Transport & Delivery Company in Saudi Arabia (2026, TGA)

By Ankita Jaiswal — Sr. Business Consultant, Noble Core · Updated June 2026

What a transport & delivery company in Saudi Arabia is

A transport and delivery company in Saudi Arabia is a licensed legal entity that moves goods, parcels, or people for commercial reward — covering last-mile e-commerce delivery, freight trucking, courier services, intercity passenger transport, and 3PL logistics. These businesses sit under the supervision of the Transport General Authority (TGA), which issues activity-specific transport permits, while the underlying company is registered through the Ministry of Commerce and (for foreign investors) the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA).

Saudi Arabia’s logistics sector is a core Vision 2030 pillar, with the Kingdom positioning itself as a global logistics hub linking three continents. That has opened the market to 100% foreign ownership in most transport, delivery, and warehousing activities, making it one of the most accessible sectors for international operators in 2026.

Common business models that fall under this licence include:

• Last-mile delivery / e-commerce courier — parcels and food delivery within and between cities.
• Freight and trucking — heavy goods transport, including cross-border GCC routes.
• 3PL and warehousing — combined storage, fulfilment, and distribution.
• Passenger transport — buses, app-based ride services, and corporate transport.
• Cold-chain and specialised transport — pharmaceuticals, perishables, and hazardous goods.

It is worth understanding the distinction between the company and the permit. The company itself is a commercial entity registered with the Ministry of Commerce and, for foreign investors, licensed by MISA. The Transport General Authority permit is a separate, activity-specific authorisation that sits on top of that company and legally allows you to operate vehicles for reward. You cannot run a compliant delivery fleet on a generic trading licence alone — the TGA layer is what makes your operation road-legal. This two-tier structure is the single most misunderstood point for new entrants, and getting the sequence right from day one saves weeks of rework.

The scale of opportunity is significant. Saudi Arabia’s e-commerce market has grown rapidly, driving demand for reliable last-mile and same-day delivery networks across Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and the Eastern Province. At the same time, the Kingdom’s investment in ports, dry ports, and the land-bridge connecting the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf has expanded freight and 3PL demand. For an operator that sets up correctly, the regulatory clarity introduced in 2026 makes Saudi Arabia one of the more predictable logistics markets to enter in the region.

Who needs a TGA transport licence

Any entity moving goods or people for a fee inside Saudi Arabia must hold the relevant Transport General Authority permit in addition to its Commercial Register. This applies to:

• Foreign companies entering the Saudi delivery, courier, or freight market.
• Saudi-owned SMEs formalising an existing fleet or delivery operation.
• E-commerce platforms running their own logistics arm rather than outsourcing.
• International 3PL and supply-chain firms opening a regional distribution base.
• App-based delivery and ride-hailing operators onboarding drivers and vehicles.

If you are a foreign investor, you will generally need a MISA investment licence before you can register the company and apply for the TGA transport permit. Saudi nationals and GCC-owned entities usually start directly at the Ministry of Commerce. Our Saudi company formation service maps the right sequence for your specific ownership structure.

Choosing the right legal structure

Most foreign-owned transport and delivery companies are set up as a Limited Liability Company (LLC), which is the most flexible and widely used vehicle in Saudi Arabia. An LLC can be 100% foreign-owned in eligible logistics activities, requires at least one shareholder, and ring-fences your liability to the capital contributed. Larger operators planning to raise capital or list may consider a Closed Joint Stock Company, while companies already operating abroad sometimes open a branch of the foreign parent. The right choice affects your capital requirements, governance, and how easily you can add activities later, so it is worth deciding before you reserve the trade name rather than restructuring afterwards.

Why the activity code matters

The ISIC activity codes you select on your Commercial Register define exactly which transport permits you can apply for at the TGA. A courier code, a freight code, and a passenger-transport code are treated differently, with different fleet, capital, and operational conditions. Choosing too narrow a set means returning to amend your CR before you can expand; choosing codes you cannot actually staff or service can complicate Saudization planning. Mapping your one-to-three-year operational roadmap to the correct codes at the outset is one of the highest-leverage decisions in the whole process.

Step-by-step: how to set up a delivery company in Saudi Arabia

The 2026 process is largely digital, running across the MISA portal, the Saudi Business Center (mc.gov.sa), and the Transport General Authority’s licensing system. Follow these steps in order.

