Location guide · Saudi Arabia
Location guides for 7 cities in Saudi Arabia, from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Flip Retail builds custom ERP, AI agents, web applications and SaaS for businesses in Saudi Arabia from Jaipur, India, and delivers remotely.
01 — Compliance
Tax, e-invoicing, data-protection and AI rules that shape an ERP, billing system or AI agent in Saudi Arabia. Last reviewed October 2026.
| Indirect tax | VAT, standard rate 15%VAT has applied at 15% since 1 July 2020, administered by ZATCA. Saudi/GCC-owned shares of companies pay Zakat at 2.5% of the Zakat base while foreign-owned shares pay 20% corporate income tax, so mixed-ownership companies file both. |
|---|---|
| E-invoicing | Mandatory · ZATCA FATOORAPhase 1 (electronic generation) is mandatory for all VAT-registered taxpayers, and Phase 2 (integration with FATOORA, clearance for B2B and reporting within 24 hours for B2C) is rolling out in waves. Wave 24 (VAT-subject revenue above SAR 375,000) had to integrate by 30 June 2026, and Wave 25, announced on 24 July 2026, covers taxpayers whose VAT-subject revenue exceeded SAR 187,500 in any year from 2022 to 2025, with a deadline of 1 February 2027. |
| Data protection | Personal Data Protection Law (Royal Decree M/19 of 1443H, as amended)In force since 14 September 2023 and enforced by SDAIA since the grace period ended on 14 September 2024; certain controllers (such as public entities and businesses whose core activity is processing personal data) must register on SDAIA's National Data Governance Platform, and transfers outside the Kingdom must follow the Personal Data Transfer Regulations (adequate jurisdictions or appropriate safeguards). |
| AI rules | No AI-specific statute; SDAIA, which also enforces the PDPL, has issued AI Ethics Principles and Generative AI Guidelines that set expectations for organisations developing or deploying AI systems such as chatbots. |
| Systems we migrate from or connect to | Qoyod, Daftra, Wafeq, Zoho Books, Odoo, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralMasters, ledgers, stock and open balances move across and are reconciled before cutover. |
| Payment rails for web apps and SaaS | mada, SADAD, Apple Pay, HyperPay, Moyasar, Tabby |
| Also worth knowing | Phase 2 e-invoices must be UBL 2.1 XML with a cryptographic stamp and QR code issued from ZATCA-onboarded solutions, and tax invoices must be in Arabic (other languages may be shown alongside). Wave scope is based on historical revenue (any single year since 2022), not current turnover. |
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so we confirm current requirements during discovery; your tax adviser should confirm anything that affects filings.
Sources consulted:
02 — Cities
Each guide covers the local economy, the industries we would build for first, and how working with Jaipur fits your hours.
03 — Industries
The industries that come up most across the cities we cover in Saudi Arabia.
04 — Services
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Start a conversation05 — FAQ
Yes. Flip Retail is based in Jaipur, India, and works with Saudi Arabia businesses remotely. We have no office in Saudi Arabia; discovery happens on video calls, you get working software every two weeks, and the engineers who write the code are on the calls.
Yes. Invoicing is built for Saudi Arabia's VAT (standard rate 15%). Phase 1 (electronic generation) is mandatory for all VAT-registered taxpayers, and Phase 2 (integration with FATOORA, clearance for B2B and reporting within 24 hours for B2C) is rolling out in waves. Wave 24 (VAT-subject revenue above SAR 375,000) had to integrate by 30 June 2026, and Wave 25, announced on 24 July 2026, covers taxpayers whose VAT-subject revenue exceeded SAR 187,500 in any year from 2022 to 2025, with a deadline of 1 February 2027. A custom ERP connects to ZATCA FATOORA through its official API or an accredited provider, and we confirm the current requirements in discovery.
In force since 14 September 2023 and enforced by SDAIA since the grace period ended on 14 September 2024; certain controllers (such as public entities and businesses whose core activity is processing personal data) must register on SDAIA's National Data Governance Platform, and transfers outside the Kingdom must follow the Personal Data Transfer Regulations (adequate jurisdictions or appropriate safeguards). You choose where the system is hosted, access is role-based, and we work on test or masked data during development wherever possible.
Yes. Masters, ledgers, stock items and opening balances move across and are reconciled with your accountant before cutover, ideally at a year-end or quarter-end.
No AI-specific statute; SDAIA, which also enforces the PDPL, has issued AI Ethics Principles and Generative AI Guidelines that set expectations for organisations developing or deploying AI systems such as chatbots. We design AI agents with logging, human oversight and clear disclosure from the start, which covers most current requirements.
Contact
Tell us about the process you want fixed in your Saudi Arabia business. We reply within one working day.