Companies in Palestine are entered in the سجل الشركات (Companies Registry), kept by the مراقب الشركات (Registrar of Companies) within the وزارة الاقتصاد الوطني (Ministry of National Economy). Business registrations are filed through the government portal palbusiness.gov.ps, and registry announcements are published in the official gazette.
The company registry in Palestine
The governing instrument is قرار بقانون رقم (42) لسنة 2021م بشأن الشركات (Decree Law No. 42 of 2021 on Companies), implemented by نظام إدارة وإجراءات ورسوم سجل الشركات رقم (6) لسنة 2022م (Regulation No. 6 of 2022 on the administration, procedures and fees of the Companies Register). The Registrar of Companies is appointed by the Minister and decides on registration applications.
Article 7 of the Decree Law defines the Companies Registry as a unified central electronic database containing companies, their data and their registered documents, maintained by a department of the ministry. That single database is the register: Palestine does not operate separate company registers by governorate.
Registration is time-bound by law. A name reservation is confirmed on the day the application is made, and the Registrar decides on a registration application within five working days of submission. Under Article 6 the certificate of registration issued by the Registrar is definite proof that the company exists and is established and registered.
One caveat on scope. Palestinian company registration historically ran under the Jordanian Companies Law No. 12 of 1964 in the West Bank, as amended by Decree Law No. 3 of 2006, and ministry material on company registration still refers to that law; in Gaza the Mandate-era companies ordinance applied. The text of Decree Law No. 42 of 2021 does not itself contain any provision addressing territorial scope or the unification of the two systems, so the practical extent of its application in Gaza could not be confirmed from the official text.
Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are not part of the Companies Registry: an individual trading on their own account registers a commercial name and licence rather than a company, and the registry covers the company forms listed below.
Legal forms that can be registered in Palestine
Article 3 of the Decree Law recognises five company forms, and the law provides for two further special categories.
- شركة التضامن (General Partnership) — composed of natural persons, not fewer than two and not more than twenty, who are jointly liable for the obligations of the company.
- شركة التوصية (Limited Partnership) — requires at least one general partner and one limited partner, with a maximum of twenty partners; the general partner is liable without limit while the limited partner is liable only up to the contribution.
- الشركة ذات المسؤولية المحدودة (Limited Liability Company) — may be composed of one person or more, with liability limited to the capital subscribed. The standard vehicle for private business.
- الشركة المساهمة الخصوصية (Private Shareholding Company) — may be composed of one shareholder or more; its shares are not offered to the public.
- الشركة المساهمة العامة (Public Shareholding Company) — the form used where shares are offered to the public, and the only route to listing on the Palestine Exchange.
- شركات الخدمات المهنية (Professional Services Companies) — a special form for the joint practice of a regulated profession.
- الشركات غير الربحية (Non-profit Companies) — companies formed for non-profit objects, for which the number of shareholders must not be fewer than seven.
The Decree Law does not set minimum capital figures for these forms in the text consulted; capital requirements for particular sectors follow from the licensing legislation for the activity concerned.
Information available from the Palestinian registry
Article 14 of the Decree Law defines what the Companies Registry holds and makes available. It lists the company name, the registration number, the headquarters, the financial accounts, the members of the board of directors, and any other information and documents specified in the law. The inclusion of financial accounts among registry data is notable: in many jurisdictions accounts sit outside the register entirely.
The second publicity channel is the official gazette. The Registrar publishes إعلان تسجيل الشركات (company registration announcements) listing companies registered with the Companies Controller by form and by year, and also publishes striking-off decisions, such as the 2022 decision removing a set of private shareholding companies from the register. The gazette is available through the electronic reference of the official gazette at mjr.ogb.gov.ps, so a company existence and removal can be traced through published notices.
What the registry does not offer is a public beneficial-ownership layer. No publicly searchable register of beneficial owners for Palestine could be confirmed on an official source, and the Decree Law text consulted does not establish one. Ownership information beyond the shareholders and board members recorded in the registry is therefore not available as a public search.
Documents that can be obtained from the registry
- شهادة التسجيل (Certificate of Registration) — the Registrar certificate which, under Article 6 of the Decree Law, is definite proof that the company exists and is established and registered. The primary document for banks, tenders and counterparties.
- حجز الاسم (Name reservation) — confirmation that the proposed company name is reserved, issued on the day of application and required before registration.
- عقد التأسيس والنظام الأساسي (Memorandum and articles of association) — the constitutional documents registered with the Companies Registry and held in the company file.
- مستخرج من سجل الشركات (Extract from the Companies Registry) — a statement of the registered particulars listed in Article 14, including name, number, headquarters and board members.
- الحسابات المالية (Financial accounts) — the accounts recorded in the registry as part of the company data under Article 14.
- إعلانات وقرارات مراقب الشركات (Announcements and decisions of the Companies Controller) — the published registration announcements and striking-off decisions, obtainable from the official gazette.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who registers companies in Palestine?
The Registrar of Companies at the Ministry of National Economy, who maintains the Companies Registry and decides on registration applications.
Which law governs Palestinian companies?
Decree Law No. 42 of 2021 on Companies, with Regulation No. 6 of 2022 governing the administration, procedures and fees of the Companies Register. Ministry material on registration also still refers to the earlier Jordanian Companies Law No. 12 of 1964 as amended in 2006.
How long does registration take?
The Registrar decides on a registration application within five working days of submission, and a name reservation is confirmed on the day it is requested.
How many shareholders does a Palestinian company need?
One or more for a limited liability company and for a private shareholding company; two to twenty for a general partnership; at least one general and one limited partner for a limited partnership; and at least seven for a non-profit company.
Are Palestinian company accounts public?
Article 14 of the Decree Law lists financial accounts among the data held in the Companies Registry, so accounts form part of registry data rather than sitting outside it.
Sources
- وزارة الاقتصاد الوطني (Ministry of National Economy) — mne.gov.ps
- eRegistrations, بوابة الأعمال الفلسطينية (Palestinian business portal) — palbusiness.gov.ps
- قرار بقانون رقم (42) لسنة 2021م بشأن الشركات (Decree Law No. 42 of 2021 on Companies) — mjr.ogb.gov.ps
- نظام إدارة وإجراءات ورسوم سجل الشركات رقم (6) لسنة 2022م (Regulation No. 6 of 2022) — mjr.ogb.gov.ps
- Companies Law, unofficial English translation published on the business portal — palbusiness.gov.ps
- ديوان الجريدة الرسمية (Official Gazette Bureau) — ogb.gov.ps
- Palestinian Investment Promotion Agency, registering a business — pipa.ps
- الجهاز المركزي للإحصاء الفلسطيني, إحصاءات المنشآت (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, establishments) — pcbs.gov.ps
Keywords
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