Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce issued over 70,000 new commercial registers during the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, with female-owned organizations representing 47% of the total number.

According to the business sector bulletin released by the ministry, Riyadh, Makkah, and the Eastern provinces secured 69% of the new registers issued in Q1-26.

Riyadh led the list with 24,627 registers, followed by Makkah Province with 14,892 registers, and the Eastern Province with 10,500 registers. Al Qassim Province and Asser Province came in fourth and fifth place, with 4,387 and 3,344 registers, respectively.

The construction sector accounted for the largest share with 34,275 commercial registers, representing 28% of the total number, followed by the wholesale and retail sector, which received 19,816 registers in Q1-26, approximately 16% of the total issued registers.

The report also showed that the total number of existing commercial registers in the Kingdom reached 1.89 million by the end of Q1-26, showing a 1.3% rise from 1.86 million in Q4-25. Male-owned organizations represented 55% of the total existing commercial registers in the Kingdom.

These figures underscore the ministry’s efforts to simplify and modernize the process for obtaining and maintaining commercial registers, in line with Vision 2030’s economic diversification goal.