Tawaref Series: The truth behind Saudi landing hard costs

Tawaref Series: The truth behind Saudi landing hard costs

It is no secret that expansion to Saudi Arabia has become notorious for being extremely costly, with complaints of corporate service providers (CSPs) and law firms charging sky-high fees for landing services rampant among foreign entrepreneurs. At Tawaref, we have heard similar feedback from the tens of startups we meet monthly. By and large, companies cite CapEx costs of landing as the number one reason why they delay their decision to land in Saudi Arabia. 

A popular Saudi CSP can set you back an astronomical SAR100,000+ for just incorporating your company in the country. But does it really cost that much to simply get your business on the ground? Are government fees the reason they are so high, or do service providers keep the majority? Most importantly, what is the total fair cost of landing in Saudi Arabia?

In this article, as part of our Saudi Expansion series, we will find the answers to these questions as well as many more surrounding the hard costs that an entrepreneur must pay to land in Saudi Arabia. We will provide you with a checklist of all the hard costs of landing, including government fees, medical checkups and insurance, Iqama costs, and more. 

Government and Non-Government