Khaberni - Nidal Al-Assaf, the official in charge of smart transport applications at the Land Transport Authority, stated on Monday that the system and regulations have defined the conditions required to submit licensing applications for transport companies using smart applications, among them the existence of a commercial register and a minimum company capital of 100,000 dinars.
The Land Transport Authority has received 32 new applications for licensing companies operating in the field of smart transportation since the beginning of this year, where the Authority has initially approved 15 applications for companies working on smart applications, but only one company has so far completed the final inspection requirements to obtain the license and is waiting for the contract to be signed to start its operations.
Al-Assaf explained during statements to the "Kingdom" satellite channel that the system also stipulates fees and specific requirements, among them the necessity of having a non-conviction certificate for members of the boards of directors and company owners, emphasizing that these conditions are obligatory for companies to obtain preliminary approval on their applications, to then be decided upon according to the prevailing system and regulations.
He pointed out that one of the important matters for the Authority is opening the door to investment in the passenger transport sector through smart applications, noting that in terms of opening up competition, there are certain conditions adopted by the Authority, and in case of an increase in numbers or market saturation, the Authority has the power to stop receiving requests or halt opening applications for new companies.
Al-Assaf clarified that the Authority is currently studying the market reality and the submitted applications to determine the companies capable of continuing and competing, noting that many companies have submitted their applications but have not completed the required conditions and standards for licensing.
He added that the high fees, including a financial guarantee of 100,000 dinars per company, make the market competitive and repellent, pointing out that the annual licensing fee is 100,000 dinars, in addition to 70 dinars for each car if the number of cars registered on the application exceeds 3,000 cars, meaning that the competition will be very high, and the company that establishes its presence and earns the trust of citizens and service providers will be the one that remains.
Regarding unlicensed companies, Al-Assaf clarified that most companies that were operating unofficially previously did so in a period when there was no opening for receiving new licensing requests, but now most of these companies have submitted licensing requests and are currently in the process of completing the conditions and requirements to operate legally.
The Authority issued new regulations on December 1, 2025, for organizing passenger transport using smart applications for the year 2025, with the aim of regulating the operation mechanism of service providers, drivers, and vehicles, and ensuring their compliance with the regulatory and technical requirements.
The regulations published by the Official Gazette define the general framework for the operation of companies operating smart applications and grant the Authority the power to supervise, monitor, and prevent any non-compliant practices.
The regulations require service providers to obtain the Authority's approval before operation, to provide it with accurate information about the drivers and vehicles, in addition to linking application systems to tracking data (GPS) and electronic payment, and mandating clear display of driver and trip information to the user through the application.
