MISA Investment Licence Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Investment Saudi Arabia (MISA) — formerly SAGIA — is the government body responsible for issuing investment licences to foreign investors establishing businesses in Saudi Arabia. A MISA investment licence is a mandatory prerequisite for any foreign-owned entity before commercial registration (CR) can be issued. The licence specifies the permitted business activities, legal structure, and minimum investment commitment.

Intelli Solutions manages the complete MISA investment licence process — from activity classification and document preparation through to submission, MISA approval, and annual renewal — ensuring your Saudi business is established on the correct regulatory footing from day one.

What MISA Determines

• Permitted activities: The specific business activities your Saudi entity is authorised to conduct — MISA uses the Saudi Activity Classification System (ISIC 4) to define the permitted scope
• Legal structure: LLC, JSC, branch, or representative office — MISA specifies the required structure per activity type
• Minimum capital: Activity-specific minimum investment requirements — MISA may require evidence of capital transfer from the parent entity
• Saudization commitment: For some activities, MISA sets minimum Saudi employment ratios as a licence condition
• Annual reporting: MISA-licensed entities must submit annual reports including audited financial statements — a key post-licence compliance requirement we manage

Documents Required for MISA Application

• Parent company Certificate of Incorporation (authenticated and apostilled)
• Parent company Articles of Association (translated to Arabic)
• Parent company audited financial statements (last 2 years)
• Board resolution authorising Saudi investment
• Passport copies of proposed shareholders and directors
• Bank reference letter from parent company bank
• Proposed business plan / activity description