Running a business / The portal guide
Saudi government portals.
Know where to go.
Understand the main platforms your business may need, what each handles and how their responsibilities differ.
Sources checked 11 October 2026 · Official references & scope
01 / Know the platforms
Which portal
do you need?
A selected business reference—not a requirement to subscribe to every platform. Services depend on your entity and the transaction.
Qiwa
Employment & workforce
Employment contracts, work permits and employee transfers.
Check the establishment’s eligibility for the selected service.
Work visa & transfer guideMuqeem
Residency & travel
Establishment services for resident records and visa transactions.
Use the services available under your entity’s account and subscription.
Iqama renewal guideAbsher Business
Employer residency services
Business services including Iqama renewal for employees.
This is the business service, not the employee’s personal Absher account.
Understand residence renewalGOSI
Social insurance
Contributor records, registered wages and social-insurance contributions.
Not a replacement for wage-protection reporting in Mudad.
Workforce planning guideMudad
Wage protection
Wage-protection files, compliance results and explanations of discrepancies.
Submitting a file and resolving its compliance results are separate checks.
Employment compliance guideSaudi Business Center
Company services · SBC / Ministry of Commerce
Company formation, commercial-record services and annual confirmation.
For the CR: annual confirmation of registration data—not annual renewal.
Company registration guideMISA
Investment registration
Investment registration and related investor services where applicable.
Investment registration is separate from company formation and operating permissions.
Investment registration guideBalady
Municipal licensing
Municipal commercial-licence applications, renewals and related services.
Check the requirements for the actual activity and premises.
Premises & municipality guideSPL
Business National Address
Register and manage the business’s National Address.
An address registration is not a municipal operating licence.
Premises & address guideFederation of Saudi Chambers
Regional Chamber membership & document services
Use the electronic-services portal of the Chamber where your business is registered—for example, Riyadh Chamber at chamber.sa.
Membership, document services and authorisations depend on the relevant regional Chamber.
Employment document guideZATCA
Tax & reporting
Tax registrations, returns and related notices.
Portal access does not replace the accounting records needed for a correct filing.
Tax & ZATCA guideSome services sit on ministry sites; others use dedicated platforms. Official references and service links are collected below.
02 / Keep the roles separate
Related does not
mean interchangeable.
Three distinctions worth knowing before you start.
GOSI ≠ Mudad
GOSI records social-insurance contributors, wages and contributions. Mudad handles wage-protection reporting and compliance results.
Qiwa ≠ residence services
A work permit and an Iqama are different records. Qiwa handles the work-permit service; the applicable residency service handles the Iqama.
SPL ≠ Balady
The National Address identifies the business location. A municipal licence concerns the permitted activity and premises requirements.
03 / See how the services connect
One Iqama renewal.
Separate checks.
Example: a private-sector employee who requires a work permit. This is a planning outline, not the full renewal checklist.
- 01
Qiwa
Check the work permit.
Labour authorisation
Renew it when required. - 02
Other requirements
Check health insurance, passport, fees and the remaining renewal conditions.
Not all checks sit in one portal - 03
Residency service
Use the eligible Muqeem or Absher Business service; confirm the renewed Iqama record.
Residence renewal
Completing one step does not automatically complete the next. Some preparation can run in parallel.
Full Iqama renewal checklist04 / Before using a portal
The right account.
The right records.
A short access check—not an application or a document upload.
If a request is blocked: save the exact message and reference, check the stated cause and contact the relevant portal’s support if unresolved. Do not assume one rejected request blocks every platform.
Official references & review scope Checked 11 October 2026
Targeted review of selected portal responsibilities, annual-confirmation terminology and the work-permit/residence distinction. The connected-task example is a planning aid; follow the full conditions for the employee and selected official service.
The portal map is not an exhaustive service catalogue. Confirm the current transaction requirements, charges and assigned dates inside the relevant official service. Riyadh Chamber is an example; use the Chamber relevant to your entity.
This is an educational portal guide, not an application, complete service catalogue or description of a DuVolks retainer. Portal charges, subscriptions and availability depend on the service.
Official references open in a new tab. Arabic resources and PDFs are labelled.