise, and withholding on royalties at 10%.
There is no general legal minimum for a services LLC, but SAR 100,000 to 500,000 is expected in practice. Trading with 100% foreign ownership requires SAR 30 million. The full budget is on our setup cost page.
That is a concealment situation, penalised by law, and correcting it is assessed case by case with a licensed lawyer. We promise no regularisation; we work out with you the legal route to register the investment in your own name.
Information verified in October 2026. Amounts and timelines are observed ranges provided for information only. Government fees are set by Saudi authorities and may change: they are confirmed in writing in the quote before you commit to anything.
Tell us where you live today and whether you invest personally or through your Egyptian company. We scope your project and coordinate its delivery with licensed professionals in Riyadh, and send you the list of Egyptian documents and the order to legalise them. First call free, written reply within one working day.