Saudi Arabia Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Saudi Business

TL;DR. Saudi Arabia’s company verification has been handled through Wathq (https://wathq.sa), the Ministry of Commerce’s digital verification platform. A live GET of that host returns HTTP 400 (“The provided host name is not valid for this server”). www.wathq.sa does not resolve (NXDOMAIN). https://developer.wathq.sa/en is a Cloudflare developer/API portal (HTTP 200), not a public commercial-register search UI. Free-search, 2FA, and SAR 30-50 certificate fees cannot be verified on a 400 host and are dropped here. Under the Commercial Register Law effective 3 April 2026, the CR number was replaced by a unified national number starting with “7” (existing registrations have a five-year transition window). VAT registration is administered separately by ZATCA (zatca.gov.sa), a different system from Wathq. ZATCA lookup cost and account rules were not live-checked on 2026-09-02. Saudi Arabia is not on the FATF grey list.

What is the official Saudi Arabia business registry?

Saudi Arabia’s primary business registry is the Commercial Registration (CR) system maintained by the Ministry of Commerce (MoCI). Every company operating in the Kingdom must obtain a CR, which serves as the foundational proof of legal existence for Saudi companies.

The Ministry of Commerce has been accessible at mc.gov.sa and operates the Wathq platform (https://wathq.sa) as its public-facing business verification service. As of the 2026-09-02 live check, https://wathq.sa returns HTTP 400 with the body “The provided host name is not valid for this server.” The www variant does not resolve. https://developer.wathq.sa/en is up, but it is a developer/API portal, not a public CR search form. No replacement official public CR search URL returning HTTP 200 was confirmed in that check. Wathq was launched as part of the Kingdom’s broader digital transformation agenda under Vision 2030 to increase business transparency and simplify counterparty verification for financial institutions and compliance buyers.

Under the Commercial Register Law effective 3 April 2026, the Kingdom consolidated its previously fragmented regional CR system into a single national register. Every commercial register is now identified by a unified national number starting with the digit “7”, replacing the old regional-prefix CR number. The register no longer expires; it requires only an annual data confirmation instead of periodic renewal. Businesses still holding a pre-reform CR number have a five-year transition window to migrate to the unified format. This unified number is also what appears in GOSI, customs, and other government systems that previously used a separate “700-series” unified number issued by the National Information Center, that older 700-series identifier is now folded into the same CR number.

VAT registration is administered separately by the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) at zatca.gov.sa, not by the Ministry of Commerce. ZATCA issues the VAT registration number and operates a Taxpayer Lookup, described below. That lookup was not live-checked on 2026-09-02. Wathq and ZATCA are different systems: a Wathq search will not return VAT data, and a ZATCA search will not return full CR details.

The Commercial Registration system covers:

• Limited Liability Companies (Sharikat Dhat Mas’uliyya Mahduda, equivalent to LLC)
• Joint Stock Companies (Sharikat Musahama, equivalent to SA/PLC)
• General Partnerships and Limited Partnerships
• Professional Companies
• Sole Proprietorships
• Branches of Foreign Companies
• Special Purpose Entities

The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) at saudiexchange.sa is the additional reference for listed companies, providing disclosure of financial statements, major shareholders, and governance reports for public companies.

The Ministry of Investment (MISA), formerly SAGIA, at misa.gov.sa, handles foreign investment licenses. A company with a foreign investment license appears in both the MISA register and the MoCI commercial register.

What can you search?

Wathq platform (https://wathq.sa) - currently HTTP 400, not a live public search:

• Company name search by Arabic name or English transliteration
• CR number lookup returning: company name, CR number, entity type, registration date, expiry date, and current status (active/inactive/suspended)
• Registered address (commercial city/region level)
• Licensed business activities
• Branch details if applicable

MoCI portal (mc.gov.sa) - requires account for full extract ordering:

• CR Certificate ordering (Shihada Sijil Tijari): certified document listing company name, CR number, capital, entity type, founding date, partners or shareholders, and licensed activities
• Manager and director identity information on the certified extract
• Historical CR data including amendments

Saudi Exchange / Tadawul (saudiexchange.sa) - listed companies (not live-checked on 2026-09-02):

• Financial statements (audited annual reports, quarterly reports)
• Major shareholders and ownership percentages above disclosure thresholds
• Board composition and governance disclosures
• Announcements including capital changes, mergers, and material events

