• 1- The following words and phrases shall have the meanings set forth opposite each of them unless the context requires otherwise:

  • Kingdom: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Authority: Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority.
  • Council: The Board of Directors of the Authority.
  • Statute: The Statute of the Authority issued pursuant to Royal Order No. (A/19) dated 10/3/1431 AH, and any amendments thereto.
  • Regulation: The Regulatory Regulation of the Special Economic Zone (Jazan, Ras Al-Khair, King Abdullah City, Cloud and Informatics), issued pursuant to Council of Ministers Decision No. (468) dated 10/7/1447 AH, and any amendments thereto.
  • Rules: The Commercial Names Rules in the Special Economic Zones.
  • Concerned Entity: The entity stipulated in Council of Ministers Decision No. (233) dated 29/3/1444 AH, establishing the zone.
  • Zone / Zones: The Special Economic Zone (Jazan, Ras Al-Khair, King Abdullah Economic City, Cloud and Informatics) established pursuant to Council of Ministers Decision No. (233) dated 29/3/1444 AH.
  • Licensed Establishment / Establishment: Any company or branch of a company licensed to practice a qualified activity in the zone pursuant to the legislations of the Special Economic Zones and excluding supporting activities.
  • Exemptions and Incentives: The exemptions and incentives granted to the zone pursuant to Council of Ministers Decision No. (233) dated 29/3/1444 AH, and any amendments thereto or its replacement.
  • Other Regions of the Kingdom: All regions of the Kingdom except the Special Economic Zones.
  • Activities: The activities qualified to obtain the exemptions, incentives, and exceptions approved for the zone.
  • Investor: Any natural or legal person investing in the zone, whether Saudi or foreign.
  • Trade Name: The name used by the licensed establishment in conducting its commercial business to distinguish it from other establishments inside and outside the zone.
  • Companies Register: A register containing the data of companies in the zone through a centralized electronic database specific to the Special Economic Zones in the Kingdom supervised by the Authority, documenting the commercial register certificates issued in the zone.
  • Registrar: The competent administration within the Authority assigned the tasks of managing and supervising the Companies Register.
  • Reservation: A procedure that allows retaining a specific trade name for a temporary period before its registration in the Companies Register.
  • Registration: Recording the data of establishments and any amendments thereto in the Companies Register and publishing them therein.
  • License: An approval document issued by the concerned entity allowing the establishment to practice a qualified activity in the zone after fulfilling the specified regulations.
  • Commercial Register Certificate: A certificate issued to the establishment that fulfills the approval of the concerned entity and the registration requirements in the Companies Register, including the electronic code of the establishment.
  • Committee: The committee specialized in considering violations related to companies, as defined by the Companies Rules, Companies Register Rules, and Commercial Names Rules in the zones.

• 2- In the absence of a specific provision in the Rules, the same meanings set forth in the Statute of the Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority and the Regulatory Regulation of the Special Economic Zones shall apply to the words and phrases stipulated in the Rules.

The rules aim to regulate the procedures for reserving trade names, enhance their value, and ensure their protection and the related rights in the region.

• The provisions of the rules apply to all of the following:

  • 1- Companies established in the zone.
  • 2- Saudi companies established in other regions of the Kingdom, whose branches are registered within the zone.
  • 3- Branches of Gulf companies registered in the zone.
  • 4- Branches of foreign companies registered in the zone.

1- Every establishment must adopt a trade name and register it in the Companies Register to obtain the Commercial Register certificate.

2- Temporary reservation may be made with the registrar without registration in the Companies Register, and the reservation period shall be sixty (60) working days from the date the registrar accepts the application. The applicant for the reservation may request an extension of the period before its expiration for a similar period or periods, and extension requests are subject to the registrar's discretion.

3- The reserved trade name may not be used or disposed of except after it is registered in the Companies Register.

1- The trade name shall be taken from the personal name of the investor or from a distinctive name or both together. It shall consist of Arabic or Arabized words, or Arabic letters or numbers, or one or more of them.

