- What
- Residency for founders with a round of SAR 400K+ (20% share) or SAR 15M+ (10% share).
- Who
- Founders holding an entrepreneur licence from the Ministry of Investment.
- From abroad
- Open to companies from abroad — Entrepreneur licence from the Ministry of Investment; An investment round of at least SAR 400,000 from an investor accredited by the Center (category 1) or SAR 15 million (category 2); Applicant holds at least 20% (category 1) or 10% (category 2) of the company All programmes open to founders from abroad →
pr.gov.sa/pr?id=pr_product_details_entrepreneur… · How we check ↗
In detail
Premium Residency — Entrepreneur Track is a residency programme in Saudi Arabia. Premium Residency — Entrepreneur Track for founders holding an entrepreneur licence from the Ministry of Investment. Two categories on pr.gov.sa: the first needs an investment round of at least SAR 400,000 from an entity accredited by the Premium Residency Center and a founder share of at least 20%; the second needs at least SAR 15 million, a share of at least 10% and 10 jobs in year one plus 10 more in year two, and leads directly to permanent residency. Special benefits: Nitaqat exemption for the first three operational years and nomination of two staff for Special Talent residency. One-time fee SAR 4,000. Over 100 entrepreneurs from 20+ nationalities were granted it at Biban Forum in November 2025 (SPA). The portal notes that all requirements are subject to change.
- Amount
- Residency, not funding — requires a round of at least SAR 400,000 (1st category) or SAR 15 million (2nd category) · one-time fee SAR 4,000
- Eligibility
- Entrepreneur licence from the Ministry of Investment
- 1st category: round of at least SAR 400,000 from an entity accredited by the Center, founder share at least 20%
- 2nd category: at least SAR 15 million, share at least 10%, 10 jobs in year one and 10 more in year two
- Sectors
- No sector restriction published — the portal addresses entrepreneurs and innovators looking to develop sectors in Saudi
- Status
- Active — Apply now button live on the product page (checked September 2026)
Is this for you?
Where is your company?
Are you open to giving equity?
We match them against what Premium Residency — Entrepreneur Track publishes.
A guide to the published criteria, not a decision — the programme selects.
What the source says
“يستهدف هذا المنتج رواد الأعمال والمبتكرين الراغبين بالعمل على تطوير القطاعات المختلفة في السعودية.”
“Holding an entrepreneur license from the Ministry of Investment.”
“Obtain a minimum of 400,000 SAR round/s as investment from an entity accredited by the Center”
“The applicant's share in the company is not less than 20%.”
“Obtain a minimum of 15 Million SAR round/s as investment from an entity accredited by the Center”
“The applicant's share in the start-up is not less than 10%.”
Closing soon on the map
No published deadline in the next 30 days · All published deadlines →
Compare government programmes in Saudi Arabia
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Residency — Entrepreneur TrackResidency for founders with a round of SAR 400K+ (20% share) or SAR 15M+ (10% share). | not published | No equity | Active |
| CMA FinTech Lab (ExPermit)Regulatory permission to test products live; no funding provided. | not published | No equity | Open |
| KAUST UniversityR&D grants (NextEra), TAQADAM non-dilutive funding up to $140K, KIV equity $100K–$700K. | $100K–$700K | Equity or convertible note | Open |
| MCIT — Ministry of CommunicationsAccess to CODE programmes: Tech Founders, incubation and CODE Nine 66. | not published | Not published | Active |
| MISA — Ministry of InvestmentInvestor registration, entrepreneur registration and RHQ programme access. | not published | No equity | Active |
| SAMA FinTech SandboxRegulatory permission to test fintech and insurtech products. | not published | No equity | Active |
| SHIFT Innovation Center RiyadhInnovation hub with the Digi X-Lab data and AI facility. | not published | No equity | Active |
| Cloud Computing SEZCST-supervised zone: onboarding support and incentives for data centres nationwide. | not published | No equity | Active |
| Cybersecurity Accelerator (National Cybersecurity Authority)Government accelerator for cybersecurity startups; financial support is a goal. | not published | Not published | Closed |
| MEWAMentorship, access to funding and technical assistance. | not published | Not published | Closed |
| Monsha'atLoan guarantees and programme support for SMEs. | not published | Not published | Active |
| PIF Startup EcosystemNot a direct-application fund — invests in funds rather than startups. | not published | Indirect | Active |
| SDAIASaudi AI authority; runs the GAIA generative AI accelerator. | not published | Not published | Active |
| Tourism Development Fund (TDF)Tourism fund: MSME loans via partner banks and lenders, plus a non-financial accelerator. | not published | Loans | Active |
No programmes match these filters.
Highest amount in each programme’s own “What” line. Other currencies converted for sorting only (Gulf pegs; KWD, EUR, GBP approximate).
All government programmes in Saudi Arabia → · Across the Gulf →
More programmes that take no equity →
Questions founders ask
What does Premium Residency — Entrepreneur Track offer?
Residency for founders with a round of SAR 400K+ (20% share) or SAR 15M+ (10% share).
Does Premium Residency — Entrepreneur Track take equity?
No equity — one-time fee SAR 4,000.
Can founders from abroad apply?
Open to companies from abroad — Entrepreneur licence from the Ministry of Investment; An investment round of at least SAR 400,000 from an investor accredited by the Center (category 1) or SAR 15 million (category 2); Applicant holds at least 20% (category 1) or 10% (category 2) of the company.
How do I apply?
Through its own application form — the Apply button on this page goes straight there.
Sources
Primary source · pr.gov.sa/pr?id=pr_product_details_entrepreneur_resident · LinkedIn · linkedin.com/company/ministry-of-investment-ksa