How to open a children's hospitality centre in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia

To open a children's hospitality centre in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh included, you need a licence from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development under its new Controls. You start with a commercial registration, a municipal licence and a Civil Defense licence, pass an inspection, and receive a five-year licence.

Everything here comes from the Regulatory Controls for National Children's Hospitality Centers unless we say otherwise. They took effect on publication on the ministry's site (Art. 33), though the text gives no exact date, and they replace Decision 54694. We found no separate Riyadh version. Centres already licensed have 180 days to comply (Art. 31).

What types of centre can I open?

Art. 2 lists three, serving children from birth up to age ten (Art. 1):

• Independent: 6am to 10pm.
• Home-based: 6am to 10pm, a maximum of 10 children in total, at least two rooms, and an entrance separate from the residence.
• Workplace: during the entity's working hours.

Running 24 hours needs rules from the competent authority. Arab News reported "mobile centres" in March 2026, but the new Controls list no mobile type. The sources differ, and we follow the ministry's text.

Can I open a home nursery in Saudi Arabia?

Yes. A home-based centre is one of the three types in the HRSD Controls, and it needs a licence like the others. The Controls require at least two rooms, an entrance separate from the residence, and no more than 10 children, with hours from 6am to 10pm.

What documents do I need?

Art. 5 splits applicants in two:

• A natural person: a valid commercial registration, a Ministry of Municipalities and Housing licence, national ID and contact details, and a Civil Defense licence.
• A legal entity: a commercial registration or licence, a natural-person legal representative, and contact details. It must not hold an earlier licence for a centre closed for violations, unless three years have passed or it has been rehabilitated.

What are the licensing steps?

This order is our reading of the articles:

1. Choose the centre type and age groups. The type sets your hours and child limit.
2. Get the commercial registration, municipal licence and Civil Defense licence.
3. Appoint the manager and the mandatory staff.
4. Apply and pass the inspection. The licence is issued within up to 3 business days, and you get up to 30 days to fix observations (Art. 6).
5. Open and advertise only once licensed (Art. 7).
6. Renew six months before expiry (Art. 8). Each branch needs its own licence (Art. 9).

Who must run the centre?

The manager must be a full-time Saudi national with a bachelor's degree or high school diploma, plus experience or a childhood training course (Art. 12). Four roles are mandatory: manager, childcare supervisor, cleaner and safety officer. Everyone on staff needs a first-aid certificate, an annual medical report, and no final judgment for moral turpitude or dishonesty unless rehabilitated. Art. 17 limits entry to authorised female employees and female beneficiaries, so read that clause before you plan tours and visits.

How many children per supervisor?

Art. 11 requires at least 2 square metres of childcare area per child, and these ratios:

• Birth to under 2: 5 children per supervisor.
• 2 to under 4: 10 children.
• 4 to under 6: 12 children.
• 6 to under 10: 15 children.

Work out your real capacity from these numbers before you model revenue. Room count alone will mislead you.

What must be ready on opening day?

• Cameras: entrances, inside and the outdoor courtyard, recording continuously, with at least 30 days' storage (Art. 10). On a complaint, the ministry and the parent may access recordings (Art. 17).
• Policies: nine under Art. 13, including child safety, emergencies, complaints, parent communication, and contracts, payments and refunds.
• Reports: a daily report on each child and a monthly report on acquired skills, on ministry-approved forms (Art. 15).
• Records: a register of children, electronic payment methods, and files for the centre, staff, children and parents with a contract copy (Art. 17).
• Programmes: care and recreation only. Centres shall not offer the Ministry of Education kindergarten curriculum (Art. 15). We found no official text dividing ages 3 to 6 between the two ministries, so ask if a kindergarten is part of your plan.

Violations move from a warning with up to 30 days, to a final warning with up to 15, to suspension of up to a year or revocation (Art. 24). You can appeal within 60 days (Art. 25).

What about Qurrah and VAT?

The programme is moving to HRDF's Unified Platform, so confirm current conditions with HRDF. Its centre approval page asks for an HRSD or Ministry of Education licence, a commercial registration under activity code 100/700, and a bank account in the centre's name. VAT registration is mandatory above SAR 375,000 a year. We found nothing on how HRSD-licensed centres are treated, so ask ZATCA.

For the daily running, Bambini puts attendance, daily reports, parent messages and fee collection in one app, Arabic first.

Last checked 4 November 2026; rules change, so confirm with the regulator. This is general information, not legal advice.