The Balady commercial licence: documents, timing and safety permit

Required documents

• A photo of the shop front showing the signboard.
• A lease contract through Ejar, a title deed, or an investment contract.
• A cleaning contract for some activities.
• An invoice for safety equipment or a safety report, for activities with instant approval.
• The building permit.

Source: the Issue Commercial Licence service page on the Balady platform (page dated 16 February 2026) ^[1].

Timing and fees

The service takes from 1 to 10 days. Some activities receive an instant licence; the rest are reviewed by the municipality ^[1].

Fees are worked out with a calculator on the service page according to activity, area and location; the platform does not publish a fixed amount. Payment is via SADAD, mada, cards or Apple Pay ^[1].

The fast track via engineering offices

For some activities, such as food, consulting, tourism, companies, and industrial and medical activities, there is a fast track through accredited engineering offices, which also takes from 1 to 10 days ^[2].

Before you sign the lease

Make sure your activity is permitted at the location and that the space meets the requirements before you sign, because the lease is one of the licence documents. This is one of the costliest mistakes at the start of a business. A preliminary feasibility study reviews the location and the competitors around it before you commit.

Frequently asked questions