1. Reserve your trade name and choose activities. On the Saudi Business Center portal (mc.gov.sa), reserve a trade name. Under the new Commercial Register Law effective 3 April 2026, English trade names are now permitted. Select the correct ISIC transport/logistics activity codes.
2. Apply for the MISA investment licence (foreign investors). Log into the MISA portal, complete the foreign-investment application, and upload your corporate documents. MISA licensing typically takes about 3–10 business days. Note that the MISA licence issue and renewal fees (previously SAR 12,000 and SAR 62,000) were suspended in 2026.
3. Issue the Commercial Register (CR). Through the Saudi Business Center, draft and notarise your Articles of Association and issue the unified national CR. Under the new law, the CR ID starts with “7”, has no expiry date, and instead requires an annual confirmation.
4. Register with the Chamber of Commerce. Activate your membership (indicative SAR 2,000–3,000 per year, confirm current figures on the official portal).
5. Apply for the TGA transport permit. On the Transport General Authority licensing platform, submit the transport-activity application matching your CR — freight, delivery, passenger, or logistics. Provide fleet details, operational plans, and a national address.
6. Open a corporate bank account and register for tax. Register with ZATCA (zatca.gov.sa) for VAT (15%) and prepare for e-invoicing (Fatoora) integration, which rolls out in waves.
7. Register employees with GOSI and Qiwa. Set up your establishment on Qiwa and GOSI, then process work visas and Iqamas through Absher and Muqeem.

Registering with the Transport General Authority (TGA)

The TGA is the dedicated regulator for all land transport activities in Saudi Arabia. After your company is registered, the transport permit is what legally authorises you to operate vehicles for commercial reward. The application screens generally ask for:

• Your active Commercial Register number and MISA licence (if foreign-owned).
• The specific transport category — goods delivery, freight, passenger, or e-commerce last-mile.
• Vehicle and fleet specifications, including ownership or lease evidence.
• A registered national address (via the Saudi National Address service).
• Operational and safety documentation for the chosen activity.

Some transport categories carry additional requirements — for example, passenger transport and certain courier models may require a minimum fleet size or operational capital. Always confirm the current category-specific conditions on the TGA portal before committing your fleet plan, as these are periodically updated.

Vehicle registration and driver eligibility

Beyond the company permit, each vehicle in your fleet must be properly registered and roadworthy, and each driver must hold the correct Saudi driving licence class for the vehicle they operate. Commercial vehicles are registered and inspected through the relevant traffic and transport systems, and the TGA permit ties your authorised activity to a fleet that meets the standards for that category. For foreign drivers, the licence, Iqama, and work-permit chain must all be in place before they can legally drive for your company. Building this driver-onboarding pipeline early — rather than after launch — prevents the common situation where a company has a permit and vehicles but no legally cleared drivers to move them.

National address and operational base

The Saudi National Address is mandatory for both your Commercial Register and your TGA permit. It also anchors your operational base — depot, warehouse, or yard — which the authorities may reference for inspections. If you operate across multiple cities, plan how your registered address and any branch registrations map to your physical footprint, because mismatches here are a frequent source of permit queries.

Required documents and IDs

Having a clean document pack ready prevents the most common delays. For a foreign-owned transport and delivery company you will typically need:

• Parent company documents — Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum & Articles of Association, and a board resolution authorising the Saudi entity (attested and legalised through the Saudi embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mofa.gov.sa).
• Audited financial statements — usually the most recent year, for the MISA application.
• Passport copies — of shareholders, the general manager, and authorised signatories.
• Power of attorney — appointing your in-country representative or formation agent.
• Proposed Articles of Association — for the Saudi company, notarised through the Saudi Business Center.
• National address registration — required for the CR and the TGA permit.
• Fleet documentation — vehicle ownership/lease papers and operational plans for the TGA application.

For the general manager and foreign staff, you will later need work visas issued via the MOFA Enjaz platform (enjazit.com.sa) and Iqamas processed through Absher and Muqeem.

Fees and timeline table (2026)

The table below shows indicative 2026 figures. Government fees change periodically — always confirm current figures on the official portal before budgeting.

