Doing Business in Saudi Arabia 2017 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT, U.S

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Doing Business in Saudi Arabia 2017 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT, U.S Doing Business in Saudi Arabia 2017 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT, U.S. & FOREIGN COMMERCIAL SERVICE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES. Table of Contents Doing Business in Saudi Arabia .......................................................................................... 4 Market Overview ............................................................................................................. 4 Market Challenges .......................................................................................................... 5 Market Opportunities ..................................................................................................... 6 Market Entry Strategy .................................................................................................... 8 Political Environment .......................................................................................................... 8 Political Environment ....................................................................................................... Selling US Products & Services ........................................................................................... 8 Using an Agent to Sell US Products and Services .......................................................... 8 Establishing an Office ................................................................................................... 10 Franchising .................................................................................................................... 11 Direct Marketing ........................................................................................................... 13 Joint Ventures/Licensing .............................................................................................. 13 Selling to the Government ............................................................................................ 14 Distribution & Sales Channels ...................................................................................... 15 Express Delivery ............................................................................................................ 16 Selling Factors & Techniques ....................................................................................... 16 eCommerce .................................................................................................................... 17 Trade Promotion & Advertising ................................................................................... 18 Pricing ............................................................................................................................ 19 Sales Service/Customer Support ................................................................................... 19 Protecting Intellectual Property ................................................................................... 19 Due Diligence ................................................................................................................. 22 Local Professional Services ........................................................................................... 22 Principle Business Associations .................................................................................... 23 Limitations on Selling US Products and Services ........................................................ 23 Selling Web Resources .................................................................................................. 24 Trade Regulations, Customs, & Standards ........................................................................ 24 Import Tariff ................................................................................................................. 24 Trade Barriers ............................................................................................................... 25 Import Requirements & Documentation...................................................................... 27 Labeling/Marking Requirements.................................................................................. 28 U.S. Export Controls ..................................................................................................... 28 Temporary Entry .......................................................................................................... 28 Prohibited & Restricted Imports .................................................................................. 28 Customs Regulations ..................................................................................................... 29 Trade Standards ............................................................................................................ 30 Trade Agreements ......................................................................................................... 34 Web Resources............................................................................................................... 35 Licensing Requirements for Professional Services ...................................................... 35 Trade Regulation Web Resources ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Investment Climate Statement ........................................................................................... 36 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... 36 Openness to and Restrictions upon Foreign Investment ............................................. 37 Conversion and Transfer Policies ................................................................................. 45 Expropriation and Compensation ................................................................................ 45 Dispute Settlement ......................................................................................................... 46 Performance Requirements and Investment Incentives .............................................. 49 Right to Private Ownership and Establishment .......................................................... 51 Protection of Property Rights ....................................................................................... 51 Efficient Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment ................................................... 53 Competition from State-Owned Enterprises ................................................................ 55 Corporate Social Responsibility ................................................................................... 56 Political Violence ........................................................................................................... 57 Corruption ..................................................................................................................... 57 Bilateral Investment Agreements ................................................................................. 63 OPIC and Other Investment Insurance Programs ...................................................... 64 Labor .............................................................................................................................. 64 Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation ................................................... 66 Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics .................... 66 Contact for More Information on the Investment Climate Statement ....................... 67 Trade & Project Financing ................................................................................................ 68 Methods of Payment ...................................................................................................... 68 Banking Systems ............................................................................................................ 68 Foreign Exchange Controls........................................................................................... 69 US Banks & Local Correspondent Banks .................................................................... 69 Project Financing .......................................................................................................... 70 Financing Web Resources ............................................................................................. 71 Business Travel .................................................................................................................. 72 Business Customs .......................................................................................................... 72 Travel Advisory ............................................................................................................. 73 Visa Requirements ........................................................................................................ 74 Currency ........................................................................................................................ 76 Telecommunications/Electric ........................................................................................ 76 Transportation............................................................................................................... 77 Language ........................................................................................................................ 77 Health ............................................................................................................................. 77 Local Time, Business
