Overview
The Industrial License authorizes you to carry out manufacturing, assembly, processing and industrial production inside Saudi Arabia. In practice it is a dual approval: an investment license from the Ministry of Investment (MISA) that establishes your foreign-owned entity, coordinated with an industrial license (registration of an industrial establishment) issued by the Ministry of Industry & Mineral Resources (MIM). Together they let you own and operate a factory, import machinery and raw materials, and place "Made in Saudi" products on the market.
Most industrial activities permit up to 100% foreign ownership, with no Saudi partner required. The license also opens the door to the industrial ecosystem: serviced land in MODON industrial cities, customs exemptions on machinery and equipment, and project financing of up to 75% through the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF). This is the gateway to Vision 2030's National Industrial Strategy, where localization of manufacturing is actively incentivized and well funded.
Activities covered
Food and beverage processing and packaging plants.
Manufacturing of plastics, packaging and petrochemical-derived products.
Production of building materials, cement products, steel and metal fabrication.
Assembly of electrical appliances, electronics and machinery components.
Pharmaceutical, medical-supplies and cosmetics manufacturing.
Textiles, furniture, and chemical or detergent production lines.
Who is it for?
International manufacturers wanting a wholly-owned factory in the Kingdom with access to Gulf and regional markets.
Industrial groups seeking serviced MODON land, SIDF financing and customs exemptions on imported machinery.
Founders localizing production under Vision 2030 to qualify for "Made in Saudi" and government procurement preferences.
How we issue it for you
Structure & feasibility
We define your activity codes (ISIC), confirm ownership and capital, and prepare the technical profile of the factory.
MISA investment license
We file your application with MISA and obtain the foreign-investment license that establishes your entity.
Company formation & CR
We register the company with the Ministry of Commerce, issue the commercial registration and complete municipal (Balady) onboarding.
Industrial license (MIM)
We register the industrial establishment with the Ministry of Industry & Mineral Resources and secure required sector and environmental approvals.
Land, financing & launch
We help secure MODON industrial land, prepare SIDF financing applications, and handle GOSI, tax and bank account setup.
Requirements
Parent company commercial registration plus audited financial statements, attested and legally translated into Arabic.
A technical/feasibility description of the factory: products, manufacturing process, machinery and target capacity.
Adequate paid-up capital for the activity (industrial activities typically require higher capital than commercial ones).
Sector and environmental approvals where applicable, including an environmental permit from the National Center for Environmental Compliance and, by product, clearances from the SFDA or SASO.
Cost & timeline
Government fees are paid at cost and confirmed by your consultant before any payment. As part of 2026 investor facilities, MISA license issuance and renewal fees are currently waived, while company-formation, industrial-registration and attestation costs still apply. Minimum capital varies by activity, with light-industry projects typically starting from around SAR 500,000. With complete documents, the MISA and industrial licensing stage commonly takes a few business days to a few weeks; we will give you a precise quote and timeline after reviewing your specific manufacturing activity.
Frequently asked questions
For most industrial activities, no. The license generally permits up to 100% foreign ownership, so you can fully own your factory and entity. A small number of restricted activities may carry conditions, which we confirm for your specific case.
The MISA license (Ministry of Investment) authorizes you as a foreign investor and establishes the company. The industrial license (Ministry of Industry & Mineral Resources) registers the factory itself as an industrial establishment. You need both, and we obtain them in coordination.
Yes. We help you secure serviced industrial land in MODON industrial cities and prepare applications to the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF), which can finance a significant share of project cost. Customs exemptions on machinery may also apply.
The licensing stage is often a matter of days to a few weeks once documents are complete. Reaching full production depends on land allocation, factory construction and equipment installation, which we plan with you from the start.