Investing in Saudi Arabia 2026: Key legal and regulatory developments for investors

Saudi Arabia’s investment landscape continues to evolve rapidly under Vision 2030, supported by wide-ranging legal reforms and major economic initiatives aimed at attracting foreign capital and strengthening investor confidence. This Chambers Global Practice Guide 2026 chapter (Saudi Arabia) by Hourani & Partners combines practical “Law and Practice” guidance with a forward-looking overview of the Kingdom’s most important market trends for 2026.

On the legal side, the guide explains how Saudi Arabia’s Sharia-based system is increasingly complemented by codified statutes and modern regulatory frameworks, including developments affecting corporate structuring, investor entry requirements, dispute resolution, and compliance. It also maps the key regulators foreign investors interact with, including MISA, ZATCA, CMA, SAMA, and the General Authority for Competition.

From a market perspective, the chapter highlights continued diversification and investment incentives, with non-oil GDP projected to average 4.4% annual growth from 2025 onward and AI projected to add USD135 billion by 2030. It also outlines how flagship milestones—such as Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034—are expected to accelerate opportunities across infrastructure, logistics, technology, and other strategic sectors.

Highlights of the guide include:

• Overview of the new Investment Law, including the shift from foreign investment licensing to a unified national investor register, and enhanced protections (including repatriation and expropriation safeguards).
• Practical guidance on the Saudi legal system, judicial structure, and Arabic-language court requirements.
• A regulator roadmap for foreign investors, covering MISA, ZATCA, CMA, SAMA, and competition oversight by the General Authority for Competition.
• Key structuring options for market entry and transactions, including share deals, asset deals, JVs, and commercial agency arrangements (and the restrictions that apply).
• Merger control considerations, including the “economic concentration” regime and key timing/threshold points relevant to deal planning.
• Updates impacting sector access and restrictions, including reforms affecting foreign participation in real estate within designated zones.
• Tax and compliance themes relevant to foreign investors, including transfer pricing, withholding tax considerations, and the increasing role of digital compliance.

Click here to view the full guide on the Chambers website.

Hourani is proud to be the contributing firm for the Saudi Arabia chapter of the Chambers Global Practice Guides – Investing In… 2026. The chapter is authored by Chadi Hourani, Hayel Hourani, and Zain Satardien.