General Authority for Statistics (stats.gov.sa):

• Business establishment statistics by sector and region (aggregate data, not entity-level searches)

ZATCA Taxpayer Lookup (zatca.gov.sa/en/eServices/Pages/TaxpayerLookup.aspx) - not live-checked on 2026-09-02:

• Search by CR National Number (accepts both the pre-reform CR number and the post-reform unified number starting with “7”), VAT Account Number, or VAT Certificate Number
• Returns: business name and current VAT registration status, plus the VAT account number
• ZATCA’s terms restrict use of this data to verification purposes; it is not to be used for marketing, promotion, data analysis, or resale, and a bulk-upload template exists for verification requests but the same use restriction applies to it

How much does it cost?

Wathq fees and free-search claims cannot be verified while https://wathq.sa returns HTTP 400. Older SAR 30-50 certificate figures are dropped. Verify current pricing on a live official portal before ordering.

Do you need a local account or ID?

Wathq account, 2FA, and free-search behaviour cannot be verified while https://wathq.sa returns HTTP 400. Do not treat the host as a working anonymous search.

For ordering a certified CR Certificate through the MoCI portal or Absher/Tawakkalna platforms, an account is required. Saudi nationals and residents use their National ID number and Iqama (residence permit) respectively. Foreign users without Saudi credentials can register on the MoCI portal with an email address and passport, but access to certain services may be limited.

The Absher platform (absher.sa) is the Saudi government’s digital services portal for residents, enabling a wide range of government transactions including CR extracts. It requires a Saudi National ID or Iqama and is not accessible to foreign users without local identity credentials.

A practical route for foreign compliance buyers needing certified CR Certificates is through licensed Saudi business services providers or commercial data suppliers who can retrieve documents on behalf of clients.

Is the website in English?

Wathq (https://wathq.sa) is currently returning HTTP 400, so the English UI cannot be confirmed from that host. https://developer.wathq.sa/en is in English, but it is an API/developer portal, not the public CR search.

The MoCI primary portal (mc.gov.sa) is Arabic-leading with an English language option available. The English version covers most informational pages but some transactional services remain Arabic-only.

CR Certificates and official documents are issued in Arabic. English translations are not provided by the MoCI as standard; foreign compliance buyers typically require certified translation services for document use outside the Kingdom.

The Saudi Exchange (saudiexchange.sa) and MISA (misa.gov.sa) portals are fully bilingual in Arabic and English.

What’s the turnaround time?

Wathq verification turnaround cannot be confirmed while the host returns HTTP 400.

Certified CR Certificates ordered electronically through the MoCI portal are typically processed within 1-3 business days. During peak periods (beginning and end of fiscal quarters) processing may extend to 3-5 business days.

MISA foreign investment license verifications were not live-checked on 2026-09-02. Status-check turnaround is Unknown.

Is there an API?

Yes. A Wathq developer/API portal is live at https://developer.wathq.sa/en (HTTP 200). That URL is not a public CR search UI. The older docs path https://wathq.sa/web/guest/api sits on the same 400 host as the search domain. Access has historically required a formal accreditation application to the Ministry of Commerce; it is not open to the general public.

The Saudi Credit Bureau (SIMAH) at simah.com provides API access for its commercial and consumer credit reporting services to licensed financial institutions under agreements with the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).

Bayan Credit Bureau (bayancc.com.sa), licensed by SAMA, offers API-based commercial credit and business verification services to financial institutions and licensed entities in the Kingdom.

What you legally cannot do

The Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL, Royal Decree M/19 of 2021, effective September 2023) governs the processing of personal data of natural persons in Saudi Arabia. Director names, partner identity information, and beneficial ownership data extracted from Saudi company records constitute personal data under the PDPL when processed by a private entity. A lawful basis for processing is required, and certain transfers of personal data outside the Kingdom are subject to prior authorization from the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

Automated bulk extraction of data from Wathq or the MoCI portal is prohibited under the terms of service of both platforms.

Saudi Arabia’s AML and CFT framework is governed by the Anti-Money Laundering Law (Royal Decree M/31 of 2003 and subsequent amendments) and the Counter-Terrorism Financing Law. The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and other regulators supervise AML compliance for financial institutions. Saudi Arabia is a FATF member and is not on the FATF grey list as of May 2026.