Recommended publications
  • Political Liberation in the Arab World Hearing
    REDEFINING BOUNDARIES: POLITICAL LIBERATION IN THE ARAB WORLD HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION APRIL 21, 2005 Serial No. 109–81 Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 20–788PDF WASHINGTON : 2005 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Mar 21 2002 10:45 Nov 17, 2005 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 F:\WORK\FULL\042105\20788.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa TOM LANTOS, California CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, HOWARD L. BERMAN, California Vice Chairman GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York DAN BURTON, Indiana ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American ELTON GALLEGLY, California Samoa ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey DANA ROHRABACHER, California ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey EDWARD R. ROYCE, California SHERROD BROWN, Ohio PETER T. KING, New York BRAD SHERMAN, California STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ROBERT WEXLER, Florida THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York RON PAUL, Texas WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts DARRELL ISSA, California GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York JEFF FLAKE, Arizona BARBARA LEE, California JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York MARK GREEN, Wisconsin EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon JERRY WELLER, Illinois SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada MIKE PENCE, Indiana GRACE F.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dilmun Bioarchaeology Project: a First Look at the Peter B. Cornwall Collection at the Phoebe A
    UC Berkeley Postprints Title The Dilmun Bioarchaeology Project: A First Look at the Peter B. Cornwall Collection at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2z06r9bj Journal Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 23(1) ISSN 09057196 Authors Porter, Benjamin W Boutin, Alexis T Publication Date 2012 DOI 10.1111/j.1600-0471.2011.00347.x Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Arab. arch. epig. 2012: 23: 35–49 (2012) Printed in Singapore. All rights reserved The Dilmun Bioarchaeology Project: a first look at the Peter B. Cornwall Collection at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology This article presents an overview of the Peter B. Cornwall collection in the Phoebe A. Arabia Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. Cornwall Benjamin W. Porter conducted an archaeological survey and excavation project in eastern Saudi Arabia 240 Barrows Hall, #1940, and Bahrain in 1940 and 1941. At least twenty-four burial features were excavated in Department of Near Eastern Bahrain from five different tumuli fields, and surface survey and artefact collection Studies, University of California, took place on at least sixteen sites in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The skeletal evidence, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA objects and faunal remains were subsequently accessioned by the Hearst Museum. e-mail: [email protected] The authors recently formed the Dilmun Bioarchaeology Project to investigate this collection. This article provides background information on Cornwall?s expedition Alexis T. Boutin and an overview of the collection. Additionally, skeletal evidence and associated Stevenson Hall 2054A, Depart- objects from two tumuli in Bahrain, D1 and G20, are presented to illustrate the ment of Anthropology, Sonoma collection?s potential contribution.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact of International Law on the Application of Islamic Law in Saudi Arabia
    Hamzah, Dawood Adesola (2015) Impact of international law on the application of Islamic law in Saudi Arabia. PhD Thesis. SOAS, University of London http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/18432 Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non‐commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this thesis, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", name of the School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination. Impact of International Law on the Application of Islamic Law in Saudi Arabia Dawood Adesola Hamzah Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD 2015 Department of Law School of Oriental and African Studies University of London Declaration for PhD Thesis I have read and understood regulation 17.9 of the Regulation for student of the SOAS, University of London concerning plagiarism. I undertake that all the material presented for examination is my own work and has not been written for me, in whole or in part, by any other person. I also undertake that any quotation or paraphrase from the published or unpublished work of another person has been duly acknowledged in the work which I present for examination.
    [Show full text]
  • Saudi Arabia 2019
    Saudi Arabia 2019 Saudi Arabia 2019 1 Table of Contents Doing Business in Saudi Arabia ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Market Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Market Challenges ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 Market Opportunities ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Market Entry Strategy ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Political Environment................................................................................................................................................... 10 Selling US Products & Services .................................................................................................................................... 11 Agents and Distributors ........................................................................................................................................... 11 Establishing an Office .............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Wear a Face Mask
    October 28, 2020 Vol. LXXV, No. 42 a weekly Saudi Aramco publication for employees CTO leads practical low Historic Saudi W Summit Keep COVID- numbers Aramco wins first place for in this carbon energy thinking down KAPSARC issue Ahmad O. Al Khowaiter joined The Women 20 (W20) Summit, As numbers rise in certain Aramco was the first place winner international experts at last week’s hosted for the first time in Saudi countries, we must take heed and of the Decorative Concrete category “Middle East and Africa Energy Arabia and sponsored by Aramco, continue taking precautions to awarded by the American Concrete Week” conference to drive for- brought women’s empowerment keep Covid-19 numbers down. Institute for excellence in the con- ward the energy industry’s low and diversity and inclusion to struction of the King Abdullah Petro- carbon agenda. center stage. leum Studies and Research Center. see pages 6 and 7 see page 2 see page 8 see page 9 Climate change and the rising demand for clean energy were lead topics discussed by president and CEO Amin Nasser at this week’s B Summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia. see page 3 AI: The new normal Company at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence revolution see page 5 By wearing a face mask in 2020 we hope to make 2021 face mask free. wear a face mask October 28, 2020 the arabian sun 2 company news Historic Saudi W Summit seeks to inspire, empower women The Women 20 (W20) meeting was hosted virtually in Riyadh as an integral part of the Kingdom’s Group of 20 (G20) presidency by Eamonn Houston Described as an “engagement group,” the W20 was set up in 2015 and functions Participants at the W20 Riyadh — The Women 20 (W20) Summit, independently.
