Electronic Power of Attorney Saudi: 2026 Najiz Guide

By Cherie — Business Consultant, Noble Core · Updated June 2026

What an electronic power of attorney Saudi actually is

A power of attorney (wakala) is a legal instrument in which one party (the principal, or muwakkil) authorises another party (the agent, or wakeel) to act on their behalf for defined purposes. The electronic version is the same instrument, but created, signed and stored digitally through the Ministry of Justice’s Najiz portal rather than drafted on paper at a notary counter.

The practical difference matters enormously for foreign founders. A paper wakala must be physically drafted, notarised, and — if signed abroad — legalised through a chain of attestations. An electronic power of attorney issued inside the Kingdom exists as a database record with a unique deed number that any receiving party (a bank, the Ministry of Commerce, a government service desk) can verify instantly by entering that number into the Najiz verification screen. There is nothing to lose, nothing to photocopy, and nothing to re-notarise every time a counterparty wants a “fresh original”.

For anyone establishing a company under a foreign investment licence, the e-POA is the connective tissue of the whole process. It is what allows a Riyadh-based manager, a licensed law firm, or a professional services partner to open the commercial register, sign the lease, register with ZATCA and stand in front of a bank compliance officer while the shareholder is on another continent.

Who needs an e-POA in Saudi Arabia

The instrument is used across the entire lifecycle of a business, but a few groups rely on it constantly:

• Non-resident shareholders of a Saudi LLC. Foreign founders who do not hold an Iqama cannot personally attend most in-person counters, and often cannot log into portals that require an Absher-linked national ID. An e-POA to a resident agent solves this cleanly.
• Corporate shareholders. Where the shareholder is a company rather than an individual, the parent entity’s authorised signatory grants a POA to a named individual in the Kingdom so that person can sign the articles of association and the commercial register application.
• General managers and appointed directors. A general manager frequently needs delegated authority to sign employment contracts on Qiwa, deal with GOSI registration, or handle municipal (Balady) licensing without escalating every signature to the board.
• Founders travelling frequently. Even resident founders issue limited e-POAs so that finance staff can file VAT returns with ZATCA or collect government correspondence while they are abroad.
• Property and vehicle matters. Company real-estate transactions, lease registrations and fleet registrations all routinely require a wakala naming the person attending on the company’s behalf.
• Litigation and representation. Appointing a licensed Saudi lawyer to represent the company before courts or committees requires a POA with the appropriate judicial powers selected.

If you are still at the licensing stage, the sequence usually runs: investment licence from MISA → commercial register from the Ministry of Commerce → e-POA to whoever will run the operational registrations. Our overview of company formation in Saudi Arabia sets out how these steps interlock and where the POA slots in.

The two routes: e-POA inside the Kingdom vs POA issued abroad

This is the single most misunderstood point, and getting it wrong costs weeks.

Route A — issued inside Saudi Arabia via Najiz

If the principal holds a Saudi national ID or a valid Iqama and has an activated Absher account, they can issue an e-POA themselves on Najiz in minutes, at no government fee. The POA is issued in Arabic, stored electronically, and verifiable by deed number. No notary appointment, no stamps, no courier.

Route B — issued outside Saudi Arabia

If the principal has no Saudi ID, the POA must originate abroad. The standard chain is:

1. Draft the POA in the required wording (Arabic, or bilingual with a certified Arabic translation).
2. Sign before a local notary public in the country of residence.
3. Attest through that country’s competent authority (foreign ministry or equivalent).
4. Legalise at the Saudi embassy or consulate in that country.
5. On arrival in the Kingdom, present it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its endorsement where required, then to the receiving authority.

Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Apostille Convention has simplified step 3–4 for documents originating in other member states, but practice at individual receiving counters still varies. Confirm the exact chain with the Saudi mission in your country before you pay for translation, because a rejected attestation means starting again.

Many founders use a hybrid: a one-time legalised POA from abroad appointing a resident representative, who then issues narrower Najiz e-POAs for day-to-day matters. This is usually the fastest and cheapest structure.

Step-by-step: how to issue an electronic power of attorney Saudi on Najiz

The Najiz interface is available in Arabic with an English toggle on most screens. Have your Absher credentials and mobile phone in hand — every issuance is confirmed by an OTP sent to the number registered in Absher.