Commercial data obtained for counterparty due diligence, KYC, or AML screening purposes falls within permitted commercial use under Saudi law, provided the processing entity has a documented lawful purpose and complies with PDPL obligations.

Practical tips for foreign users

• Use the CR number for all lookups. The Commercial Registration number is the stable unique identifier across Wathq, MoCI, MISA, ZATCA, and financial institution systems. Company names can vary between transliterations, so always confirm and record the CR number from the first search. Since the 3 April 2026 reform, new and migrated registrations carry a unified number starting with “7”; older registrations may still show a pre-reform CR number until they migrate within the five-year transition window. Both formats have historically been accepted in Wathq; that cannot be re-checked while https://wathq.sa returns HTTP 400. ZATCA’s Taxpayer Lookup was not live-checked on 2026-09-02.
• VAT number is a separate lookup from CR. Wathq, when reachable, confirms company identity and status but does not return VAT data. VAT registration is administered by ZATCA. ZATCA Taxpayer Lookup cost and account rules were not live-checked on 2026-09-02. Wathq free-search cannot be verified on the 400 host.
• Check MISA for foreign-invested companies. Companies with foreign shareholders or foreign investment licenses appear in both the MoCI commercial register and the Ministry of Investment (MISA) database. MISA at misa.gov.sa provides an additional layer of information for foreign-invested entities, including investment license type and sector.
• Vision 2030 has changed the foreign ownership rules. The Investment Law of 2024 (replacing the Foreign Investment Law of 2000) expanded sectors open to full foreign ownership and streamlined the investment licensing process. Older company records may show restricted foreign ownership structures that are no longer legally required for new formations. Verify the current shareholding structure, not the historic founding structure.
• Annual accounts are not publicly searchable. Unlike EU or common-law jurisdictions, Saudi Arabia does not provide public access to filed financial statements for private companies via the commercial register. Audited financials for private companies are available only with the company’s consent or through licensed credit bureaus (SIMAH, Bayan). For listed companies, full financials are disclosed on Tadawul.
• Wathq is currently unreachable as a public search. https://wathq.sa returns HTTP 400. Do not treat a saved Wathq result as something you can re-run on that host until it serves a search UI again.
• Saudi fiscal year. Many Saudi companies follow the Hijri calendar for their fiscal year, though the Gregorian calendar is also used. When interpreting accounting dates and CR filing dates, be aware that dates may be expressed in Hijri (H) format. Conversion between Hijri and Gregorian dates is widely available online.

Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly

The Arabic-language primary interface and the limitation of certain services to Saudi-credentialled users make direct certified document retrieval genuinely difficult for foreign compliance buyers without local presence.

• Wathq host (https://wathq.sa): Currently HTTP 400 (hostname is not valid). Not a working public search as of 2026-09-02. https://developer.wathq.sa/en is the API portal only.
• ZATCA Taxpayer Lookup (zatca.gov.sa/en/eServices/Pages/TaxpayerLookup.aspx): VAT number and VAT registration status sit with ZATCA, not Wathq. That lookup was not live-checked on 2026-09-02. Do not treat it as a verified free or no-account path.
• Saudi Credit Bureau SIMAH and Bayan Credit Bureau: Licensed bureaus with API and report products accessible to financial institutions under formal agreements, providing structured commercial data including financial indicators without requiring direct registry navigation.
• Commercial data suppliers (see section below): CRIF Gulf and Dun & Bradstreet Saudi Arabia both produce English-language company reports that include CR data, financial analysis, and risk scoring, removing the Arabic-language barrier.
• Saudi business service providers: Local document clearing agencies and licensed business service firms in Saudi Arabia routinely obtain certified CR Certificates and other MoCI documents for foreign clients as a standard commercial service.