2- The trade name shall be directly followed by the letters (م.إ.خ) or (SEZ), and the Authority has the discretion to exempt companies and their branches from this, according to what it deems appropriate.

3- The trade name may consist of words, letters, or numbers, or one or more of them in a non-Arabic language, and in the case of requesting to reserve or register a trade name consisting of numbers, it shall not exceed (nine) digits.

4- It is permissible to reserve or register the trade name in English or another language, and when reserving or registering the trade name in any language other than Arabic in the Companies Register, the name shall be linked to the same name in Arabic letters.

5- The registrant may request an approved translation of the trade name if its registration is requested in a language other than Arabic.

6- It is permissible to reserve or register the family name as a trade name in accordance with the provisions of the rules, provided that the beneficiary of the reservation or registration bears the same family name stated in the personal identification, or a compound name consisting of the first and second names of the investor along with his family name.

7- The provisions contained in paragraph (5) of this article shall apply to requests for the transfer of ownership of the trade name that includes a family name.

• 1- It is permissible to reserve or register the name (Saudi) or the names of cities in the Kingdom according to the following regulations:

  • A- The name must not be identical or similar to the name of any government entity or its equivalent.
  • B- The name must not be the main component or the essential element of the trade name.
  • C- The investor must commit, when reserving or registering the name, not to harm, distort, or damage the reputation of the Kingdom and its cities.

• 2- The provisions in paragraph (1) of this article apply to requests for the transfer of ownership of the trade name that includes the name (Saudi) or the names of cities.

• 3- The provision of paragraph (1) of this article does not apply to reservation or registration requests submitted by a government entity, or those subject to a special statute, and companies that bear the name (Saudi) or the names of cities upon merger.

• 1- An application for reserving or registering a trade name shall be submitted to the registrar, including the following data:

  • A- The trade name that the investor wishes to reserve.
  • B- The name of the beneficiary of the reservation, his identity or residence number, his mobile number, and his email if available.
  • C- The name of the applicant for the reservation, his identity or residence number, his mobile number, and his email if available.

• 2- The registrar shall decide on the application that meets the required data within (ten) days from the date of submission. The registrar may extend the decision period for the reservation or registration of the trade name for a period not exceeding (30) days.

• 3- The registrar shall publish the trade name accepted for reservation or registration in the companies register, including the following data:

  • A- The trade name.
  • B- The name of the beneficiary of the reservation.
  • C- The date of reservation, and the applicant for the reservation or registration shall bear the financial fee for the publication if any.

• 4- In case of multiple applications for reserving or registering the same trade name, priority shall be given to the earliest application submitted.

• 5- In case of rejection of the application, the decision must be reasoned, and the applicant for the reservation or registration shall be notified in accordance with the rules. He has the right to appeal before the authority within (sixty) days from the date of notification of the rejection.

• 6- The reserved trade name shall not be used or disposed of except after its registration in the companies register.

1- It is prohibited for any other person to use the reserved or registered trade name of the establishment in accordance with the provisions of the regulations.

2- The establishment whose trade name is registered in the Companies Register has the right to claim compensation for the damage resulting from the use of its trade name, before the competent judicial authority.

• 1- It is prohibited to reserve or register a trade name that violates public order or public morals, or that leads to deception, or that is prohibited from use according to the relevant regulatory provisions. This includes if the name:

  • A- Resembles a trade name reserved or registered in the Companies Register in the region or other regions or areas of the Kingdom, regardless of the type of activity, in accordance with the standards of similarity of trade names and the distinguishing features between them as stated in the rules.
  • B- Resembles a globally famous trade name or trademark, or resembles a registered or famous trademark in the region or other regions or areas of the Kingdom, unless the trademark is owned by the applicant.
  • C- Contains a political, military, or religious meaning, indication, or content.
  • D- Resembles a name, honorary badge, or special symbol of any organizations - local, regional, or international - or any of their institutions.

• 2- The Authority shall prepare a list of the most prominent names that are prohibited from being reserved or registered as trade names according to paragraph (1) of this article, and shall update it periodically.