1. Open the portal. Go to najiz.sa and select Login (تسجيل الدخول). Choose the Individuals tab unless you are acting through an establishment account.
2. Authenticate via the National Single Sign-On. Enter your national ID or Iqama number and your Absher password, then enter the OTP. If your Absher account is not “fully activated”, the POA service will not appear — activation is a prerequisite, not an optional extra.
3. Navigate to the POA service. From the dashboard choose E-Services → Powers of Attorney (الوكالات) → Issue a Power of Attorney. Existing POAs, including ones granted to you, appear under My Powers of Attorney.
4. Enter the agent’s details. Provide the agent’s national ID or Iqama number and date of birth (Hijri or Gregorian as prompted). The system validates the identity automatically and displays the name for confirmation — you never type the agent’s name manually, which eliminates spelling disputes later.
5. Select the powers. This is the critical screen. Najiz presents a structured catalogue of powers grouped by subject: commercial matters, real estate, banking, judicial representation, government transactions, vehicles, and so on. Tick only what is genuinely needed. You may also set a validity period and, for some categories, restrict the POA to a named entity or property.
6. Review and confirm. The system generates the full Arabic text. Read it. Confirm with the OTP sent to your registered mobile. The POA is issued immediately with a deed number, and both parties receive an SMS notification.
7. Share the reference. Give the receiving party the POA number and the agent’s ID. Most banks and government desks verify directly on Najiz rather than accepting a printout.

Revocation follows the same path: My Powers of Attorney → select the deed → Terminate. Termination is effective immediately and is visible to anyone who verifies the number afterwards, which is why you should always revoke rather than simply “ask for the paper back”.

How a receiving party verifies your POA

Verification is a public-facing service and does not require login in most cases. The verifying party enters the POA number and the identity number of one of the parties into the Najiz enquiry screen. The response confirms whether the deed exists, whether it is active or terminated, the parties, and the scope of powers granted.

Practical consequences worth planning around:

• A bank will check that the specific power it needs — say, opening an account or operating it — is explicitly listed. “General business powers” is not a substitute.
• The Ministry of Commerce will check the POA covers commercial register actions if your agent is amending the CR.
• Some private counterparties still ask for a printed copy. Print it, but expect them to verify electronically anyway.

Documents and prerequisites checklist

Before you start, gather the following. Missing any one of these is the usual reason a session stalls halfway.

• Principal’s identity: Saudi national ID, or valid Iqama with at least a reasonable remaining validity. Expired IDs block issuance.
• Activated Absher account with a current mobile number. If your number changed, update it in Absher first — the OTP goes nowhere useful otherwise.
• Agent’s ID number and date of birth, exactly as registered. For a resident agent, confirm the Iqama is valid; Muqeem is useful for checking expiry on sponsored staff.
• Company details if the POA is company-specific: unified national number / commercial register number issued by the Ministry of Commerce, and the MISA investment licence number where relevant.
• For corporate principals: the establishment’s Najiz account, plus evidence that the signatory is authorised on the commercial register.
• For POAs issued abroad: original notarised deed, certified Arabic translation, attestation/apostille, and Saudi mission legalisation.

Fees, timelines and where money is actually spent

The e-POA itself is a free government service. Costs arise from the surrounding steps — translation, attestation, and any professional drafting. The table below sets out indicative figures; all fees should be confirmed on the official portal at the time of transacting, as government pricing is periodically updated.

Item	Authority / platform	Indicative cost (SAR)	Typical timeline
Electronic POA issuance	Ministry of Justice — Najiz	No government fee	5–10 minutes
POA termination / revocation	Najiz	No government fee	Immediate
POA verification enquiry	Najiz	No government fee	Instant
Certified Arabic translation (abroad)	Licensed translator	150–600 per document (indicative)	1–3 days
Notarisation + attestation abroad	Local notary / foreign ministry	Varies by country (indicative)	3–10 days
Saudi embassy legalisation abroad	Saudi mission	Varies by country (indicative)	2–7 days
MISA investment licence — issue/renew	MISA	Fees suspended in 2026 (previously 12,000 / 62,000)	3–10 business days
Commercial register issuance	Ministry of Commerce	~1,200–2,000 (indicative)	1–3 business days
Chamber of Commerce membership	Chamber of Commerce	~2,000–3,000 per year (indicative)	1–2 business days
Iqama issue / renewal (government fee)	Jawazat via Absher/Muqeem	~650 per year plus applicable levies (indicative)	Same day once paid
Noble Core company setup package	Noble Core Ventures	From 36,999	Varies by structure

Note the 2026 position on investment licensing: MISA licence issuance and renewal fees are suspended, which materially reduces the cash cost of entering the market. Our page on the MISA licence in Saudi Arabia explains eligibility, activity classifications and the documents MISA expects from a foreign parent.

