If you're trying to verify whether a Saudi company actually has a valid commercial registration, or whether a Bahraini firm is still trading, or who the ultimate beneficial owner is behind a UAE free-zone entity, you need to know where to look. This post is a hand-assembled index of every public business registry across the six GCC states, what it covers, and what it does not expose.
It's also the motivation behind the GCC Business Index, which federates several of these sources into one searchable public resource.
Oman, MoCIIP + business.gov.om
Authoritative source: Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP). Public portal at business.gov.om.
Covers: All commercial registrations (CRs), legal form, activity codes, current status (active / suspended / cancelled), wilayat of registration, trade name in English and Arabic.
Does not cover: Shareholder details (visible only to registered users with a legitimate interest), financial statements (these are filed separately with tax authority), sanctions history.
Alternatives: Cardify's Oman Business Index has 2,414 companies indexed and cross-linked to CR numbers, sector, and wilayat, CSV downloadable.
Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Commerce (Wathiq + SBC)
Authoritative source: Ministry of Commerce Saudi Business Center (mc.gov.sa) and Wathiq (wathq.sa) for verification / APIs.
Covers: CR verification, trade name, status. SAMA-licensed entities are listed separately at sama.gov.sa. Capital Market Authority licensees at cma.org.sa.
Does not cover: Full beneficial ownership (partially addressed by the new BO framework introduced in 2023), historical registration changes, in-progress liquidations.
UAE, Multi-authority federation
Authoritative sources: The UAE is the most fragmented. You need to go to the right authority for the right license:
- Mainland Dubai: Dubai Economy (DED)
- Mainland Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development
- DIFC: DIFC Public Register (excellent, free, direct search)
- ADGM: ADGM Public Register
- DMCC, JAFZA, KIZAD, and dozens of other free zones, each has its own register
UAE Ministry of Economy also runs a federated licensed-entity check. Banks are regulated by the UAE Central Bank at centralbank.ae.
Qatar, MoCI + QFC + QSW
Authoritative source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry via moci.gov.qa. Single-window: Qatar Single Window (QSW).
Separate registers: Qatar Financial Centre entities at qfc.qa. Banking supervision at QCB.
Note: Qatar's registry is less open than most GCC peers, a lot of verification requires physical presence or registered-user access.
Bahrain, Sijilat (the gold standard)
Authoritative source: Ministry of Industry and Commerce via the Sijilat platform (sijilat.bh).
Covers: Bahrain's registry is exceptionally open by regional standards. CR search is free, returns legal form, trade name, activity, status, and, for many entities, partners/shareholders. Banking at Central Bank of Bahrain.
This is why Bahrain is the first GCC country on Cardify's roadmap after Oman, Sijilat's openness makes building an external index straightforward. Expect Bahrain Business Index to go live well before UAE or Saudi.
Kuwait, MOCI + KDIPA
Authoritative source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry via moci.gov.kw. Foreign investment entities are also tracked by Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA).
Banking: Central Bank of Kuwait at cbk.gov.kw. KPC vendor ecosystem is large but its supplier registry is internal.
Cross-border: how to verify a GCC counterparty in 15 minutes
- Identify the licensing authority. If it's a bank, check the central bank register. If it's a mainland corporate, check the economic department or ministry register. If it's a free-zone entity, find the free-zone name first.
- Lookup the CR or license number. All GCC entities have one. On marketing materials, it's often at the bottom of a website footer or in a "Legal" page.
- Confirm status. "Active", "Licensed", "In good standing", the exact phrasing varies. Screenshot this for your file.
- Check for regulatory sanctions. SAMA, UAE Central Bank, CMA SA, DFSA, CBB, QFCRA all publish public enforcement lists.
- Cross-reference directors against sanctions lists (OFAC, UN, EU) using any standard AML tool.
For GCC-wide directory searches, use the GCC Business Index, we're federating these sources as we index new countries.
Why does this matter?
Because the GCC's business environment is changing fast. Ministries are merging, private capital is moving across borders, and new entities register and dissolve weekly. If you're doing business across multiple GCC states, whether as an exporter, a consultant, or an investor, you need this stuff indexed and accessible.
Cardify is building this. If you want to be notified when specific countries ship: Bahrain is up first, UAE is the largest undertaking, and Saudi Arabia is the highest priority by market size.