Saudi Arabia registers 1,275 foreign-owned establishments in October

Saudi Arabia registered 1,275 new establishments owned by foreign investors between Oct. 1 and 30, 2026, with total declared capital of SAR 10.3 billion, according to the monthly Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Analysis issued by the International Business Center (IBC) of the Federation of Saudi Chambers.

The analysis, cited in a statement by the Federation, showed that 96.5% of the newly registered establishments were wholly foreign-owned, while the remaining 3.5% had Saudi partners.

The month also saw the issuance of six licenses for regional headquarters of international companies.

Registration activity remained strong throughout October, averaging around 56 new establishments per working day.

The week of Oct. 18-24 recorded the highest activity, with 327 establishments registered, while Oct. 21 saw the highest daily figure at 76.

A total of 523 establishments were added after Oct. 19, indicating an acceleration in activity during the second half of the month.

In terms of capital size, small and medium-sized establishments accounted for the majority of new registrations, with half of the establishments declaring capital of no more than SAR 100,000.

Meanwhile, 289 establishments each reported capital of exactly SAR 30 million, the minimum requirement set by the Ministry of Investment for a commercial license permitting 100% foreign ownership.

This category accounted for approximately 84% of total declared capital, or SAR 8.67 billion.

Excluding these establishments, aggregate declared capital stood at around SAR 1.6 billion.

Another 10 establishments reported capital exceeding SAR 30 million, with a combined total of SAR 758 million.

The largest was an agricultural establishment with declared capital of SAR 300 million.

By sector, manufacturing ranked first with 451 establishments, accounting for 35% of the total number and 39% of declared capital.

Construction came second with 285 establishments, or 22%, most of which were engaged in building contracting.

The information and communications technology sector followed with 126 establishments, mostly small startups, while agriculture recorded 95 establishments, wholesale and retail trade 90, and transportation 53.

Together, these six sectors accounted for 86% of all newly registered establishments across 16 sectors.

The monthly analysis, published by the International Business Center, draws on commercial registration data for newly established foreign-owned businesses and compares it with data from the General Authority for Statistics, the Ministry of Investment, the Capital Market Authority, and labor market indicators.

The report noted that the figures represent capital declared at the time of registration and do not necessarily reflect the actual amount of investment deployed.