The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has required foreign investors to obtain the necessary industrial licenses so that their facilities are not subject to service suspensions. This is in accordance with Cabinet Decision No. 181, issued on 5/6/1434 AH, which stipulated that the General Investment Authority must include the phrase “The licensee must apply to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to obtain an industrial license.”

The Ministry noted that it will begin issuing industrial licenses to foreign investors in accordance with the mechanism applied to domestic investment, with the addition of an investment license application for foreign investors issued by the General Investment Authority as a prerequisite for obtaining an industrial license.

In the same vein, the Ministry affirmed its intention to apply the mechanism for issuing industrial licenses to domestic investors in the future, noting that a valid investment license issued by the General Investment Authority is mandatory to engage in any industrial activity.

The Ministry reaffirms its commitment and ongoing focus on fulfilling its regulatory and supervisory role to improve the industrial environment and ensure it is free of any regulatory violations, thereby helping to attract commercial and industrial investments to the local market.