Overview
A commercial registration alone does not let you hire. To recruit an employee, issue a work permit or receive a sponsorship transfer, you need an active establishment file with the Ministry of Human Resources and GOSI — a separate step that many new founders overlook, only discovering it when their first hire stalls.
Opening the file connects your establishment to a whole ecosystem: Qiwa for labor management, Mudad for wage protection, GOSI for employee registration, and the activity and size classification that will later determine your Nitaqat band.
Rapture opens and fully activates the file, setting activity and size data correctly from the start — because correcting them later is harder, and they directly affect the Saudisation ratio required of you.
Who is this service for?
- New establishments that have issued a commercial registration and are preparing to hire
- Sole proprietorships wanting to employ staff lawfully
- New branches requiring their own file
- Establishments with an inactive or incorrectly configured file needing correction
Required documents
- Valid commercial registration
- Unified establishment number (700)
- National ID of the owner or authorised delegate
- Articles of association (for companies)
- Approved national address for the establishment
- Municipal licence where the activity requires one
How the process works
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Collect establishment documents
We review the commercial registration, national address and articles of association, confirming data matches across documents before registering.
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Register on Qiwa
We register the establishment on Qiwa, set the activity and size accurately, and link the file to the unified number.
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Register with GOSI and Mudad
We register with GOSI and activate the wage protection account on Mudad — both prerequisites for continued establishment services.
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Activate the file and add delegates
We fully activate the file, add delegates with the required permissions, and hand you a file ready for hiring and permit issuance.
Expected turnaround
Two to five working days once establishment documents are complete.
Frequently asked questions
Is a commercial registration enough to hire staff?
No. The commercial registration lets you trade, but hiring requires an active establishment file with the Ministry of Human Resources and GOSI. They are separate procedures.
What is the difference between Qiwa, Mudad and GOSI?
Qiwa is the labor management platform (contracts, permits, transfers); Mudad is the wage protection platform verifying salaries are paid on time; GOSI registers employees for social insurance. All three are required together.
Why does establishment size matter?
Size (headcount) determines your Nitaqat tier, the Saudisation ratio required of you, and your labor levy. An incorrect classification can place you in a harder tier unnecessarily.
Does every branch need its own file?
It depends on your registration structure: branches with their own subsidiary commercial registration usually need a linked file. We review your structure and recommend the best arrangement.