How to choose ERP software in Saudi Arabia (2026): a checklist

ERP software for a Saudi business is one system that runs accounting with 15% VAT, sales, purchasing, stock and often the point of sale; since Phase 2 of ZATCA e-invoicing, it is also the system that sends your invoices to the authority. This checklist sets out what to check in any ERP for Saudi Arabia, what to ask each vendor and how to compare prices fairly. It does not rank vendors.

Short answer

• No one ERP suits every Saudi business; it depends on what you sell, how many tills and warehouses you run, and whether you need payroll in the same subscription.
• Check first that ZATCA Phase 2 is inside the product: tax invoices cleared before the buyer gets them, simplified invoices reported within 24 hours, certificates in your name, and credit and debit notes.
• Xrero is cloud ERP in Arabic and English and one option among several. In Saudi Arabia it is provided by SIF International, Riyadh, at SAR 101 per user a month (billed as AED 99), with set-up from SAR 3,062 (AED 2,999).
• Xrero (X-R-E-R-O) is not Xero. Xero (X-E-R-O) is a separate accounting application from Xero Limited, a New Zealand company; the two are unrelated.

Updated 6 November 2026 · Prepared by the Xrero team in Dubai

What does ZATCA Phase 2 mean for your ERP choice?

Phase 2, the integration phase, has applied since 1 January 2023 and reaches businesses in waves; ZATCA notifies each group at least six months ahead. Wave 25 covers businesses whose VAT-able revenue exceeded SAR 187,500 in 2022, 2023, 2024 or 2025, and they must integrate with the Fatoora platform by 1 February 2027. From your wave's date, your ERP sends each tax invoice to ZATCA for clearance before the buyer receives it, and reports each simplified invoice within 24 hours. A separate e-invoicing connector therefore becomes part of your accounting.

What should be on your ERP checklist?

Area	What to check	Why it matters
ZATCA Phase 2	Clearance, 24-hour reporting, and credit and debit notes inside the product	A connector is another system to pay for and keep
Onboarding	A one-time code from your own Fatoora account; a certificate per invoicing device	Certificates belong to your business, not the vendor
Testing first	Onboarding on ZATCA's simulation environment before production	Errors show up before real invoices go out
Arabic	Arabic invoice fields, English beside them, the QR code on the printed invoice	ZATCA requires invoices in Arabic
Tills and online sales	Every device that issues simplified invoices onboarded, with an offline queue	Each one must be reported within 24 hours
Stock and purchasing	In the same books as sales	No second count to reconcile
Payroll	Included, an add-on, or not offered	It changes the real cost
Records	Export of invoices, XML files and ZATCA responses; where data is hosted	You must be able to show your records later
Price	Per user or per plan, VAT, set-up and extras, in writing	A cheap plan can cost more once extras are added
Provider	Who in the Kingdom onboards devices, moves data and trains staff	Onboarding is done with you

What should you ask every ERP vendor in a demo?

• Can you clear a tax invoice and report a simplified invoice in front of us?
• Whose name is on the certificates?
• Can we onboard on the simulation environment first?
• How do we correct an invoice that ZATCA has cleared?
• What happens to till sales when the internet drops?
• Can we export the XML files and ZATCA's responses ourselves?
• Is Phase 2 in the plan we are buying, or an extra?
• Who supports us in Saudi Arabia, in which language and at what hours?

ZATCA calls its Solution Providers Directory a guiding, non-binding list, not an approval. Seeing invoices cleared in front of you tells you more.

How do you compare ERP prices in Saudi Arabia fairly?

• Per user or per plan? Some plans include a set number of users; others charge per user. Price your real headcount.
• Is VAT included? Some vendors quote with VAT, some without.
• What is extra? Tills, inventory, payroll or a higher plan for Phase 2.
• Set-up in writing: who moves the data, runs the ZATCA onboarding and trains the team, and at what price.
• Leaving: put a full export of invoices, XML files and ZATCA responses in the quote.

For reference, Xrero publishes its figures on xrero.com/saudi: SAR 101 per user a month, billed as AED 99 (AED 83 on the annual plan), with no annual maintenance fee; a one-time set-up from SAR 3,062 (AED 2,999) covering data, ZATCA onboarding and training; and a 15-day trial, no card. Billing is in UAE dirhams.

Where does Xrero fit, and where does it not?

Xrero is one option to put through the same checklist. Its Saudi edition, offered by SIF International in Riyadh (Commercial Registration 7050213813), includes ZATCA Phase 2 clearance and reporting, accounting with 15% VAT and a SOCPA-style chart of accounts, sales, purchasing, inventory and point of sale, in Arabic and English. Its Phase 2 integration was validated on ZATCA's developer sandbox on 18 September 2026; that is a test result, not an approval, and Xrero is not listed in ZATCA's directory today. Data is hosted in Frankfurt (EU); support is on WhatsApp, Sunday to Thursday, Riyadh hours.

It is a closer fit for trading, distribution and retail businesses that buy, stock and sell. Payroll, GOSI and Mudad are not among the features listed for the Saudi edition, so it does not fit if you need them in the same subscription today; ask us. A group with companies in several countries should test its consolidation needs with any vendor, us included.

What do business owners ask most?

Which ERP is best for a business in Saudi Arabia in 2026?

No one ERP suits every Saudi business; it depends on yours. Use the checklist above: Phase 2 inside the product, certificates in your name, Arabic invoices, stock and tills in the same books, a written price and a provider in the Kingdom. Xrero is one option to test against it.

Does an ERP have to be on ZATCA's solution-provider list?

ZATCA describes the list as guiding and non-binding, not an approval. Ask each vendor what it has tested on ZATCA's environments, and when. Xrero is not listed in it today.

Is accounting software enough, or do I need an ERP?

Accounting software can be enough if you invoice services and hold no stock. Once you buy and sell goods, run tills or keep a warehouse, an ERP keeps purchasing, stock, sales and the ledger in one record.

Does Xrero include payroll or GOSI in Saudi Arabia?

Not as listed today: payroll, GOSI and Mudad are not among the features listed for the Saudi edition. Ask us first.

Is Xrero the same as Xero?

No. Xrero (X-R-E-R-O) is cloud business software built and supported in Dubai. Xero (X-E-R-O) is a separate accounting application from Xero Limited, a New Zealand company. The two are unrelated.

Where can you check these rules?

• ZATCA: e-invoicing roll-out phases
• ZATCA: criteria for Wave 25 of the integration phase
• ZATCA: e-invoicing frequently asked questions

See SIF International, start the 15-day Saudi trial (no card), or call Riyadh on +966 54 775 0700.