Salamah Platform: Civil Defense Facility Licensing Online
Salamah is the electronic portal of the General Directorate of Civil Defense, through which facilities obtain, renew, amend and cancel Civil Defense licenses without visiting a Civil Defense center. On 16 August 2026, the Insurance Authority, working with Civil Defense, launched a third-party cooperative insurance policy for crowded places and high-risk activities and announced that it will become a key requirement for the Civil Defense license of activities subject to mandatory insurance.
What is Salamah?
In February 2017, Civil Defense announced the upcoming launch of the Salamah e-service for issuing and renewing safety licenses online, starting in the Makkah, Riyadh and Eastern Province regions before the rest of the Kingdom. The service grew into a full portal developed by Elm. In May 2024, the Minister of Interior launched its updated identity with two new services, license amendment and extension and the investor journey statement, bringing its e-services to 34 through the Absher Business platform.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Authority | General Directorate of Civil Defense |
| Users | Investors and facility owners, safety and elevator companies, and engineering and technical services offices |
| Facility services | Issuing, renewing and canceling the Civil Defense license, transferring its ownership, and amending and extending licenses |
| Provider services | Approval of companies and offices on the portal, safety tool invoices and installation certificates, technical reports, and maintenance contracts |
| Number of services | 34 e-services through Absher Business after the May 2024 update |
| New in 2026 | Third-party cooperative liability insurance among the license requirements for activities subject to mandatory insurance |
How the licensing path is set
According to the portal fact sheet published by Elm, activities follow one of two paths. Low- and medium-risk activities, called direct activities, are licensed by Civil Defense directly once a safety tools invoice or a technical report is issued, depending on the activity, and its data is entered in the application; licenses for low-risk activities are issued instantly. High-risk activities, called indirect activities, require a contract with a safety company and maintenance contracts, after which Civil Defense starts inspection before issuing the license.
The investor journey statement service shows which path an activity follows, and the portal lists the approved safety and elevator companies an owner can contract with.
New in 2026: third-party insurance as a license requirement
The Insurance Authority, with Civil Defense, has launched a third-party cooperative insurance policy for crowded places and high-risk activities, mandatory under Council of Ministers Resolution No. 103 and applied in several phases. It covers a facility’s civil liability for bodily injury and property damage to visitors and patrons, with compensation varying by activity type and risk level.
The Authority gives examples of activities currently subject to mandatory insurance: chemical warehouses, used oil storage, hazardous medical waste storage, wholesale of all types of wood, general warehouses holding a variety of goods, tire warehouses, paint manufacturing and industrial detergent manufacturing. The policy is submitted as part of the requirements for the Civil Defense license.
Practical steps now
- Use the investor journey statement service to confirm your activity’s licensing path before contracting or fitting out.
- If your activity is subject to mandatory insurance, obtain the policy from a licensed insurer approved for the product before applying to issue or renew the license.
- Contract a safety company approved on the portal, and keep maintenance contracts, safety tool invoices and technical reports up to date.
- Track your license expiry date and apply for renewal on time; do not wait for an inspection to find system faults.
- Keep approved drawings, test and commissioning certificates and maintenance records ready for inspection.
For more detail, see our Civil Defense fire safety approval guide and our guide to Civil Defense requirements for buildings and facilities.
Is your facility ready for its Civil Defense license or renewal? AZEIDK provides Civil Defense approval support, documentation and final handover and annual maintenance contracts. Request a facility assessment
