The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has announced a significant policy shift, temporarily allowing foreigners to own pharmacies — a reversal of the previous rule that restricted ownership to Saudi nationals.
According to the Arabic daily Okaz, an official directive has been issued permitting non-Saudis to own pharmacies and herbal preparation centres until a fully integrated health system is implemented.
This decision comes in response to a request from the Ministry of Health (MoH) and allows activities outlined in the related system issued on 1 June 1995 to be conducted on a temporary basis, without the requirement for the owner to hold Saudi citizenship.
Previously, Article 3 of that system stipulated that ownership of pharmacies, herbal preparation facilities, and pharmaceutical consultation centres was limited to Saudi nationals.
To obtain a licence, the owner or one of the partners must be a licensed pharmacist authorised to practise the profession. Existing establishments are exempt from this provision, except in cases of death, sale, or transfer.
Furthermore, the Minister of Health can waive the nationality requirement in remote areas or if there are not enough Saudi pharmacists, as long as the pharmacy or centre meets regulatory conditions. However, managers must generally be full-time licensed Saudi pharmacists.