Item	Authority / Portal	Indicative fee (SAR)	Typical timeline
MISA investment licence (issue/renew)	MISA	Fees suspended in 2026 (were 12,000 / 62,000)	3–10 business days
Trade name reservation	Saudi Business Center (mc.gov.sa)	Nominal	Same day
Commercial Register issuance	Ministry of Commerce	~1,200–2,000	1–3 business days
Chamber of Commerce membership	Chamber	~2,000–3,000 / year	1–2 business days
TGA transport permit	Transport General Authority	Indicative, confirm on portal	Varies by activity
VAT registration	ZATCA	No fee	Same day–2 days
Iqama issuance/renewal (per employee)	Absher / MHRSD	~650 / year + levies	Days
Noble Core formation package	Noble Core	From 36,999	End-to-end

Beyond setup, budget for ongoing costs: GOSI social-insurance contributions total roughly 21.5% (employer plus employee) for Saudi staff, VAT at 15% on taxable supplies, annual Chamber renewal, and the annual CR confirmation introduced under the new Commercial Register Law.

A realistic budget for a transport and delivery company should also account for operational capital that sits outside the licensing fees: vehicle purchase or leasing, depot or warehouse rent, fuel, insurance, fleet-management software, and the salaries and accommodation of your driver workforce. Many first-time entrants focus only on the government and formation costs and underestimate the working capital needed to keep vehicles on the road during the ramp-up period before revenue stabilises. As a rule of thumb, plan for several months of runway covering fleet and payroll, separate from the one-off setup outlay. The figures in the table above are indicative and intended for planning only — always verify the current government fees on the relevant official portal before finalising your budget.

The new Commercial Register Law (effective 3 April 2026)

Saudi Arabia’s new Commercial Register Law took effect on 3 April 2026 and materially simplifies how transport and delivery companies are registered and maintained. The headline changes are worth understanding because they directly affect your setup and ongoing obligations:

• Unified national Commercial Register — a single national CR replaces the old system of separate main and branch registers per city, so your company carries one CR ID across the Kingdom.
• CR ID starts with “7” — the new identifier format makes the unified register easy to recognise on official documents.
• No expiry date — the CR no longer expires. Instead, you submit an annual confirmation to keep the record active, removing the old renewal cycle.
• Five-year grace provisions — transitional grace periods help existing businesses align with the new framework.
• English trade names allowed — you can now register an English-language trade name, which is helpful for international logistics brands operating across borders.

For a delivery company planning a multi-city fleet, the unified register is a genuine simplification: one CR confirmation each year rather than juggling several registrations and renewal dates. Confirm the exact annual-confirmation procedure and any indicative fees on the Saudi Business Center portal, as the implementing details continue to be rolled out.

Tax, e-invoicing, and payroll compliance

Once operating, a transport and delivery company must stay compliant with several Saudi authorities:

• ZATCA (Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority) — register for VAT at 15%, file returns, and integrate with the Fatoora e-invoicing system as your wave is announced.
• GOSI — register every employee for social insurance; total contributions are around 21.5% for Saudi nationals (employer and employee combined).
• Qiwa and MHRSD — manage labour contracts, Saudization (Nitaqat) targets, and work-permit compliance through the Qiwa platform.
• Muqeem and Absher — manage Iqama issuance, renewals, and exit/re-entry for foreign drivers and staff.

Saudization is particularly relevant in transport and delivery, where specific activities carry national-employment targets. Planning your Saudi-to-expat hiring ratio early avoids Nitaqat band issues that can restrict visa quotas later.

Visas and Iqamas for your workforce

A delivery and freight operation is people-intensive, so visa flow matters. Work visas for foreign staff are issued through the MOFA Enjaz platform, after which arriving employees receive an Iqama (residency permit) processed via Absher and tracked through Muqeem. The Iqama government fee is indicative at around SAR 650 per year plus applicable levies — confirm current figures on the official portal, as expatriate levies are set centrally and change periodically. For a fleet business, build your block-visa quota into your Saudization plan from the start so driver onboarding is never the bottleneck that idles your vehicles.