Choosing the right scope of powers

The temptation is to tick everything so the agent is never blocked. Resist it. A well-scoped POA is faster to get accepted, easier to explain to a bank, and far less risky.

Typical scope for a company-formation agent

• Sign and amend the articles of association
• Complete commercial register procedures with the Ministry of Commerce and the Saudi Business Center
• Register the entity with ZATCA for VAT and corporate tax purposes
• Complete labour-file and establishment registrations with MHRSD, Qiwa and GOSI
• Apply for the municipal licence via Balady where the activity requires premises
• Sign the office lease and register it as required

Powers to grant sparingly

• Unrestricted banking authority — prefer account opening plus view access, with transaction authority held by the shareholder or a dual-signature mandate
• Power to sell or mortgage company assets and real estate
• Power to transfer or pledge shares
• Power to sub-delegate (grant a further POA to a third party) — this quietly multiplies your exposure

Use validity dates

Set an end date aligned to the task. A formation POA rarely needs more than 6–12 months. You can always issue a fresh one in minutes; you cannot always undo what an over-broad, open-ended POA permitted.

Where the e-POA connects to the rest of your setup

The POA is not an isolated document — it is the key that unlocks a chain of registrations, most of which now sit on dedicated platforms:

• Saudi Business Center and the Ministry of Commerce for the commercial register. Under the new Commercial Register Law effective 3 April 2026, the Kingdom moved to a unified national commercial register: the register ID begins with “7”, branch registers are consolidated, there is no expiry date (replaced by an annual confirmation), a five-year grace period applies for migration, and English trade names are permitted alongside Arabic.
• ZATCA for VAT registration at the standard 15% rate and for onboarding to the Fatoora e-invoicing programme, which is being rolled out to taxpayers in waves.
• Qiwa for the labour file, employment contracts and work-permit workflows under MHRSD.
• GOSI for social insurance registration; total contributions for a Saudi employee run to roughly 21.5% combining employer and employee shares.
• Muqeem and Absher for residency, exit/re-entry and identity services once staff are on the file.
• Balady for municipal licensing of premises.
• Etimad if you intend to bid for government contracts, and Monsha’at for SME support programmes.
• MOFA’s visa platform for business visit visas and the Enjaz workflow.

Sequencing matters. A POA granted before the commercial register exists cannot reference a CR number, so it must be drafted with generic formation powers; a POA granted afterwards can be tied to the specific entity, which banks prefer. Plan for two POAs rather than one over-broad document.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming a foreign POA works as-is. A POA notarised abroad without the full attestation and legalisation chain will be refused at the counter, usually after you have already booked appointments around it.
• Issuing a POA from an unactivated Absher account. The POA service simply does not appear, and founders waste hours hunting for a menu item that is gated behind account status.
• Not updating the mobile number in Absher. Every step is OTP-gated. An old number stops the process dead.
• Ticking every available power. Over-broad POAs get extra scrutiny from bank compliance teams and create genuine commercial risk, including unintended authority to sub-delegate.
• Omitting the one power that matters. The mirror error: a POA that covers “government transactions” but not banking, then failing at the account-opening desk.
• Leaving POAs open-ended. Formation POAs granted with no end date remain live years after the agent’s engagement ended.
• Forgetting to revoke. Ending a service relationship without terminating the deed on Najiz leaves authority in place. Revocation takes under a minute.
• Letting the agent’s Iqama expire. An agent whose residency permit lapses cannot transact, and the POA effectively freezes until renewal.
• Mismatched names across documents. Passport, licence application and POA translation must show the same transliteration; discrepancies trigger rejections at MISA and the Ministry of Commerce.
• Treating the printout as the document. The authoritative record is the electronic deed. Always quote the deed number rather than relying on paper.
• Ignoring the 2026 commercial register changes. POAs drafted with wording tied to the old expiry-based CR model can read oddly against the new unified register; use current wording.

Practical scenarios

Scenario 1 — Overseas parent company, no one on the ground

A European manufacturer wants a Saudi subsidiary. The parent’s authorised signatory executes a legalised POA abroad naming a resident representative. That representative uses it to obtain the MISA licence and the commercial register, then — now holding a valid Iqama under the new entity — issues narrow Najiz e-POAs to finance and HR staff for ZATCA, Qiwa and GOSI work.

Scenario 2 — Resident founder, frequent travel

A founder with an Iqama issues a 12-month e-POA on Najiz to their finance manager covering ZATCA filings and government transactions only, excluding banking and asset disposal. Issued in under ten minutes, revocable in seconds.

