21 SEP 2026
Both the MISA Entrepreneur License and the General License lead to the same destination — 100% company ownership in Saudi Arabia — but they serve very different starting points.
The General License assumes you already have an operating company abroad. You will need at least one year of trading history, audited financials, and activity-specific capital, commonly from SAR 25,000 for services with higher thresholds for trading and industrial activities. In exchange, you get access to virtually any commercial activity permitted for foreign investment.
The Entrepreneur License, by contrast, assumes you are starting fresh. There is no requirement for an existing parent company. What matters is evidence that your idea is genuinely innovative: a patent, venture-capital backing, or an endorsement letter from a body such as MISA, PIF, KAUST, or the Tourism Development Fund. Fees are lower and the process is built for speed.
Which one is right usually comes down to a single question: do you already have a trading company, or are you building something new? Book a free consultation and we will tell you in one conversation which license fits, and what it will take to get there.
