Saudi Business Platform documentation for online stores
Who documents an online store on Saudi Arabia's Business Platform, what the E-Commerce Law says the store must show, and the pages to add before launch.
Online stores in Saudi Arabia are now documented on the Business Platform (business.sa), run by the Saudi Business Center, which took over this job from Maroof. To register, you need a commercial registration or a valid freelance certificate, plus a commercial bank account. Separately, the E-Commerce Law requires every store to show who runs it, how to reach them and the terms of sale, and a violation can cost a warning, a fine of up to SAR 1m, suspension or a blocked store.
Last checked: 6 November 2026
This guide covers the registration, then what the law asks your store pages, checkout and adverts to contain. It is general information, not legal advice. Check the details that matter to you with the Ministry of Commerce or a Saudi lawyer.
From Maroof to the Business Platform
For years, Saudi online sellers documented their stores on Maroof. In March 2023 the Ministry of Commerce announced that online stores register on the Business Platform instead. The platform is run by the Saudi Business Center.
Who can register:
- A business with a commercial registration (CR). The E-Commerce Law calls this a "merchant", and Article 15 also requires a merchant to register the e-shop in the Commercial Register.
- An individual with a valid freelance certificate. This is the route for people who sell without a CR, for example a home-based maker or a designer selling services.
- In both cases, a commercial bank account.
The Business Platform's own steps and screens can change, so follow the current flow on business.sa rather than an old screenshot. What you can do before you open it is get your documents and your store pages ready, because the store's disclosures are what customers, payment providers and the Ministry look at afterwards.
Who the E-Commerce Law covers
The E-Commerce Law (Royal Decree M/126, 10 July 2019) applies to anyone who sells products or services, or advertises them, through electronic means. It divides sellers into two groups:
| Term in the law | Who it means | What it implies for you |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant | Registered in the Commercial Register | Business address is the one in the CR; the e-shop must also be registered in the CR (Art. 15) |
| Practitioner | Sells online without a CR | Business address is the one shown in the store, or a permanent home address if there is no place of business (Art. 3) |
| Service provider | Either of the two | Carries all the disclosure, invoice, cancellation and advertising duties below |
Article 2 also covers practitioners outside the Kingdom who offer products or services to consumers in Saudi Arabia. If you sell from Egypt or anywhere else into Saudi Arabia, the law's duties apply to your store too.
The law also counts an "e-shop" broadly: any electronic platform where you display or sell products, provide services or advertise them. A store on a hosted platform such as Salla or Zid, a custom website and a social media shop are all covered. The platform gives you tools; the duties stay with you as the seller.
What your store must show
Article 6 lists what every e-shop must disclose. In practice, these belong in the footer and on an "About" or "Contact" page that is one click from every product.
| Article 6 requires | Where to put it |
|---|---|
| Your name or an identifying mark | Header, footer and every invoice |
| Your address, unless you are registered with an e-shop authentication entity licensed by the Ministry | Footer and contact page |
| Your contact information | Footer, contact page and order emails |
| The name and number of your commercial registration, or of any other public register you are in | Footer, next to the business name |
| Any other data the Implementing Regulations specify | Check the current Regulations before launch |
If you work in a regulated profession that needs a licence or permit, Article 9 adds more: the body you are registered with, the licence or permit details, and your professional title and the country that granted it. A store selling medical, legal or engineering services, for example, should show these as well.
What the customer must get before and after ordering
Before the order: the contract terms
Article 7 requires you to give the customer a statement of the contract's terms and conditions, including:
- The steps to conclude the contract, meaning how an order is placed and confirmed.
- Information about you as the seller.
- The basic characteristics of the product or service.
- The total price, including all charges, taxes and any delivery fee.
- How payment, processing and delivery work.
- Warranty information, if there is a warranty.
The usual way to meet this is a terms and conditions page, plus a clear product page and a checkout summary that shows the full price before the customer pays. A delivery fee that only appears after payment fails point 4.
After the order: an itemised invoice
Article 8 requires an itemised invoice once the contract is concluded, stating the total price with all charges, taxes and delivery fees, and the date and place of delivery. Most stores send it by email or show it in the customer's account. If you are VAT-registered, ZATCA's e-invoicing rules apply to that invoice as well.
Cancellation within seven days
Under Article 13, a customer may cancel within seven days of receiving the product, or of the service contract, as long as they have not used the product or benefited from the service. The customer bears the cost of cancelling unless you agree otherwise. The right does not apply to some items, including:
- Products made to the customer's specification.
- Used videotapes, records, discs or software.
- Newspapers, magazines, books and other publications.
