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Saudi government contracts require a regional headquarters in the Kingdom

Since 1 January 2024, Saudi government entities may not contract with multinationals whose regional headquarters is outside Saudi Arabia, with narrow exceptions.

Where
EU ↔ GCC · GCC ↔ Africa · India ↔ GCC · Saudi Arabia
Published
Last reviewed
Prepared
Prepared by the Intelligence desk with AI-assisted research from the cited sources, checked on 12 November 2026.
Effective
1 January 2024
Version
1

What changed

Controls issued by the Saudi Ministry of Finance took effect on 1 January 2024. They restrict government agencies from contracting with multinational companies that do not have their regional headquarters (RHQ) in the Kingdom, and their related parties, subject to narrow exceptions. RHQ licences are issued under the Regional Headquarters Program run by the Ministry of Investment (MISA) and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

Who is affected

Multinationals bidding for Saudi government or government-owned work; companies weighing a Gulf base in Dubai against Riyadh.

Why it matters

For companies whose Gulf strategy includes public-sector customers in Saudi Arabia, the choice of regional base is no longer only a tax or lifestyle decision: it can decide eligibility to bid.

What to examine next

Map current and planned Saudi government revenue.
Check the RHQ licence conditions, including staffing and activity requirements.
Ask whether any exception applies to the contracts in question.
Compare routes in the Gulf regional base Decision Map.

Sources

  1. Regional Headquarters in KSAPwC Middle East · published 29 Jan 2024 · checked 12 Nov 2026 · secondary source
  2. Saudi Arabia Regional Headquarters Programme: contracting with government entitiesClyde & Co · published 23 Nov 2023 · checked 12 Nov 2026 · secondary source
  3. What you need to know about Saudi Arabia's local headquarters ruleVistra · published 7 Feb 2024 · checked 12 Nov 2026 · secondary source

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Original analysis by the UNBOUNDED Intelligence desk. Linked sources belong to their publishers. This briefing is information, not legal, tax, investment or other professional advice. Its appearance here is not an endorsement by UNBOUNDED or any institution of a transaction, jurisdiction, strategy or counterparty.