    [Show full text]
  • Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Working Group
    Annex 1 E PCT/WG/11/27 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH DATE: JANUARY 11, 2019 Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Working Group Eleventh Session Geneva, June 18 to 22, 2018 REPORT adopted by the Working Group 1. The Patent Cooperation Treaty Working Group held its eleventh session in Geneva from June 18 to 22, 2018. 2. The following members of the Working Group were represented at the session: (i) the following Member States of the International Patent Cooperation Union (PCT Union): Algeria, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe (69); and (ii) the following intergovernmental organizations: the European Patent Office (EPO), the Nordic Patent Institute (NPI), and the Visegrad Patent Institute (VPI) (3). 3. The following Member States of the International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris Union) participated in the session as an observer: Mauritius, Yemen (2). 4. The following intergovernmental organizations were represented by observers: African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), African Union (AU), Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO), European Union (EU), Patent Office of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC Patent Office), South Centre (7).
    [Show full text]
  • Security Council Distr
    UNITED NATIONS S Security Council Distr. GENERAL S/AC.26/2002/7 13 March 2002 Original: ENGLISH UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION GOVERNING COUNCIL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE PANEL OF COMMISSIONERS CONCERNING THE THIRD INSTALMENT OF “F2” CLAIMS S/AC.26/2002/7 Page 2 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Introduction .........................................................................................................1 - 2 7 I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY ..............................................................................3 - 12 11 II. COMMON CONSIDERATIONS....................................................................13 - 38 12 A. Military operations, military costs and the threat of military action..........17 - 20 13 B. Payment or relief to others ....................................................................... 21 14 C. Salary and labour-related benefits..........................................................22 - 28 14 D. Verification and valuation........................................................................ 29 15 E. Other issues..........................................................................................30 - 38 15 III. THE CLAIMS ............................................................................................. 39 - 669 17 A. Saudi Ports Authority ...........................................................................39 - 93 17 1. Business transaction or course of dealing (SAR 270,397,424) .........41 - 49 17 2. Real property (SAR 9,753,500) .....................................................50
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce 2019 IP Index
    Inspiring Tomorrow U.S. Chamber International IP Index | 7th Edition February 2019 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (www.theglobalipcenter.com) is working around the world to champion intellectual property rights as vital to creating jobs, saving lives, advancing global economic growth, and generating breakthrough solutions to global challenges. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. This report was conducted by Pugatch Consilum, (www.pugatch-consilium.com) a boutique consultancy that provides evidence-based research, analysis, and intelligence on the fastest growing sectors of the knowledge economy. Authors of this report are Meir Pugatch and David Torstensson. Professor Meir Pugatch, Managing Director and Founder Prof. Pugatch founded Pugatch Consilium in 2008. He specializes in intellectual property policy, management and exploitation of knowledge assets, technology transfer, market access, pharmacoeconomics and political economy of public health systems. He has extensive experience in economic and statistical modeling and indexing, valuation of assets and design of licensing agreements, and providing strategic advice to international institutions, multinational corporations, and SMEs from all sectors of the knowledge economy. In addition to his work at Pugatch Consilium, he is an IPKM Professor of Valorisation, Entrepreneurship and Management at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, as well as the Chair of the Health Systems Administration and Policy Division at the School of Public Health, University of Haifa in Israel. He is author and editor of an extensive number of publications and serves as a referee and editorial board member of numerous peer review journals.
    [Show full text]
  • Maritime Boundary Agreements 172 6.1 Introduction 172 6.2 Saudi-Bahrain 1958 Agreement 172 6.2.1 Historic Background 174 6.2.2 Boundary Delimitation 176
    Durham E-Theses Maritime boundary delimitation of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia a study in political geography Al-Muwaled, Faraj Mobarak Jam'an How to cite: Al-Muwaled, Faraj Mobarak Jam'an (1993) Maritime boundary delimitation of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia a study in political geography, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10368/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 MARITIME BOUNDARY DELIMITATION OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA A STUDY IN POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY Fara.i Mobarak Jam'an AI-Muwaled The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Science in the Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Durham, U.K.