- Accommodation, transport and catering services.
- Downloadable software, unless it is faulty, cannot be downloaded or does not match what was agreed.
Your returns policy should state the seven-day window and these exceptions in plain words.
Late delivery
Article 14 lets the customer cancel and claim a refund, plus costs caused by the delay, if delivery is more than 15 days late from the contract date or the agreed date, unless you both agreed to extend it or the delay is due to force majeure. You must also tell the customer about any delay you expect. Order-status emails or WhatsApp updates are the simple way to do this. Our guide to online store payments and delivery is written for Egypt, but the delivery problems it describes are the same ones that cause late orders anywhere.
Advertising and customer data
Article 10 makes an electronic advertisement part of the contract, so it is legally binding. Each advert must include the product or service name, your name or identifying mark (unless you are registered with an authentication entity) and your contact information. Article 11 bans false or misleading claims and counterfeit logos or trademarks you have no right to use. Under Article 12, the Ministry can order you to correct or withdraw a non-compliant advert within one day of notice.
On data, Article 5 says you may keep a customer's personal data and messages only as long as the transaction needs, unless you agree otherwise, must protect them, and may not use them for unauthorised purposes or pass them on without consent or a legal requirement. This sits alongside the Personal Data Protection Law, so a privacy policy page is part of the same job.
Penalties and enforcement
Article 18 sets out the penalties for violating the law or its Regulations. One or more can apply:
- A warning.
- A fine of up to SAR 1,000,000.
- Temporary or permanent suspension of the e-commerce activity.
- Partial or complete blocking of the store, temporarily or permanently.
Committees formed by the Minister of Commerce decide these cases, and Article 19 says the penalty must be proportionate to the gravity and repetition of the violation, the harm caused and the size of the business. In urgent cases, Article 17 allows the Minister to block a store before the committee decides, with a referral within three days and a decision within ten. Article 20 allows an appeal before the Administrative Court, and Article 21 allows a final decision to be published at the violator's expense.
Page elements to add before launch
Use this list to check your store, whether it runs on a hosted platform or is built custom:
- Footer: business name, CR number or freelance certificate details, address, phone, email and WhatsApp.
- About or contact page: the same details in full, in Arabic and English if you sell in both.
- Licence details, if your activity is regulated (Article 9).
- Terms and conditions page covering ordering steps, payment, delivery and warranty (Article 7).
- Returns and cancellation policy with the seven-day window and its exceptions (Article 13).
- Delivery policy with realistic times and how you report delays (Article 14).
- Checkout summary showing the total with VAT and delivery before payment.
- Itemised invoice by email or in the customer account (Article 8).
- Privacy policy explaining what data you keep, for how long and why (Article 5 and the PDPL).
- Adverts that carry your name and contact details and match what the store actually sells (Articles 10 and 11).
Most of these pages cost little to build but take time to write well. For budgeting, see what an online store costs in Saudi Arabia, and for checkout, payment gateways in Saudi Arabia.
How KF Tech Solutions helps
KF Tech Solutions builds websites and online stores in Arabic and English, with a control panel where you edit your own pages and policies. When we build a store, the disclosure footer, policy pages, full-price checkout summary, itemised order emails and order-status updates are part of the build, not an afterthought. Registering on the Business Platform stays in your hands, because it uses your own CR or freelance certificate and bank account. We work with businesses in Egypt and the Gulf; see our web development service and our Saudi Arabia page.
Common questions
Is Maroof still used to document online stores?
No. Since the Ministry of Commerce's March 2023 announcement, online stores register on the Business Platform (business.sa) instead of Maroof.
Can I document a store without a commercial registration?
Yes. A valid freelance certificate is accepted instead of a CR. You still need a commercial bank account.
Does the E-Commerce Law apply if I sell from outside Saudi Arabia?
Yes, if you offer products or services to consumers in the Kingdom. Article 2 extends the law to practitioners outside Saudi Arabia, so the disclosure, cancellation and advertising rules apply to your store.
Does my store need to show a physical address?
Article 6 requires your address unless you are registered with an e-shop authentication entity licensed by the Ministry. Showing it is the safer default.
Can a customer return a custom-made product?
Not under the seven-day right. Article 13 excludes products made to the customer's specification. Say so in your returns policy.
Do Salla or Zid stores need these pages too?
Yes. The duties fall on you as the seller, not on the platform. Hosted platforms usually provide page templates, but you write the content and keep it accurate.
If you want a store with these pages built in, send us your details or book a free call and we will go through what your store needs.
Sources
Keep reading
Newsletter
Occasional notes on software, automation and running a better business. No spam.