Agriculture License in Saudi Arabia
The license issued by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) for farming, livestock, dairy, poultry, fisheries and agricultural processing — with water-use approvals and land allocation where needed.
Issuing authority
Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA)
What it authorizes
Farming, livestock, dairy, fisheries and agricultural processing
Typical timeline
15-45 days (depends on activity)
Common entity types
LLC, JSC, Sole Proprietorship
ابدأ من هنا
Talk to us about your agriculture license
Who needs the agriculture license
The MEWA license for farming, livestock, fisheries and agricultural processing — aligned to Saudi food-security priorities.
Farming operators
Crops, greenhouses and hydroponics — including high-tech protected agriculture aligned with water-use priorities.
Livestock and dairy
Poultry, dairy, beef, sheep and goat operations, plus animal-feed production.
Fisheries and aquaculture
Coastal and offshore fisheries, fish farms and aquaculture facilities along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf.
Agricultural processors
Processing and packaging of agricultural produce — dates, dairy products, processed meats, food preservation.
Activities this license covers
A representative list — we confirm the exact ISIC codes for your specific activity on the first call.
- Crop and greenhouse farming
- Hydroponics and protected agriculture
- Poultry, dairy and livestock
- Aquaculture and fisheries
- Agricultural processing and packaging
- Animal feed production
At a glance
- Issuing authority
- Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA)
- What it authorizes
- Farming, livestock, dairy, fisheries and agricultural processing
- Typical timeline
- 15-45 days (depends on activity)
- Common entity types
- LLC, JSC, Sole Proprietorship
- Government fee
- Varies by activity and land use
How we secure your agriculture license
One team coordinates every step — MISA, MoC and the sector regulator — so you deal with us, not the platforms.
Activity and site
Confirm your activity, location and water-source plan — water availability is the binding constraint in much of the Kingdom.
MEWA application
File the activity-specific application with the land, water and operational plans.
Sector approvals
Veterinary, food-safety or environmental clearances depending on what you produce.
Commercial registration
Issue the Commercial Registration and activate operational platforms.
Documents you'll typically need
- MISA investment license (foreign investors)
- Land deed or lease for the proposed site
- Water-source plan and MEWA water-use approval
- Livestock plan or crop plan (activity-dependent)
- Environmental clearance
- Veterinary or food-safety approvals for livestock and processing
Common questions
- What about water use?
- MEWA tightly regulates groundwater use. High-water-consumption crops face restrictions; protected agriculture, hydroponics and low-water crops are favoured under the National Agriculture Strategy.
- Is foreign ownership allowed?
- Yes for most agriculture activities under a MISA license. Some categories tied to strategic food security may require local partnership.
- What about food-safety approvals?
- Livestock, dairy and processed-food operations also need veterinary and food-safety approvals (SFDA) on top of the MEWA license.
Can you own 100% of your Saudi company?
Six questions. Get an instant eligibility verdict, the exact documents you'll need, and a week-by-week licensing timeline. No sales call to unlock it.
3 minutes · Free · No account needed
Need another Saudi license?
Most setups combine a MISA investment license with a sector license — we're your single point of contact across every authority.