The Qawaem Platform is the electronic program that Saudi companies use to file their annual financial statements. The Saudi Business Center operates it, and the Ministry of Commerce is the regulator behind the filing rules. Under Article 17(2) of the Saudi Companies Law, a company must prepare its financial statements at the end of each financial year and file them within six months. A company with a 31 December year end therefore files by 30 June of the following year.
Since 15 May 2026, a Ministerial Decision (No. 236) sets direct fines for companies that fail to file. The fine depends on the company form, its capital and the number of managers. This guide explains who must file, how to reach the platform, what to prepare, how the review works and what the penalties are. It is for information only, it is not affiliated with Qawaem or the Ministry of Commerce, and it does not file anything for you. Complete filing on the official platform, and check current requirements there.
What Is the Qawaem Platform in Saudi Arabia?
Qawaem is an electronic program for filing company financial statements. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched it in January 2015 to move financial statements from paper to electronic form using XBRL, an international language for disclosing financial statements. The ministry said electronic filing supports credibility and provides information about the financial results of commercial entities in the Saudi market.
The roles are separate:
- The Saudi Business Center operates the program. The Ministry of Commerce says companies file with the Center through its electronic filing program.
- The Ministry of Commerce regulates company-law compliance and issues the penalty decisions.
- The Saudi Companies Law sets the duty to prepare and file statements.
Qawaem is not accounting or bookkeeping software. You prepare your statements elsewhere, then file them on Qawaem. The programme also lets companies enter, update and view corporate information such as the commercial registration, activity, address, authorized capital and paid-up capital, according to a Ministry of Commerce statement. Filed statements are not automatically open to everyone. For example, the General Authority for Statistics provides a form in which a company authorizes it to use the statements it submitted to Qawaem.
Who Needs to Use the Qawaem Platform?
The Ministry of Commerce says filing within six months of year end applies to all types of companies. It names these forms:
- Limited liability companies (LLCs)
- Unlisted joint-stock companies
- Simplified joint-stock companies
- General partnerships
- Limited partnerships
Obligations differ by legal structure, so check the rules for your own company form. The company-law duty is a duty of a company. Do not assume that every commercial registration holder, sole proprietor or individual entrepreneur has the same obligation. Check your legal form on your commercial registration and with the Ministry of Commerce.
What Services Does the Qawaem Platform Offer?
- Electronic filing of financial statements: the main service.
- Guidance on filing: The Saudi Business Center publishes a program guide and a filing guide.
- XBRL reporting: statements are submitted in a structured electronic format.
- Filing status: a filer can follow the progress of a submitted report.
- Company information: the program holds and updates corporate details such as capital and activity.
The brief for this guide also mentions reports and economic indicators. I could not open the program guide to confirm what is offered today, so check the portal.
Qawaem has a separate job from other platforms. Zakat, tax and VAT returns go to the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority. Government procurement runs through Etimad, and employment services run through Qiwa.
How to Log in or Register on Qawaem?
Use the official portal at qawaem.bc.gov.sa, which the Ministry of Commerce names as the filing address. Do not use a lookalike site.
The filing is tied to the company, which is identified by its commercial registration, and to a person who acts for it. In practice you will need:
- The company’s commercial registration details
- The financial year you are filing for
- Details of the company representative who files
The Ministry of Commerce has said the program can be accessed by licensed chartered accounting firms or by the company itself. That statement dates from 2022, so check the portal for the current authorization requirements before an accounting firm files on your behalf.
I could not open the portal or the Saudi Business Center guides, so I cannot describe the current sign-in screen. Follow the options shown on the live page, and use the Saudi Business Center’s support channels if your company details do not match.
What Are the Financial Statement Filing Requirements?
Companies must prepare statements in line with the accounting standards approved in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Commerce says the statements show the company’s financial position, profits and losses, net cash flows and changes in owners’ equity. A full set usually includes:
- Statement of financial position (balance sheet)
- Income statement
- Cash flow statement
- Statement of changes in equity
- Notes to the financial statements
For filing, the Saudi Business Center’s guide describes an XBRL file and a PDF file. You also give the company and financial year information. An auditor’s report and authorization documents are needed only where they apply. Requirements can differ by company, so read the guide on the portal before you prepare your files.
