Search Results for: Saudi Arabia

September 29, 2017

Following the implementation on 3rd September 2017 of stricter Saudization requirements for businesses, the Ministry of Labour (MOL) and the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) have introduced the “Parallel Nitaqat” system, to allow employers to buy into the required saudization category instead of hiring Saudi nationals. “Parallel Nitaqat” aims to help employers who are struggling […]

August 30, 2017

The Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD) and the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) have announced an agreement to require foreign engineers to demonstrate at least five years of professional engineering experience to be eligible for work permits. The new agreement strengthens the previous requirement, implemented a few months ago, that foreign engineers […]

August 10, 2017

The Ministry of Labour and Social Development will implement a new version of its Nitaqat grading programme for companies, meaning stricter Saudization requirements for businesses, from 3rd September 2017. The Ministry has also announced that it only approved 37% of work visa applications in 2016 (316,212 out of 849,228). What is Changing? Under the new […]

July 5, 2017

Effective 1st July 2017, as expected, a monthly levy of SAR 100 (approximately USD 27) must be paid for each foreign national dependent resident in Saudi Arabia. In addition, from January 2018, the monthly levy on foreign national employees in companies where the number of foreign national employees exceeds the number of Saudi employees will double to […]

June 23, 2017

In December 2016 it was first announced by the Saudi government that, to help boost the countries revenues amid weak oil prices, they were to introduce an “expat levy” which would start on  1st July.  It is important for us to stress that the Saudi government have yet to release further details of the levy since […]

October 4, 2016

In the interests of improving the Saudi economy and restructuring the country"s immigration system in accordance with Vision 2030, the Saudi government has made some considerable changes to the available validity period of work visit and commercial visit visas. The…

September 29, 2016

As part of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has announced the implementation of "Weighted Nitaqat" (or Nitaqat Al- Mozoon) as an enhanced version of their Nitaqat program. Initially, the Nitiqat program was intended to increase the number of Saudi Arabian nationals…

September 15, 2016

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Labour (MOL) has introduced a local labour market test, and has dramatically increased the fees for several visa types, in an effort to improve the country"s "Saudization" policy. Taqat introduced to aid Saudization Over 90%…

August 19, 2016

The Ministry of Labour in Saudi Arabia has announced the introduction of a Labour Market Test for the application of new Block visas and a subsequent increase in visa application fees. Labour Market Test On 1st August 2016, the Ministry…

August 3, 2016

As part of Saudi Arabia"s National Transformation Plan, it has been proposed that the country begin to charge income tax on the wages of foreign nationals. The tax-free status of Saudi Arabia and its neighbouring Gulf states has attracted millions…