Regulatory update / Activity licensing
Saudi activity licences: when the 90-day deadline applies
If you add an activity to your Saudi Commercial Register (CR) and it requires a licence, the normal deadline to obtain it is 90 days from the date that activity was registered. For a shop that needs a municipal licence, that means getting its Baladiya licence through Balady. Other activities may need a licence from a sector authority.
- Normal deadline
- 90 days
- The clock starts
- When the activity is added to the CR
- If you miss it
- The activity entry can be removed
01 / Check your business
Which licence do you need?
If you need a Baladiya licence
Check the requirements for your exact activity and premises in Balady. For example, if you are opening a shop that needs a municipal licence, plan for the licence to be issued before the deadline. Submitting the application alone does not meet the rule.
If a sector authority licenses your activity
Check what the relevant authority requires. Some activities need sector approval as well as a municipal licence. Having the activity on your CR does not give you permission to trade before you have the required approvals.
If your activity doesn’t require a licence
Article 4 also provides for removal of an activity entry if the trader does not submit proof that they are carrying out an activity that does not require a licence. Check with the registrar what proof it will accept.
02 / Your next step
What should you do?
Find the activity’s entry date
Check the date the specific activity was added. If you added it to an existing CR, use that activity’s date to work out the normal deadline.
Plan the licence before you commit
Confirm which approvals, premises and documents you’ll need. Knowing this early helps you budget for rent, fit-out and approvals before you start earning revenue.
Raise delays early
If an inspection or approval could run past the deadline, check whether a longer period applies or ask the registrar about an extension. Keep track of the licence until it is issued.
03 / Check the source
Sources & supporting detail
The Ministry’s 1 November 2026 reminder restates Article 4 of the Commercial Register Law’s Executive Regulations, which took effect on 3 April 2025.
Need help applying this to your business?
Tell us the activity you plan to carry out, the city and whether it is already on your CR. DuVolks can help you map the approvals and prepare the next steps.