Reserving a trade name

A company's trade name is reserved before its commercial registration is issued. Since 3 April 2025 this is governed by the new Trade Names Law, and the reservation is made online through the Ministry of Commerce's "Reserve a trade name" service on the unified business platform of the Saudi Competitiveness & Business Center (formerly the Saudi Business Center).

• It can be built from a personal name, a distinctive name, or both.
• It can use Arabic or Arabized words, Arabic letters or numbers — and, under the new law, words, letters or numbers in another language, so an English name is allowed.
• A single-digit name is possible, and a family name can be reserved under conditions, for example when it combines family names that the applicants carry on their IDs.
• Names that use the word "Saudi", or the name of a city, region or public place, follow the Implementing Regulation's own rules.

The law refuses a name that is contrary to public order or morals, or misleading, including one that:

• is the same as, or similar to, a name already reserved or registered — whatever the activity
• resembles a globally famous name or a trademark registered or famous in the Kingdom, unless you own it
• has a political, military or religious meaning
• resembles the name, emblem or symbol of a local, regional or international organisation
• contains the name of a government or semi-government body

"Similar" is defined closely. The Implementing Regulation counts as similar a name with the same words in a different order; the same name with a pronoun, a plural or "al-" added or removed; and a number or letter that sounds like a word. These tests apply to English names too. The Ministry also publishes a list of prohibited names.

• You can enter up to five proposed names in one application.
• The Ministry of Commerce lists the fee as SAR 200 for an Arabic name and SAR 500 for an English name.
• A decision is due within 10 days, longer when another authority must approve the name.
• A reserved name is held for 60 days, until the CR is issued. Before it runs out, the reservation can be extended once, for another 60 days, for SAR 100.

If the period ends without an extension, the reservation lapses and the name is free for others.

A refusal must give its reasons. You can object to the Ministry within 60 days through the online "objection to a rejected trade name reservation" service, and any decision under the law can be challenged before the competent court within 30 days. In practice, it is often quicker to propose new names that avoid the reason given.

Most refusals are about similarity to a name someone already holds, and you cannot see every reserved name in advance. Five names in order of preference give the application room: one clash does not send you back to the start.

Good candidates are distinctive, not generic; checked for near-matches in word order, plurals and "al-"; and free of words with a government, religious or political meaning.

In Mohla Start, reserving the name starts with you: you propose five names in order of preference — an Arabic name, with an English one if you want. Your case manager checks them against the rules and can ask for a change before anything is filed. The Ministry's answer is recorded in your account; if every name is refused, your step reopens with the reason so you can propose new ones, and the approved name then carries through to your company and its CR.

Government fees are paid at cost. Mohla's own fee is in the written quote you receive before any work starts.