Sector Setup

Set Up a Mining & Metals Company in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's USD 2.5T+ proven mineral reserves and the Vision 2030 Mining Strategy have opened phosphate, copper, gold, bauxite, rare earths and lithium to foreign developers under streamlined Ministry of Industry & Mineral Resources licensing.

How do I set up a mining & metals company in Saudi Arabia? 100%-foreign-owned LLC under MISA Industrial + MIM Mining licence. Capital SAR 5M – SAR 100M+. Year-one cost USD 50,000 – USD 200,000+ year-one. Timeline 20–32 weeks (mining licence is the long pole). Sector regulators: MISA, MIM (Mining Sector), Saudi Geological Survey, WERA.

Mining & Metals sector entry in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's USD 2.5T+ proven mineral reserves and the Vision 2030 Mining Strategy have opened phosphate, copper, gold, bauxite, rare earths and lithium to foreign developers under streamlined Ministry of Industry & Mineral Resources licensing.

Recommended structure: 100%-foreign-owned LLC under MISA Industrial + MIM Mining licence. Capital requirement: SAR 5M – SAR 100M+. Saudization band needed: Green required; mining-specific quotas.

MIM offers materially streamlined licensing under the 2020 Mining Investment Law. Tamra has supported exploration-to-exploitation transitions. Tamra runs end-to-end mining & metals-sector setups — MISA, sector licensing, CR, banking, GR, ongoing compliance and workforce administration.

Key facts

SectorMining & Metals
Recommended entity100%-foreign-owned LLC under MISA Industrial + MIM Mining licence
Capital requirementSAR 5M – SAR 100M+
Year-one costUSD 50,000 – USD 200,000+ year-one
Timeline20–32 weeks (mining licence is the long pole)
Saudization bandGreen required; mining-specific quotas
Sector regulatorsMISA, MIM (Mining Sector), Saudi Geological Survey, WERA

Mining & Metals setup process

20–32 weeks (mining licence is the long pole)

  1. Sector licensing pre-check. Verify the foreign parent's track record satisfies MISA, MIM (Mining Sector), Saudi Geological Survey, WERA requirements before MISA submission.
  2. MISA application. Submit MISA application under the appropriate sector activity code, with full attested parent-company documentation.
  3. Sector regulator submission. Submit sector-specific licence applications in parallel with CR. MISA Industrial licence drives the critical path.
  4. Commercial Registration & Chamber. MoC issues the CR; Chamber of Commerce subscription is activated.
  5. Operational portals. Activate Qiwa, Muqeem, GOSI, ZATCA, Mudad and any sector-specific portals.
  6. Banking & GM Iqama. Open Saudi corporate bank account; issue GM Iqama for the appointed manager.
  7. First hire / first invoice. Mining & Metals entity becomes operational. Tamra continues as the managed-services partner for payroll, GR and Iqama.

Mandatory sector licences

  • MISA Industrial licence
  • MIM Exploration / Exploitation licence
  • Environmental and water permits

Best-fit subsectors

  • Exploration
  • Phosphate / fertiliser
  • Gold & copper
  • Rare earths
  • Aggregates

Common rejection reasons

  • Exploration block applied without geological evidence package
  • Environmental impact assessment incomplete
  • Track-record evidence insufficient

Frequently asked questions

What's the cheapest way to enter Saudi Arabia's mining & metals market?

If you are testing the market, an EOR (hiring through Tamra's existing licence) is the lowest-commitment entry. For long-term presence, a 100%-foreign-owned LLC under MISA Industrial + MIM Mining licence is the standard. Tamra runs both routes.

What is the capital requirement for a mining & metals company?

SAR 5M – SAR 100M+

How long does mining & metals setup take?

20–32 weeks (mining licence is the long pole)

What are the sector-specific licences required?

MISA Industrial licence; MIM Exploration / Exploitation licence; Environmental and water permits. Tamra coordinates these in parallel with MISA + CR.

Can Tamra act as the Saudi presence before our entity is ready?

Yes. Tamra holds an EOR licence and can sponsor your first 1–10 hires immediately, then transition them onto your entity once it is operational.

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