How to open an online store in Saudi Arabia with Shopify

What do you need before opening an online store in Saudi Arabia?

Selling online in Saudi Arabia falls under the E-Commerce Law, issued by Royal Decree M/126 in July 2019. The Ministry of Commerce describes it as a 26-article law that covers how sellers disclose their business details, how customer data is protected and what rights shoppers have. Four practical prerequisites follow from it.

• A valid commercial register or a freelance document. In March 2023 the Ministry named the Business Platform of the Saudi Business Center as the only approved platform for verifying online stores, and it asks for one of these two documents.
• A commercial bank account linked to the store itself. In September 2023 the Ministry stated that verified stores must use a commercial account, not an account in an individual's name.
• VAT registration when your sales reach the threshold. ZATCA's registration e-service lists SAR 375,000 in annual revenue as the point where registration is required and SAR 187,500 as the point where it becomes optional (as of October 2026).
• A store that shows your business details, covered in the section on required information below.

• Ministry of Commerce: the Business Platform becomes the approved platform for store verification (March 2023)
• Ministry of Commerce: the E-Commerce Law at a glance (July 2019)
• ZATCA: VAT registration e-service

Can you use Shopify to sell in Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Shopify runs a Saudi site in Arabic, and its admin is available in Arabic among 36 languages. Its Saudi pricing page lists the Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus plans in US dollars, with a short free trial and an introductory price on most plans, so read the page for current terms. Four points differ from stores in countries where Shopify Payments is offered.

• Shopify Payments is not available to stores in Saudi Arabia. Shopify's supported-countries list (41 countries and regions as of October 2026) includes the United Arab Emirates but not Saudi Arabia.
• Because you use a third-party gateway, Shopify's pricing page lists a third-party transaction fee on top of the gateway's own fees: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus (as of October 2026). The page lists no setup fee on any plan.
• Without Shopify Payments, customers can check out only in the currency you set as the store currency, so set Saudi riyal (SAR) if you price in riyals.
• Arabic needs a right-to-left theme. Shopify states that the latest versions of its Horizon-family themes support right-to-left languages such as Arabic; with any other theme, confirm right-to-left support first.

• Shopify: countries where Shopify Payments is available
• Shopify: pricing in Saudi Arabia
• Shopify: language requirements and right-to-left themes

How do you open a Shopify store in Saudi Arabia, step by step?

1. Prepare your documents: a valid commercial register or freelance document, and a commercial bank account linked to it.
2. Sign up on Shopify's Saudi site, choose a plan and enter your store address and country in the admin.
3. Set the store currency to SAR under Settings, General, Store defaults, Change store currency.
4. Pick a theme that supports right-to-left layout, add Arabic as a language and translate products and pages with the Translate & Adapt app.
5. Add products, a clear delivery time and your return policy, then add the legal pages and business details the Ministry's checklist expects.
6. Connect payments: a third-party gateway for cards, optional buy-now-pay-later and, if you offer it, cash on delivery.
7. Agree rates and cash-collection terms with your courier and set your shipping rates in Shopify.
8. Verify the store on the Business Platform, show your commercial register number on the site, and place a full test order before launch.

• Shopify: setting your store currency
• Shopify: languages the admin is available in

What information must a Saudi online store show?

The Ministry of Commerce publishes a self-assessment checklist for online stores (January 2022 edition) built on the E-Commerce Law and its executive regulations. Among its points:

• Basic details of the store, products and services, with contact channels and a stated complaints procedure.
• A return and exchange policy that complies with the law, shown to the customer.
• The maximum delivery time, disclosed before the order is completed.
• On the invoice: the total, the base price, the VAT amount or rate and any extra fees; the checklist names cash on delivery as an example of an extra fee.
• On the invoice: shipping charges, the delivery date, the carrier name and the tracking number.
• On the website: your commercial register number, VAT number and any licence number your activity needs, plus the store link registered in the commercial register.
• A privacy policy, a way for customers to close their account and a way to stop electronic ads.

• Ministry of Commerce: e-commerce compliance checklist (January 2022)
• ZATCA: guideline for tax invoicing and records (version 3, May 2026)

How do customers learn their order is confirmed and shipped?

The checklist expects the carrier name and tracking number to reach the customer, and shoppers contact stores when they cannot see where an order is. WhatsApp is a practical channel for that. WhatsApp Pilot, a Shopify app by E-SAFQA, connects your store's own WhatsApp number as a linked device by scanning a QR code, with no WhatsApp Business API and no Meta per-message fees.

On the Pro plan (USD 15 every 30 days) it sends an order confirmation with an order status link when a Shopify order is created, and a fulfillment notice with the carrier, tracking number and tracking link when Shopify has them. The Free plan adds a floating WhatsApp chat button on the homepage. A linked device does not provide delivered or read receipts.

The chat widget follows the storefront language, including Arabic right to left, so the greeting and message box match an Arabic storefront. It is a launcher: Send opens WhatsApp with the shopper's typed message, not an on-site inbox.

• WhatsApp Pilot on the Shopify App Store

What should you check after launch?

• Search your store in the official verification inquiry service to confirm it shows as verified.
• Place one cash-on-delivery order and one card order to test payment status, invoice details and the messages the customer receives.
• Review your return policy, delivery time and fees against the checklist above.
• Open an Arabic page and check that the layout, the chat widget and the checkout read right to left.
• Revisit your gateway fees and Shopify's third-party transaction fee once you have real order volume.