SOC 2 attestation in Saudi Arabia

SOC 2 attestation in Saudi Arabia at a glance

Saudi software and cloud companies selling to American customers often meet the same procurement request: provide a SOC 2 report. SOC 2 is an attestation, not a certification, meaning an examination by a licensed CPA firm under AICPA standards of controls relevant to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality or privacy. No Saudi regulator requires it. Locally, the same controls help answer the National Cybersecurity Authority's third-party and cloud computing and hosting requirements in ECC-2:2024, which government agencies and critical national infrastructure operators flow down to suppliers, and SAMA's Cyber Security Framework where providers serve banks, insurers and financing companies. A Type 1 report covers control design at a point in time; a Type 2 report covers operating effectiveness over a period. Sterling's Riyadh office runs readiness, maps controls to the trust services criteria and to the ECC, and organises evidence for the CPA firm's fieldwork; the report itself comes only from the CPA firm. Saudi-specific questions follow.

Who needs SOC 2 in Saudi Arabia, and what happens without it

In Saudi Arabia the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Saudi software and cloud companies selling to US customersCustomers ask for a SOC 2 report in procurement.
• Providers to government agencies and CNI operatorsECC third-party and cloud requirements can be evidenced with the same controls.
• Technology providers to banks and insurersSAMA member organisations flow down cyber security requirements.

SOC 2 requirements in Saudi Arabia

Strip away the vocabulary and SOC 2 asks a service organisation to report on six things about the controls behind its service.

In Saudi Arabia these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: SOC 2 explained →

How to get a SOC 2 report in Saudi Arabia

One team from the Riyadh office carries the work from scoping to report. Clients across the Kingdom, from the Riyadh office; on-site where the work needs it and remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against SOC 2 and the Saudi requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before any external review.
5. The independent examination and reportA licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the report. Sterling supports the examination.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• SOC 2 gap analysis
• SOC 2 implementation plan

How long does SOC 2 attestation take in Saudi Arabia?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Saudi Arabia these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Type 1 versus Type 2 and the length of the observation period
• Number of trust services categories in scope
• Maturity of control evidence

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• What drives the SOC 2 timeline
• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does SOC 2 attestation cost in Saudi Arabia?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the CPA firm’s fees, which are quoted separately. In Saudi Arabia these factors move both.

• Number of trust services categories and systems in scope
• CPA firm fees quoted separately from consulting
• Tooling for evidence collection

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of SOC 2

SOC 2 consultants and auditors in Saudi Arabia

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; a licensed CPA firm then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers SOC 2 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Saudi Arabia are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

SOC 2 in Saudi Arabia: questions clients ask

More on SOC 2 for Saudi organisations

• SOC 2: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement SOC 2
• Accounting and professional services: SOC 2 for the sector
• BPO and shared services: SOC 2 for the sector
• Fintech and payments: SOC 2 for the sector
• Healthcare IT and health BPO: SOC 2 for the sector
• HR, payroll and staffing: SOC 2 for the sector
• MSPs and data centres: SOC 2 for the sector
• SaaS and technology: SOC 2 for the sector
• Sterling in Riyadh
• SOC 2 attestation in Saudi Arabia and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Saudi businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in Saudi Arabia often combine SOC 2 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 23 standards Sterling delivers in Saudi Arabia →