Common errors that delay your transport licence

Most delays in setting up a transport and delivery company in Saudi Arabia are avoidable. The recurring issues we see are:

• Mismatched activity codes — the ISIC activity on your CR does not match the TGA transport category you actually need, forcing a CR amendment mid-process.
• Incomplete document attestation — parent-company documents not legalised through MOFA and the Saudi embassy, which stalls the MISA application.
• Missing national address — the TGA permit and CR both require a registered national address; skipping this blocks both.
• Underestimating fleet requirements — applying for a category with minimum fleet or capital conditions you have not budgeted for.
• Late ZATCA registration — invoicing before VAT registration and Fatoora readiness, creating compliance gaps.
• Ignoring Saudization early — onboarding only expats and hitting Nitaqat limits before visas are approved.

How Noble Core helps you launch faster

Noble Core handles the full setup of your Saudi transport and delivery company end-to-end, so you can focus on fleet and operations rather than portals. Our packages start from SAR 36,999 and cover:

• MISA investment licence application and 100% foreign-ownership structuring.
• Trade name reservation and Commercial Register issuance under the new 2026 CR Law.
• Coordination of the TGA transport permit application for your chosen activity.
• Chamber of Commerce membership, ZATCA VAT and Fatoora setup, and GOSI/Qiwa registration.
• Document attestation, national address registration, and PRO services.
• Work visas and Iqamas for your management and driver workforce.

If your activity requires a foreign-investment licence, our specialist MISA licence service ensures the application is filed correctly the first time, avoiding the resubmission delays that catch most new entrants. With one accountable team across MISA, the Ministry of Commerce, ZATCA, and the Transport General Authority, you reach a live, road-legal operation in the shortest realistic timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I set up a transport and delivery company in Saudi Arabia?

To set up a transport delivery company in Saudi Arabia, reserve a trade name on the Saudi Business Center, obtain a MISA investment licence if foreign-owned (3-10 business days), issue your Commercial Register, then apply for a Transport General Authority (TGA) permit. Register with the Chamber, ZATCA for VAT, GOSI, and Qiwa to operate legally.

Can foreigners own 100% of a delivery company in Saudi Arabia?

Yes. In 2026, foreign investors can hold 100% ownership in most transport, delivery, and logistics activities in Saudi Arabia through a MISA investment licence. Logistics is a Vision 2030 priority sector, so the market is broadly open to international operators. Confirm your specific activity code is eligible on the MISA portal before applying.

What is the TGA transport permit in Saudi Arabia?

The TGA transport permit is the licence issued by the Transport General Authority that legally authorises a company to move goods or people for commercial reward in Saudi Arabia. It is applied for after your Commercial Register is issued and covers categories such as freight, last-mile delivery, courier, and passenger transport. Requirements vary by activity.

How much does it cost to start a transport company in Saudi Arabia?

Indicative 2026 costs include Commercial Register issuance (~SAR 1,200-2,000), Chamber membership (~SAR 2,000-3,000/year), and the TGA permit fee, while MISA licence fees were suspended in 2026. Noble Core formation packages start from SAR 36,999 end-to-end. Confirm current government fees on the official portals before budgeting.

How long does it take to register a delivery company in Saudi Arabia?

MISA investment licensing for a transport delivery company in Saudi Arabia typically takes about 3-10 business days. Commercial Register issuance adds 1-3 business days, and the TGA transport permit timeline varies by activity. With documents pre-attested, a foreign-owned delivery company can be operational within a few weeks end-to-end.

What documents are needed for a Saudi transport licence?

You need attested parent-company documents (incorporation certificate, articles, board resolution legalised via MOFA), audited financials, shareholder and manager passports, a power of attorney, notarised Saudi Articles of Association, a registered national address, and fleet ownership or lease documentation for the TGA permit application. Attestation through the Saudi embassy is essential to avoid delays.

Do I need a MISA licence for a delivery business in Saudi Arabia?

Yes, if you are a foreign investor. A MISA investment licence is required before registering the company and applying for the TGA transport permit. Saudi nationals and GCC-owned entities can usually start directly at the Ministry of Commerce. MISA licence issue and renewal fees were suspended in 2026, reducing the entry cost for foreign operators.

What ongoing compliance applies to a Saudi delivery company?

A transport delivery company in Saudi Arabia must register for VAT (15%) with ZATCA and integrate with Fatoora e-invoicing, contribute to GOSI (around 21.5% total for Saudi staff), manage labour through Qiwa and meet Saudization (Nitaqat) targets, and process Iqamas via Absher and Muqeem. The new Commercial Register Law also requires an annual CR confirmation.