Saudi Arabia issued over 80,000 new commercial registrations in the second quarter of 2025, raising the total number of active business records across the Kingdom to nearly 1.72 million, according to official data from the Ministry of Commerce. The majority of these new registrations were concentrated in high-growth sectors such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, cybersecurity, and cloud services.
The surge in registrations was driven by expanding industries including financial services, insurance, gaming, and entertainment, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s ongoing economic diversification efforts under Vision 2030. Last February, the Ministry of Investment highlighted that the Kingdom issued 14,321 investment licenses in 2024, marking a 67.7% year-on-year increase and underscoring its rising appeal as a business hub.
Minister of Commerce Majed Al-Qasabi emphasized that the recent rectification and updating of commercial registration data is part of broader measures to combat commercial concealment, which he described as “one of the key challenges hindering the growth of the local economy.” He noted that these efforts aim to ensure regulatory compliance and enhance market transparency.
Geographically, Riyadh led with 28,181 new licenses, followed by Makkah (14,498), the Eastern Province (12,985), and Qassim (4,920). Asir, increasingly recognized as an investment destination, recorded 3,875 new commercial records. The quarter also saw the implementation of new Commercial Register and Trade Names laws, which allow businesses to operate under a single commercial record nationwide, simplifying licensing and reducing administrative burden.
Women’s participation in the commercial sector rose significantly, with female entrepreneurs accounting for 49% of newly issued commercial records. Limited liability companies remained the dominant business structure, with 10,954 LLCs registered in the quarter. Partnerships and joint-stock companies also showed solid growth, diversifying the business landscape.
Sector-specific growth was notable: cloud data storage and analytics registrations increased by 48% to 5,894, with Riyadh leading at 3,775; AI-related activities grew 34% to 14,409 new records, 8,909 of which were in Riyadh; and the franchise sector expanded 64%, driven mainly by food and beverage, retail, and services.
Investor interest from abroad surged, with foreign and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) investors’ registrations rising 38% to over 70,000. Of these, 38,640 were registered by foreign nationals and 31,488 by regional Gulf investors, primarily directed toward non-residential construction and building development, indicating sustained demand in real estate and infrastructure.
The ministry also reported 39,366 active commercial records in e-commerce by the end of the quarter, highlighting the Kingdom’s rapid digital transformation. Meanwhile, gaming, leisure, and entertainment sectors continued to gain momentum with a growing number of licenses issued.
Technology Markets Overview
The market size of key digital sectors in Saudi Arabia—blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, cybersecurity, and cloud services—is rapidly expanding, driven by strong government support under Vision 2030 and increasing private and foreign investment.
Blockchain
According to the IMARC Group report, the Saudi Arabia blockchain market was valued at $230 million in 2024 and is expected to reach $35.52 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 65.5% during 2025-2033 Additionally, the surge in blockchain business registrations in Q2 2025, with a 51% increase, is reported by the Ministry of Commerce’s Quarterly Business Sector Bulletin and summarized by Coin Edition.
Statista projects the digital assets market in Saudi Arabia to reach $902.4 million in 2025, driven by blockchain adoption and decentralized finance trends.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Analytics, and Cloud Services
Growth rates and sector activity increases (34% for AI-related businesses, 48% for cloud data storage and analytics) are cited in the Ministry of Commerce’s Quarterly Business Sector Bulletin, as reported by Coin Edition. While exact market size figures are not specified in the search results, these figures reflect strong sector expansion aligned with Vision 2030 initiatives.
Last November, Saudi Arabia unveiled a $100 billion initiative, Project Transcendence, designed to position the Kingdom as a global powerhouse in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and emerging technologies. The ambitious program signals Riyadh’s intent to build a competitive AI ecosystem that can rival regional leaders like the United Arab Emirates, as well as established global tech hubs.
Cybersecurity
In 2023, Saudi Arabia allocated $3.55 billion toward cybersecurity solutions, marking a 10.83% increase from the previous year. The investment underscored the Kingdom’s strategic commitment to strengthening national cyber resilience.
This foresight was tested during the major global cyberattack of July 2024. While the incident disrupted systems worldwide, Saudi Arabia emerged largely unscathed. Core government agencies—including the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA)—reported no impact, with operations continuing seamlessly.
As Vision 2030 accelerates, Saudi Arabia is no longer just diversifying its economy, it’s digitally reinventing it. With booming tech registrations, surging foreign interest, and a new generation of entrepreneurs, many of them women, the Kingdom is staking its claim as the Middle East’s next innovation epicenter.