Scenario 3 — Bank account opening stalls

An agent arrives at the bank with a POA covering “commercial matters” but not banking. The fix is not an argument at the counter — it is the principal logging into Najiz, issuing a corrected POA with the banking power ticked, and the agent quoting the new deed number the same afternoon.

How Noble Core helps

Most of the friction around an electronic power of attorney Saudi is not legal complexity — it is sequencing, scope, and knowing which counter wants which wording. That is exactly the gap we close.

• Scope drafting. We specify the precise powers your agent needs for MISA licensing, commercial register issuance, ZATCA registration and bank onboarding — nothing more.
• Attestation routing. For POAs originating abroad, we confirm the current chain for your jurisdiction before you spend on translation.
• Resident representation. Through Noble Core’s PRO and mandoob service we place a vetted representative on the ground to attend counters, submit files and collect outputs on your behalf.
• End-to-end formation. Licence, register, chamber membership, labour file, GOSI, VAT and banking introductions, coordinated so each POA is issued at the right moment rather than reissued three times.
• Ongoing compliance. Annual CR confirmation under the 2026 framework, VAT filings, e-invoicing readiness and Iqama renewals, with POAs reviewed and revoked as engagements end.

Our packages start from SAR 36,999 depending on activity and structure, and with MISA licence fees suspended in 2026 the entry economics are the most favourable they have been. If you are weighing timing, the combination of suspended licence fees, the unified commercial register and near-universal 100% foreign ownership makes this a straightforward year to establish.

Fees and procedures on government platforms are updated periodically — always confirm current figures and screen flows on the official portal before transacting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an electronic power of attorney Saudi and where is it issued?

An electronic power of attorney Saudi is a digitally issued wakala created on the Ministry of Justice’s Najiz portal at najiz.sa. It carries a unique deed number that any bank or government counter can verify instantly online. Issuance takes roughly 5 to 10 minutes across about 6 screens and carries no government fee, replacing most in-person notary visits.

Can a foreign founder without an Iqama issue an e-POA on Najiz?

No. Najiz issuance requires a Saudi national ID or valid Iqama plus an activated Absher account. Non-resident founders must instead execute a power of attorney abroad, have it notarised, attested or apostilled, and legalised by the Saudi mission, with a certified Arabic translation. Many then appoint a resident representative who issues narrower Najiz e-POAs afterwards.

How much does an electronic power of attorney cost in Saudi Arabia?

The Najiz e-POA service itself carries no government fee for issuance, verification or revocation. Costs arise only around it: certified Arabic translation of roughly SAR 150 to 600 per document, plus notarisation, attestation and Saudi embassy legalisation when the POA originates abroad. These figures are indicative, so confirm current amounts on the official portal.

What powers should a company-formation POA include?

For setup, include signing the articles of association, commercial register procedures with the Ministry of Commerce and Saudi Business Center, ZATCA VAT and tax registration, MHRSD, Qiwa and GOSI labour-file registration, Balady municipal licensing, and lease signing. Grant banking, asset-disposal, share-transfer and sub-delegation powers sparingly, and always set a validity end date.

How do I revoke an electronic power of attorney in Saudi Arabia?

Log into Najiz with your Absher credentials, open My Powers of Attorney, select the relevant deed, and choose Terminate. Confirm with the OTP sent to your registered mobile. Revocation is effective immediately and becomes visible to anyone verifying the deed number afterwards, which is far safer than simply asking the agent to return a printed copy.

How does a bank verify my electronic power of attorney Saudi?

The receiving party enters the POA deed number and one party’s identity number into the Najiz enquiry screen. The response confirms whether the deed is active or terminated, names both parties, and lists the exact powers granted. Banks check that the specific power they need is explicitly ticked, so generic wording such as commercial matters is often refused.

Does the 2026 Commercial Register Law affect powers of attorney?

Indirectly, yes. From 3 April 2026 the Kingdom operates a unified national commercial register with IDs starting with 7, no expiry date, an annual confirmation instead, a five-year grace period, and English trade names permitted. POAs referencing the old expiry-based register should use current wording so counters accept them without queries.

How long does the whole setup take once the POA is in place?

With a valid POA, MISA investment licensing typically takes about 3 to 10 business days, commercial register issuance 1 to 3 business days, and chamber membership 1 to 2 business days. MISA licence issue and renewal fees are suspended in 2026. Timelines vary by activity, so confirm current processing times on the official portals.