A service for manufacturers and suppliers
Partner search in Saudi Arabia: distributor, agent, investor
You can sell in the Kingdom without a company of your own. But the product has to clear the requirements first, and the partner has to understand what they are taking on. That is where we start, not with a list of contacts.
Who this is for
Manufacturers and suppliers who want to sell in the Kingdom without opening a company there.
- You make materials, products or equipment and want to reach the Saudi market
- You have no company in the Kingdom and do not plan to open one
- Someone there has already written to you, but it is unclear who imports and who certifies
- You need a partner who will take the product and answer for it, not a list of contacts
- You have considered your own trading company and want to know what it actually takes
What is included
Five blocks, in order. The engagement runs 90 days.
Product conformity
Which technical regulation your product falls under and what import will require. Regulated goods need a certificate of conformity issued through the SABER platform before the shipment arrives; goods with no applicable regulation go through an importer self-declaration and a shipment certificate. In both cases the applicant is an importer holding a Saudi commercial registration. Requirements change, so we check them as of the date you come to us.
Which partner you actually want
A distributor, a commission agent and an industrial joint-venture investor are three different products with different economics and different degrees of control. We separate them before the search starts, because the answer decides both the candidate list and the terms worth offering.
A shortlist of candidates
Not a directory export. Companies already working with your product group, checked: what their registration covers, what they carry, whether they hold stock and who buys from them.
First talks
Real interest, real volumes and the terms on which they would take the product — and what they need from you: test reports, samples, delivery terms.
The meeting
We put you in direct contact. The supply contract is signed between you and the partner; no money passes through us.
The three forms of partnership — distributor, commission agent and industrial investor — are not interchangeable. We start by asking which one you want, because the answer decides both the candidate list and what is worth putting on the table.
How we work
- 01
Product review
What you sell, what volumes and prices you can offer, what test reports you hold and where you already export. Without this there is nothing to discuss with a distributor.
- 02
Conformity
Which regulation applies, what import requires and whether your test reports qualify. If no regulation covers the product, we record that too.
- 03
Shortlist
Candidates already active in your product group, checked against their registration, their range and their warehousing.
- 04
First talks
Interest, volumes, terms and what they need from you. Candidate names are disclosed after a signed NDA.
- 05
The meeting
A direct introduction. The supply contract is yours to sign with the partner.
The engagement runs 90 days. The fee depends on the product range, the number of candidates and the depth of the regulatory check, and is quoted after the first conversation. Payments to certification bodies go to them directly.
What we do not do
We do not promise a deal or volumes
We answer for the check, the shortlist and the fact that the conversation happens. The decision belongs to the partner, and nobody can promise that.
We do not hold your money
The supply contract is between you and the partner, and so is settlement.
We do not name candidates before an NDA
Not in correspondence and not in a presentation.
We are not your importer by default
Who files the import and answers for conformity is a separate question, settled in writing.
We do not issue legal or tax opinions
On contested points we refer you to a lawyer in the Kingdom. We give you the sequence and the bearings, not an opinion.
Frequently asked questions
Can we sell in Saudi Arabia without our own company there?
Yes. Import is handled by an importer holding a Saudi commercial registration and registered in the conformity system, and that importer is the applicant on the documents. For a manufacturer the question is therefore not whether you can ship, but who inside the Kingdom will be party to the deal and hold the paperwork.
What is the difference between a distributor and an agent?
A distributor buys the goods from you, holds stock and carries responsibility for import and conformity. An agent sells for a commission and the buyer imports. The first means less risk and less margin for you, the second the opposite, plus the question of who controls price and customer.
What is SABER and when is it needed?
It is the electronic conformity platform: for goods under a technical regulation, a certificate of conformity from a recognised body and a shipment certificate are issued before the consignment arrives. Where no regulation applies to your product, the importer files a self-declaration and obtains a shipment certificate. Requirements depend on the product group and change, so we verify them as of the current date.
Could we set up our own wholly foreign-owned trading company instead?
Formally yes, but the conditions rule out most companies: SAR 30 million in capital, presence in at least three markets, SAR 300 million invested over five years and annual training for 30% of Saudi staff. With a Saudi partner holding at least 25%, the capital requirement is SAR 26,666,667. Source: MISA Investor Guide, edition 13-03. For a manufacturer a distributor is usually the realistic route.
What if we want to manufacture in the Kingdom rather than ship?
That is a different regime. An industrial MISA licence carries no special capital requirement and no Saudi ownership quota; the parent company provides its commercial registration and last-year financials, legalised. The production licence from the industry ministry is issued separately.
What does it cost and how long does it take?
The engagement runs 90 days. The fee depends on the product range, the number of candidates and the depth of the regulatory check, and we quote it after the first conversation. Payments to certification bodies go to them directly, not through us.
Fill in the supplier form
What you make, your volumes, your certificates and which partner you are looking for. We will tell you whether the product clears the requirements and whether there is demand for it. No price list needed at this stage.