Finance for Non-Finance Professionals in Saudi Arabia

Yes. This finance for non-finance professionals course is at beginner level and assumes no accounting background, only comfort with percentages. It suits managers, department heads, project and HR professionals, and business owners who meet budgets, invoices and reports at work. Lessons start with plain-language financial literacy, then move through financial statements, budgets, VAT, zakat and people costs using SAR examples and the ZATCA and GOSI rules that affect Saudi employers. Each lesson ends with a short check, so you can see your progress before you reach the module quiz.

VAT is a tax on most goods and services, and zakat is an obligation on eligible businesses. The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) administers both. Which one applies to your organisation depends on its ownership and registration, so confirm with your finance team. Module 6 explains how VAT and zakat differ from income tax, how VAT timing affects cash, and when to escalate a question before you sign a contract or approve a payment.

Start with the three blocks: what the company owns (assets), what it owes (liabilities) and what remains for owners (equity). Module 2 gives a 10-minute reading routine and shows how the balance sheet links to the income statement and cash flow statement of a Saudi case company. Module 3 then explains why accounting follows IFRS as endorsed by the Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA), so you can interpret financial statements and the notes behind them with confidence.

E-invoicing is the electronic invoicing system, known as Fatoora, that the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) introduced. ZATCA rolls it out in phases, and the date that applies to a business depends on ZATCA announcements, so check the ZATCA website for your wave. Lesson 6.4 explains what changes for sales, procurement and operations teams, from invoice content to approvals, so managers can support compliance without needing technical detail.

End-of-service benefits build up with each year of service, so they are a liability even in years when nobody leaves. The Labour Law sets the rules in Articles 84 to 88, and the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) sets separate contribution obligations. Module 7 shows how to build the full cost of one employee, add Nitaqat and expatriate costs, and include the liability in a headcount budget. Confirm current rules with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) before finalising numbers.

Islamic finance structures funding around trade, leasing and asset ownership instead of interest. In Murabaha, a bank buys an asset and sells it to the customer at a disclosed profit margin. In Ijarah, the financier leases an asset to the customer. Sukuk are certificates that represent ownership in assets or projects. Module 11 explains these products in plain language and shows how to compare an offer from a bank regulated by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) on cost, tenor, fees and guarantees.

State the decision, the cost, the expected benefit and the key assumptions on one page, then test them. Module 10 teaches payback, return on investment, NPV and IRR as investment appraisal tools, plus a sensitivity check for lower sales, and walks you through a one-page business case. For projects with government clients, Module 11 explains how procurement through the Etimad platform, retention and performance guarantees affect cash timing, so your budgeting and forecasting assumptions stay realistic.

Each of the 13 modules ends with a 10-question quiz. The final assessment has 50 questions, a 60-minute time limit, a pass mark of 70% and up to 3 attempts. Questions cover financial statements, budgets, ZATCA VAT and e-invoicing, GOSI and end-of-service costs, Etimad procurement and controls. The capstone, the Financial Impact Assessment, is self-assessed against a rubric. When you pass the final assessment, your Imtithal Academy Certificate of Completion is issued.

No. You receive an Imtithal Academy Certificate of Completion after you finish the course and pass the final assessment. It is not a licence, a professional qualification or a government accreditation, and no authority such as ZATCA, MHRSD or SOCPA issues it. It is useful as evidence of course completion on a CV, LinkedIn profile or employer training record, and it shows you completed this finance for non-finance professionals course.

No. The course is education that helps you understand finance, VAT, zakat and labour-cost concepts so you can ask better questions and prepare better reports. It does not replace advice from a licensed tax adviser, accountant or lawyer. Rules, rates and deadlines from ZATCA, GOSI and MHRSD change, so confirm current figures on the official websites before you act. Lessons include prompts called Ask Finance to help you take the right questions to your finance team.