How to Start an Online Business in Saudi Arabia: Step-by-Step Guide

Are you looking to take your business online in KSA?

You may wonder how to open an online store in Saudi Arabia for free and what are the conditions and licenses you may need. Nearly half of all Saudis are planning to spend more on eCommerce throughout 2022, stated Reem al-Harbi, Checkout.com’s General manager in Saudi. This may push you to think about targeting the Saudi market by creating a free online store in Saudi Arabia. There is no doubt that it is a good idea, but before you do it, you have to understand the requirements to open an online shop in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia imposes conditions and laws that must be adhered to before creating your online store. Through this article, learn about the conditions for opening an online store and licensing a website in Saudi Arabia.

Conditions for opening and licensing an online store in Saudi Arabia

By following all the steps below, you will ensure that your online business follows and adheres to the laws and regulations of Saudi Arabia.

1- Commercial Register

The first conditions for opening an online store in Saudi Arabia is to obtain a license or a commercial register. You can do this through several steps or procedures approved by the Saudi government. Saudi Arabia has enabled store owners to obtain a Commercial registration electronically without the need to go to any government department and within minutes, all you have to do is follow these steps:

Go to the website of

• Login to the system
• Go to the service and choose your trade name.
• Register the commercial data to be registered.
• Confirm the data.
• Through the SADAD system, pay the commercial registration fees and the membership of the Chamber of Commerce in a unified invoice.
• After completing these steps, you can issue your commercial registration with your membership number in the Chamber of Commerce.

2- Register on Maroof

Maarouf is a new and useful service for all e-commerce dealers, whether as a seller or a buyer. The main goal of Marouf is to increase the chances of success of online stores and facilitate communication between customers and the stores.

To register on Maroof follow these steps:

• Go to the website of
• Click on the "Create Account" icon, and then fill in the required fields.
• After logging in, click on the "My Business" icon and then the "Add a job" option.
• Fill in the required fields and then click on the "Add Work" icon.

You will receive a copy of the commercial registration via e-mail containing your commercial registration, the barcode of your record!

3- Get a freelance document‍

During Covid-19, Saudi Arabia introduced the freelance document to help people find suitable job opportunities in their fields easily. Also, with the aim of legalizing non-governmental services and businesses there, and protecting rights significantly.

These are the basic steps that you must go through to extract the document:

• Go to the official webpage of the self-employment platform on the Saudi Ministry of Labor website,
• Start by creating an account on the platform by registering with the mobile number, and then entering the password that you want to enter in the coming times.
• Authenticating the account on the platform through the account information of the user on the Absher electronic service.
• Fill out the data related to the application for the issuance of a freelance document.
• Get a freelance work document.

After completing all these steps, you will be able to obtain the document for your profession within a very short period.

Now that you are legally qualified to practice your business online, tkana will accompany you through this journey.

tkana is an online platform specialized in e-commerce that allows business owners in Saudi Arabia to open an integrated online store without the help of an external team of programmers or designers. The success of your business starts with having a trusted partner who provides you with all your needs, from the launching of your online store to the shipping orders.

From this moment we will work together to complete successful deals and create a unique experience for your customers. Whatever problems you face, we provide you with integrated solutions that will help you start your e-commerce.

Start your online journey with tkana !