Compliance or Complexity

2026-07-02T20:40:18.055Z

The article raises a question about the administrative burden caused by the multitude of certificates and requirements on small and medium enterprises, due to the multiplicity of platforms and differing renewal dates, and the consequent waste of time and effort at the expense of business development. The author calls for a unified digital platform, or at least unifying renewal cycles for all certificates, including…

There is no dispute over the importance of regulations and requirements aimed at raising business quality, protecting consumers, and enhancing compliance. But the question on the lips of small and medium enterprise owners is: Has the multitude of certificates and the multiplicity of their procedures become an administrative challenge that drains time and effort more than necessary?

Today, the business owner does not stop at obtaining the commercial register and necessary licenses, but finds himself facing a series of certificates, permits, and requirements, each with its own independent platform, different mechanism, specific requirements, and an expiry date different from others. Between one platform and another, time is wasted, and the chances of forgetting a renewal date for one of the certificates increase, despite the owner's keenness to comply with all requirements.

The problem is not in the existence of certificates, for each has a legitimate goal serving quality, safety, and compliance, but rather in the multiplicity of platforms and differing renewal dates. The business owner may renew one certificate this month, another after two months, and a third after six months, remaining busy throughout the year following up on dates and procedures instead of focusing on developing his business.

In light of the digital transformation the Kingdom is experiencing, a logical question arises: Why is there not a unified platform that brings together all the enterprise's certificates? And why are their validity periods not linked to a unified renewal date, as is the case with the commercial register which is renewed annually?

Unifying the platforms, or at least unifying renewal dates, will bring significant benefits to the sector, as it will simplify procedures, raise the level of compliance, reduce errors resulting from different dates, and give business owners more time to focus on developing their businesses and growing their investments.

Moreover, having a single digital dashboard displaying all certificates, their status, and expiry dates, with the ability to renew them from one place, would be a step that reflects the level of digital integration the Kingdom has reached, and embodies the concept of digital government that places the beneficiary experience at the forefront of its priorities.

Supporting small and medium enterprises is not limited to initiatives and programs, but also includes simplifying procedures, reducing the multiplicity of platforms, and unifying the beneficiary journey. An enterprise that devotes itself to production, innovation, and contributing to the national economy is more deserving than spending a large part of its time following up on scattered dates and repetitive procedures.

Perhaps the time has come to ask this question: If the commercial register is renewed once a year, why are the rest of the certificates not on a unified renewal cycle, or within a single platform that brings them all together? Such a step would not eliminate requirements, but would make compliance easier, procedures more efficient, and the business environment more flexible, in line with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in supporting the small and medium enterprise sector and enhancing its competitiveness.