    [Show full text]
  • Saudi Airlines Catering Company Main Prospectus
    Saudi Airlines Catering Company Main Prospectus Sale of 24,600,000 Shares representing 30% of Saudi Airlines Catering Company through an Initial Public Offering at an Offer Price of SAR 54 per Share A Saudi Joint Stock Company with Commercial Registration No. 4030175741 and which was converted into a joint stock company pursuant to the Resolution of the Minister of Commerce and Industry Number. 68/K dated 22/2/1432H (corresponding to 26 January 2011G) Offer Period: 28/7/1433H to 4/8/1433H (corresponding to 18/6/2012G to 24/6/2012G) Saudi Airlines Catering Company ("SACC" or the "Company") was founded as a limited liability company in Saudi Arabia with commercial registration number 4030175741 on 20/1/1429H (corresponding to 29 January 2008G) with a share capital of SAR 100,767,000 divided into 1,007,670 shares of SAR 100 each. The Company was converted into a joint stock company pursuant to the Resolution of the Minister of Commerce and Industry Number 68/K dated 22/2/1432H (corresponding to 26 January 2011G) with a share capital of SAR 100,767,000 divided into 10,076,700 ordinary shares of SAR 10 each. Pursuant to the resolution of the Extraordinary General Assembly held on 14/4/1432H (corresponding to 19 March 2011G), the capital of the Company was increased from SAR 100,767,000 to SAR 820,000,000 divided into 82,000,000 ordinary shares of SAR 10 each (the "Shares") through the capitalisation of (i) SAR 658,791,392 from the Company's retained earnings; (ii) SAR 13,718,428 from the Company's general reserve; and (iii) SAR 46,723,180 from the Company's statutory reserve.
    [Show full text]
  • Economic Development Prospects for the Eastern Province
    Economic Development Prospects for the Eastern Province Economic Development Prospects for the Eastern Province www.chamber.org.sa Eastern Province in Brief 02 Section One: 04 Eastern Province’s Key Economic Development Section Two: 06 Industrial Activity in Eastern Province Contents Section Three: 15 Infrastructure Development in Eastern Province Section Four: 18 Tourism Activity in Eastern Province Section Five: 22 Population in Eastern Province Section Six: 24 Work Force in Eastern Province Section Seven: 26 Housing Units in Eastern Province Section Eight: 28 Hospital & Beds in Eastern Province Section Nine: 32 Agriculture & Livestock Resources in Eastern Province Section Ten: 38 Water Production in Eastern Province Conclusion and References 42-45 Eastern Province in Brief ASH SHARQIYAH Eastern Province The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is the place where Kingdom’s first oil was extracted in 1938 and subsequently this region has become the center of world-class oil, gas and petrochemical industries with the presence of global giants in these sectors. Today, the Eastern Province is dubbed “The Industrial Capital of the Entire Gulf” for its enormous industrial activities. And it is evident when this region has become the biggest recipient of industrial capital investments of the Kingdom. 22 Economic Development Prospects for the Eastern Province With the support from the recently launched “Saudi Vision 2030”, the Eastern Province has taken a key role in the Kingdom’s drive to diversify its income away from oil. Most of the manufacturing industries such as petrochemicals, chemicals, steel, cement, aluminum and plastics are located in the region. These industries are mainly based in the Dammam-I, II and III industrial estates, Al Ahsa-I and II industrial estates, Hafr Al-Batin industrial estate and Jubail-I and II industrial cities.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 56Th-En.Pdf
    ANNUALANNUAL REPORT REPORT1441H-2020 1441H-2020 Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority 56th Annual Report 1441H (2020) BOARD OF DIRECTORS SAMA 1.The Governor, Dr. Ahmed A. Alkholifey Chairman 2. The Vice Governor, Ayman M. Al-Sayari Vice Chairman 3. Mr. Hamad S. Al-Sayari 4. Mr. Abdulaziz M. Al-Athel 5. Mr. Khaled A. Al-Juffali 4 Ahmed A. AlKholifey It gives me pleasure to present, in the name of Governor and Chairman the Board of Directors, the 56th Annual Report of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, which reviews the latest developments in the Saudi Ramadan 1441H economy during fiscal year 1440/41H (2019). May 2020 The Report covers developments in various areas of the domestic economy, including monetary developments, banking activity, capital market, prices, public finance, national accounts, foreign trade and balance of payments. It also provides an overview of the latest economic developments in various domestic productive sectors, apart from giving a full description of SAMA’s functions, such as setting and managing monetary policy and supervising banking, insurance and finance sectors. In addition, the Report includes the auditors’ report on SAMA’s balance sheet for fiscal year ended on June 30th, 2019. In addition to data issued by SAMA, the Report mainly relies on official data obtained from ministries, government departments and public entities, to which I would like to extend my sincere thanks for their cooperation in providing valuable information and data that enabled SAMA to prepare this Report. I also would like to thank all SAMA’s staff for their efforts in preparing this Report and in carrying out all functions entrusted to SAMA.
    [Show full text]