Required certification · Saudi Arabia
Contractor Classification (MOMAH)
Ministry grading of contractors for public projects
Market position
Under the Contractor Classification Law (Royal Decree M/9 of 2021), the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing classifies contractors by field, activity and grade after assessing their finances, staff and organisation, and past projects. Government bodies may not accept a bid for a project subject to classification unless the contractor is classified in that project's field, activity and grade. Applications, renewals, upgrades and certificate checks run online through the Balady platform.
Saudi Arabia-specific note
The ministry assesses financial statements, staff and organisation, and the number, type and value of past projects when grading a contractor, so clean project and financial records support an application or upgrade. Legal news reports say 2025 amendments set a 60-working-day deadline for classification decisions and made certificates electronic, checkable on the ministry's website.
Pros
- + Required to bid on government projects subject to classification
- + Classification requests and certificate checks are free on Balady, per the ministry
- + Upgrades and added fields can be requested as the firm grows
Cons
- − Unclassified contractors cannot bid on classified public projects
- − Grades depend on financial statements, staff and a track record of projects
- − Violations can bring a downgrade, suspension of up to five years or cancellation
Typical Saudi Arabia pricing
The ministry lists the classification certificate request, request tracking and certificate verification e-services as free on Balady. The law allows the ministry to set fees with the Ministry of Finance.
Why this matters for Saudi Arabia trades
The Engineering Professions Practice Law requires Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) accreditation before anyone practises engineering, with fines of up to SAR 1 million. Under the Contractor Classification Law, government bodies may not accept a bid for a project subject to classification unless the contractor is classified in its field, activity and grade; classification requests and building permits are filed on Balady, where permit plans are checked against the Saudi Building Code and latent defects insurance is a required document. ZATCA’s Phase 2 requires businesses called in by turnover wave to connect their invoicing software to the Fatoora platform (EY reports that Wave 25 reaches taxable turnover above SAR 187,500 and that businesses in it should prepare to comply with Phase 2 starting from 1 February 2027). Nitaqat places each entity in one of five Saudization ranges that decide access to services such as new expatriate visas and work permits, and Argaam reported in 2018 that firms must join the Saudi Contractors Authority before bidding for tenders.
Saudi construction and trades software selection is shaped by ZATCA’s mandatory e-invoicing regime (Phase 2 integration with the Fatoora platform, rolled out in turnover waves), contractor classification by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing for public projects, building permits on Balady checked against the mandatory Saudi Building Code, Saudization ranges under Nitaqat tracked on Qiwa, and government tenders run on Etimad. Several vendors listed here offer Arabic and English interfaces, and some publish SAR prices.
Frequently asked
Is Contractor Classification (MOMAH) a good fit for Saudi Arabia trades?
Under the Contractor Classification Law (Royal Decree M/9 of 2021), the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing classifies contractors by field, activity and grade after assessing their finances, staff and organisation, and past projects. Government bodies may not accept a bid for a project subject to classification unless the contractor is classified in that project's field, activity and grade. Applications, renewals, upgrades and certificate checks run online through the Balady platform. The ministry assesses financial statements, staff and organisation, and the number, type and value of past projects when grading a contractor, so clean project and financial records support an application or upgrade. Legal news reports say 2025 amendments set a 60-working-day deadline for classification decisions and made certificates electronic, checkable on the ministry's website.
What does Contractor Classification (MOMAH) cost in Saudi Arabia?
The ministry lists the classification certificate request, request tracking and certificate verification e-services as free on Balady. The law allows the ministry to set fees with the Ministry of Finance. Pricing and availability can change by region; confirm current Saudi Arabia pricing on the vendor's site before committing.
Other Saudi Arabia vendors
Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE)
Required certification
Balady Platform
Required certification
Saudi Building Code (SBC)
Required certification
ZATCA E-Invoicing (Fatoora)
Required certification
Qiwa & Nitaqat (Saudization)
Required certification
Saudi Contractors Authority (Muqawil)
Required certification