Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Business Center (SBC) has decided to issue two licenses instantly to investors and business owners, and these are municipal commercial license, and the safety license, which is to be issued by the General Directorate of Civil Defense.

The center stated that the new service aims to facilitate starting and operating businesses in the Kingdom, through issuing a Commercial Municipality License service available on the center’s business platform. It also allows the business sector to request the issuance of two licenses for more than 600 commercial activities in one step.

This is after verifying several conditions and requirements, most notably the presence of a lease contract, title deed, or site investment contract, and the presence of a safety equipment invoice or a safety report from the Civil Defense. This is in addition to ensuring compliance with the requirements for activities contained in the ‘Baladi’ portal of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, and the ‘Salama’ portal of the General Directorate of Civil Defense.

The center revealed that it would undertake many roles, the most prominent of which are proposing the development of policies and procedures in integration with the relevant government agencies, reviewing them, and re-engineering them to be more concise and less expensive with the aim of achieving an attractive business environment that enhances the Kingdom’s economic growth.

It is noteworthy that the Saudi Business Center provides, in one place, more than 750 services pertaining to 65 government agencies concerned with the business sector. This is through the center’s 17 branches spread over 14 cities throughout the Kingdom. The center’s digital business platform provides services of qualitative value, enabling investors and business owners to complete their economic business procedures.

It is important to note that the SBC was established by a decision of the Cabinet to make the Kingdom one of the leading countries in the world, regarding the quality, smoothness, and efficiency of government services directed to the business sector. The center is linked organizationally to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs.