Compliance
Every claim here carries its source
Regulatory orientation for delivery operators in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Addressing mandates, operator licensing, rider permits and VAT rates, each stated plainly with a link to the body that publishes it and the date we last checked.
This page is general information for delivery operators, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm anything that affects your licence or your tax position with the regulator or with your own adviser.
What applies, and where it is written
The facts a GCC delivery operator plans around. Each one links the body that publishes it and shows the date we last checked.
Parcel deliveries in Saudi Arabia have required a National Address since 1 January 2026, and the Transport General Authority has told delivery companies to refuse shipments without one.
Source: tga.gov.sa, last verified
TGA licensing for Saudi delivery operators runs through the Naql portal.
Source: naql.tga.gov.sa, last verified
Dubai’s RTA issues the permits for delivery work through its Licensing Agency: one held by the company and a separate occupational permit, with accredited training, for each rider.
Source: rta.ae, last verified
Makani is Dubai Municipality’s geo-addressing system. A Makani number is ten digits identifying one main building entrance, so a building with several entrances has several numbers. It is also official in Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain.
Source: dm.gov.ae, last verified
VAT in Saudi Arabia is 15 percent.
Source: zatca.gov.sa, last verified
VAT in the UAE is 5 percent.
Source: tax.gov.ae, last verified
Guides that go deeper
The bigger mandates each get a page of their own.
ZATCA e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia
What the e-invoicing mandate covers and what it means for a delivery operator that invoices merchants in Saudi Arabia.
Read the ZATCA guideE-invoicing in the UAE
Where the UAE e-invoicing programme stands, who it will apply to, and how a delivery operator prepares.
Read the UAE guideData residency and the Saudi PDPL
What the personal data rules mean for customer names, addresses and delivery records, and where that data can live.
Read the data guideQuestions operators ask
- Is this page legal advice?
- No. It is general information for delivery operators, checked against the sources linked on this page. Anything that affects your licence, your invoicing or your tax position should be confirmed with the regulator or your own adviser.
- Is the Saudi National Address requirement already in force?
- Yes. It has applied to parcel deliveries in Saudi Arabia since 1 January 2026, and the Transport General Authority has told delivery companies to refuse shipments that do not carry one. QuickE stores it as address data on the order, alongside Makani codes for Dubai.
- Do delivery riders in Dubai need a permit?
- Yes, and there are two permits rather than one. The company holds a permit to operate commercial transport, and each rider needs an occupational permit plus accredited training, both issued by the RTA Licensing Agency. Other approvals sit elsewhere: Dubai Municipality permits the vehicle used for food delivery under its food safety rules, and commercial licensing, labour and residency run through DET, MOHRE and GDRFA. Current requirements are published on rta.ae.
- What are the VAT rates in Saudi Arabia and the UAE?
- VAT is 15 percent in Saudi Arabia and 5 percent in the UAE, per ZATCA and the UAE Federal Tax Authority. How a rate applies to a specific charge in your contracts is a question for your tax adviser.
- How does a Saudi delivery operator get licensed?
- Licensing for delivery operators in Saudi Arabia sits with the Transport General Authority, and applications run through its Naql portal at naql.tga.gov.sa.
Run the operation with the rules in view
QuickE stores Saudi National Address and Makani codes on the order and keeps every cash movement on a ledger you can show. Run a week of deliveries through it, or walk your current setup through these requirements with someone.