Licence what you advise on
Professional Consultancy Setup in Saudi Arabia
Consultancy is among the more accessible routes into Saudi Arabia — unless your field is one where professional registration is required.
GCC business setup specialists
Simple, until the field is regulated
Management, marketing and IT consultancies are generally straightforward. Engineering, legal, accounting and health advisory are not: they require recognised qualifications and registration with the relevant professional body, assessed before anything else.
- Regulated or not, established on day one
- Qualification requirements checked before you apply
- Localisation planned from the first hire
20+
Mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions we file in — so the recommendation is based on your activity, not on which authority we happen to be registered with.
7,000+
Companies successfully established.
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Know which you are
Regulated and unregulated advisory
The distinction decides your timeline and sometimes your eligibility.
| Field | Typically | What is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Management consultancy | Generally unregulated | Activity eligibility and licence category |
| Marketing and media | Generally unregulated | Content-related approvals in some cases |
| IT and software | Generally unregulated | Communications approvals for certain services |
| Engineering consultancy | Regulated | Qualifications, experience and professional registration |
| Legal and accounting advisory | Regulated | Professional body approval and credentials |
| Health advisory | Regulated | Authority approval and practitioner credentials |
Which fields are regulated, and what registration they require, is set by the Saudi authorities and changes. Yours is checked before any application.
How it works
Setting up the consultancy
For unregulated fields this is among the quicker Saudi setups.
01
Field and credentials
Whether your field is regulated and, if so, what qualifications and professional registration are required, established before anything is filed.
02
Licence and registration
Investment licence in the appropriate category, then Commercial Registration, Articles and Chamber membership.
03
Operations
National Address, bank introduction, ZATCA registration, and employer registrations with localisation planned from the first hire.
Before you apply
What a consultancy needs
Regulated fields need the credentials in order first.
- A precise description of what you advise on
- Parent company documents, attested and translated
- Degree certificates, attested
- Professional qualifications and memberships
- Experience certificates
- Professional registration where required
- Passport copies and photographs
- Proposed name options
- Appointed manager and their CV
- Premises or National Address arrangements
- Expected headcount and localisation plan
- Proposed capital
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Assessment of whether your field is regulated
- Qualification requirements confirmed first
- Investment licence application
- Commercial Registration
- Articles drafting and notarisation
- Chamber membership and National Address
- Co-ordination of professional registration
- ZATCA and employer registrations
Not included, quoted separately
- Government and authority fees, paid at cost
- Qualification attestation and equivalency
- Professional body membership fees
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Office rent and fit-out
- Certified Arabic translation charges
- Experience certificate procurement
- Ongoing accounting and tax filing
Verify independently
Official Saudi authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Ministry of Investment (MISA)Ministry of CommerceZakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA)Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP)Ministry of Municipalities and Housing
Questions
Saudi consultancy setup — FAQs
Do I need a degree?
For unregulated fields such as management consultancy, usually not for the company itself. For regulated fields, recognised qualifications and professional registration are assessed before the licence.
Can I run it with few staff?
Consultancies are often among the lighter setups, but localisation obligations apply as you hire, so the workforce plan matters from the start.
Is consultancy open to full foreign ownership?
Many advisory activities are, through the investment licence. It is activity-specific, so we confirm rather than assume.
Can I advise in more than one field?
Often yes where compatible. Mixing an unregulated field with a regulated one usually pulls the whole registration into the regulated process.
Do I need an office?
You will need a registered address, and premises appropriate to the activity. What that means in practice depends on your category and headcount.
Careers
Apply for a role
Tell us which role you are applying for and what you have done that is relevant. If you have UAE or GCC experience, say which jurisdictions and authorities you have worked with.
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Request a setup assessment
For founders and business decision-makers considering paid business services. Not for job applications, employment searches or personal visa-only requests.
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At Black Swan Business Setup Services, our mission is simple: to empower entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes to establish and expand their presence in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and beyond.
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