Local data suppliers

If you need a packaged report rather than a raw commercial register extract, the following providers cover the Saudi market:

• SIMAH (Saudi Credit Bureau) (simah.com). The primary licensed credit bureau in Saudi Arabia, supervised by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). Provides commercial credit reports, financial risk scoring, and company payment behavior data. SIMAH is the reference standard for credit decisions involving Saudi entities and is used by banks, finance companies, and large corporates across the Kingdom.
• Bayan Credit Bureau (bayancc.com.sa). The second licensed credit bureau in Saudi Arabia under SAMA supervision. Offers commercial credit information, fraud prevention services, and digital identity verification. Serves financial institutions, insurance companies, and telecom operators under commercial data-sharing agreements.
• Dun & Bradstreet Saudi Arabia (dnb.com/sa). Global data and analytics provider with Saudi Arabia coverage. Offers D-U-N-S registered company reports, credit risk assessment, supply chain risk screening, and compliance due diligence tools. English-language reports with data mapped to Saudi CR records. Used by multinationals conducting counterparty KYC and vendor due diligence in the Saudi market.
• CRIF Gulf (crif.com). Regional operation of CRIF S.p.A. covering Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region. Provides business information reports, creditworthiness assessment, decision analytics, and AML compliance screening tools. Strong GCC regional coverage for compliance programs that span multiple Gulf markets.

FAQ

What is the Wathq platform and how does it differ from the MoCI portal?

Wathq (https://wathq.sa) is the Ministry of Commerce’s public-facing company verification service, designed for quick online status checks of Saudi companies. As of 2026-09-02 the host returns HTTP 400 (“The provided host name is not valid for this server”), so those checks cannot be run there. The developer site at https://developer.wathq.sa/en is an API portal, not a substitute search form. The MoCI portal (mc.gov.sa) is the broader ministry administrative system where businesses manage their CR, order certified documents, and carry out licensing transactions.

What does the CR number mean, and why does it start with “7” now?

Before 3 April 2026, the Commercial Registration (CR) number was a 10-digit identifier whose first three digits indicated the issuing MoCI regional office. Under the Commercial Register Law effective that date, Saudi Arabia consolidated its regional registers into one national system, and every commercial register is now identified by a unified national number starting with the digit “7”. Existing businesses have a five-year transition window to migrate from the old format. In practice, the full number, in either format, is the only reliable unique identifier; check Wathq directly rather than assuming the format from the digit count alone.

How do I look up a Saudi company’s VAT number?

VAT registration is administered by ZATCA (Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority), not by the Ministry of Commerce, so it does not show up in a Wathq search. ZATCA’s Taxpayer Lookup (zatca.gov.sa/en/eServices/Pages/TaxpayerLookup.aspx) was not live-checked on 2026-09-02. Do not treat it as a verified free or no-account path. ZATCA’s terms have historically restricted this data to verification use. For volume use, a licensed commercial data supplier (SIMAH, Bayan, CRIF Gulf, or Dun & Bradstreet Saudi Arabia) is the route used by institutions, not repeated queries against an unverified public tool.

Does Saudi Arabia have a beneficial ownership register?

Saudi Arabia’s AML regulations require financial institutions and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) to verify beneficial ownership as part of CDD obligations under SAMA and MoCI regulatory frameworks. There is no publicly searchable national UBO register equivalent to those in EU member states. Beneficial ownership data is held by companies, regulatory supervisors, and licensed bureaus. Commercial suppliers such as SIMAH and CRIF Gulf can provide UBO data compiled from filings and commercial disclosures.

Is Saudi Arabia on the FATF grey list?

No. Saudi Arabia is a FATF member country and is not on the FATF grey list as of May 2026. Saudi Arabia underwent a FATF Mutual Evaluation in 2018 and has engaged in ongoing follow-up. For current status, verify at fatf-gafi.org.

Are financial statements publicly available for Saudi companies?

For companies listed on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), full financial statements are publicly disclosed. For private companies, there is no public financial statement filing requirement comparable to EU member states. Private company financials are accessible only with company consent or through licensed credit bureaus under formal data-sharing agreements.

What changed under the Saudi Investment Law 2024?

The Investment Law of 2024 replaced the Foreign Investment Law of 2000 and removed or streamlined licensing requirements for foreign investors in many sectors. Foreign companies can now establish wholly foreign-owned entities in a wider range of sectors without the historic requirement for a Saudi partner holding a majority stake. MISA at misa.gov.sa is the authority for foreign investment licensing under the new law. The changes are part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification agenda.

Last verified: September 2026. Sources: Wathq (https://wathq.sa, HTTP 400 hostname is not valid), Wathq developer portal (https://developer.wathq.sa/en), ZATCA (zatca.gov.sa), MISA (misa.gov.sa), Saudi Central Bank SAMA (sama.gov.sa), FATF (fatf-gafi.org), Saudi PDPL Royal Decree M/19 of 2021.