What Is the Qawaem Filing Deadline?
Article 17(2) of the Saudi Companies Law requires a company to submit its financial statements within six months of the end of its financial year. The Ministry of Commerce repeated this in its August 2026 statement, as reported by Ajel News.
| Financial year end | Filing deadline |
| 31 December 2026 | 30 June 2027 |
| 30 June 2026 | 31 December 2026 |
| 31 March 2027 | 30 September 2027 |
Companies with other year ends should count six months from their own year end. A joint-stock company or an LLC may also have earlier internal dates, such as making documents available to the auditor before the general assembly. The next section explains that.
Who Is Responsible for Preparing and Filing Financial Statements?
The Ministry of Commerce clarified the responsible parties by company form in December 2025.
| Company form | Who prepares and files |
| Unlisted joint-stock company | The board of directors prepares the statements. The statements are signed by the chairman, the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer (if any). The chairman files them and gives shareholders a copy at least 21 days before the annual ordinary general assembly. |
| Limited liability company | The manager or board of managers prepares and files. Statements go to the auditor (if any) at least 45 days before the annual general assembly, and to partners at least 21 days before it. |
| Simplified joint-stock company | The chairman, manager or board of directors, depending on the structure. Statements and the auditor’s report (if any) go to shareholders within six months of year end. |
| General partnership | The manager or the partners |
| Limited partnership | The manager, or the partners if no manager is appointed |
In every case, the filing is made electronically through Qawaem within six months. The Ministry’s wording refers to an auditor “if any”. Do not assume that every company must appoint an external auditor. Check your articles of association and the Companies Law rules for your form.
How to Prepare Financial Statements for Qawaem?
- Keep accurate accounting records for the whole financial year.
- Close the year and prepare the statements under the approved accounting standards.
- Arrange the audit if your company needs one. An accounting firm can help with preparation, and an external auditor provides an independent opinion where required.
- Get the approvals your company form requires. For example, an unlisted joint-stock company’s statements are signed by named officers.
- Prepare the XBRL file. Many companies use an accounting firm or software that can produce it. Preparing the file is separate from keeping the books.
- Prepare the PDF version and any supporting documents.
Leave enough time before the deadline. A rejected file takes extra time to correct.
How to Submit Financial Statements Through Qawaem?
- Open the official Qawaem portal and sign in.
- Identify the company using its commercial registration.
- Enter the financial year and the company’s sector.
- Provide the company representative’s information.
- Upload the XBRL file and the PDF file.
- Add the supporting documents your case requires, such as an auditor’s report or an authorization.
- Review every detail.
- Submit the statement and keep the confirmation.
This order follows the filing information named in the Saudi Business Center’s guide. The screens and labels can change, so follow the live portal.
How Does Qawaem Review and Approve Financial Statements?
After submission, the filing status shows where your report is in the process. The usual outcomes are that it is under review, approved, or returned for correction. If it is returned, read the correction notes, fix the file or the details and submit again. Do not wait until the last day, because a returned filing can still count as late if you miss the deadline. I could not open the official guide for the exact status names, so check the portal.
What Is XBRL and Why Does Qawaem Use It?
XBRL is a standard format for reporting financial data electronically. Each figure in the statements is tagged so that computers can read it. The Ministry of Commerce said it adopted XBRL for Qawaem to turn statements from hard copy into soft copy. It also helps the ministry and other authorities check and compare statements faster. For you, it means the filing is not just a PDF. You must produce a correctly tagged file.
Qawaem Filing Fees and Accounting Costs
Keep these costs apart:
| Cost | What it covers |
| Portal charges | Any charge for the filing service itself. I found none described on the official pages I could open. |
| Accounting firm fees | Preparing statements and the XBRL file |
| Audit fees | An independent audit, where required |
| Other professional costs | Advisory work, translation or correction work |
This guide does not publish a fee amount, because I could not verify one. Ask your accounting firm for a written quotation, and check the portal for any official charge.
Penalties for Failing to File Financial Statements
Ministerial Decision No. 236, dated 26/11/1447 AH, was published in Umm Al-Qura on 15 May 2026. It sets direct penalties for failing to file financial statements and replaces Ministerial Decision No. 239, dated 27/11/1445 AH. It is based on provisions of the Companies Law that include Article 262.
Company forms other than unlisted joint-stock companies
| Capital | Responsible persons | Fine |
| SAR 500,000 or less | One manager | SAR 8,000 |
| SAR 500,000 or less | Two or more managers | SAR 4,000 |
| More than SAR 500,000 | One manager | SAR 12,000 |
| More than SAR 500,000 | Two or more managers | SAR 6,000 |
Unlisted joint-stock companies
| Capital | Fine |
| SAR 5 million or less | SAR 15,000 |
| More than SAR 5 million | SAR 20,000 |
Small and micro companies that meet the criteria in the Companies Law implementing regulations
| Responsible persons | Fine |
| One manager or the board chairman | SAR 4,000 |
| Two or more managers | SAR 2,000 |
Other points in the decision:
- A warning, not a fine, applies to failure to file for the 2024 financial year.
- If a company fails to file for two consecutive financial years after the decision, and the violation decision for the first year has become final, the fine for the second year rises by 50 percent.
- Notification follows Article 94 of the Companies Law implementing regulations.
- The decision applies from the date it was published.
The exact fine depends on the company’s classification and the conditions in the decision, so check your own case. You may still find older articles saying a late filing carries a fine of up to SAR 500,000. That figure comes from Article 262, as the Ministry explained in 2023. The Ministry’s current direct penalties are the ones in Decision No. 236.
Common Qawaem Login and Filing Problems
| Problem | Possible reason and what to try |
| Cannot access the portal | Check that you are on the official address and that your sign-in details are current. |
| Company details do not match | The commercial registration data may be out of date. Update it with the relevant authority first. |
| Incorrect commercial registration information | Enter the number exactly as it appears on the registration. |
| XBRL file errors | The file may be structured wrongly. Ask your accounting firm to regenerate it. |
| PDF file errors | Check file size, format and that it matches the XBRL figures. |
| Missing supporting documents | Check the guide for what your company form needs, such as an auditor’s report or authorization. |
| Statements returned for correction | Read the notes, correct the file and submit again. |
| Filing status not updated | Wait for review, and contact the Saudi Business Center’s support channels if it stays unchanged. |
| Representative authorization issues | Check who is allowed to file for the company, and any authorization needed for an accounting firm. |
These are likely causes, not guaranteed solutions. Official instructions on the portal take priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who needs to use Qawaem?
Companies covered by the Companies Law, such as LLCs, unlisted joint-stock companies, simplified joint-stock companies, general partnerships and limited partnerships. Check your own form.
Is Qawaem mandatory for LLCs?
The Ministry says LLCs must file their financial statements electronically through Qawaem within six months of year end.
Do small businesses need to submit financial statements?
Companies of all forms are covered, and small and micro companies have their own penalty category. Sole proprietors and other non-company businesses should check their position with the Ministry.
What is the financial statement filing deadline?
Six months after the end of the financial year. A 31 December year end means 30 June of the next year.
What happens if my financial statements are rejected?
Read the correction notes, fix the issues and resubmit before the deadline.
Does every company need an external auditor?
Not necessarily. The Ministry’s guidance refers to an auditor “if any”. Check your company form and articles of association.
Can an accounting firm submit financial statements on behalf of a company?
The Ministry has said licensed chartered accounting firms can access the program. Check the current authorization requirements on the portal.
Conclusion
Count six months from your own year-end, find out who is responsible under your company form, and start the XBRL file early. Keep your commercial registration data current and check the penalty table for your capital level. For wider business reading, see our guide to promoting your business online in Saudi Arabia, or browse the KnowKSA business directory. Our National Address guide explains how to keep an address record current.
