- Effective 15 April 2026, employment contracts for Saudi nationals must undergo electronic verification via the Qiwa portal. Sole registration under the GOSI social insurance scheme no longer qualifies staff for Saudization headcount credits.
- The former yellow transitional compliance tier has been abolished. Non-compliant firms will be immediately reclassified to the red penalty tier with instantaneous enforcement of sanctions.
Saudi labour compliance is judged primarily by six-tier ratings displayed on the Qiwa platform. From Platinum down to Red tier, companies suffer sharp successive cuts to staffing quotas, visa privileges and tender eligibility. The 2026 new policy has scrapped the Yellow transitional grace period; non-compliant firms will be immediately downgraded to Red tier and subjected to comprehensive restrictive penalties.
- Platinum Tier: Top-tier compliance status. No restrictions on work visa quotas, preferential points for government bidding, permission to recruit foreign workers across affiliated entities.
- High Green Tier: Strong compliance standing. Support for bulk visa processing plus full eligibility for government subsidies on local Saudi hires.
- Mid Green Tier: Minimum safe compliance benchmark. Retains basic staffing rights and bidding qualifications; this is the baseline safe rating for overseas enterprises operating in Saudi Arabia.
- Light Green Tier: Warning threshold. Caps new work visa approvals; rating will drop instantly if existing foreign staff leave the company.
- Yellow Tier (Abolished): Former remedial grace tier, completely removed under the 2026 regulatory update.
- Red Tier: Severe non-compliance status. Work visa applications frozen, blocked Iqama residency permit renewals, unrestricted employee job-hopping for your staff, permanent disqualification from government tender bids.
Updated Qiwa Work Visa Quota Rules Effective June 17 – Newly Established Companies Face Immediate Hiring Limits
Qiwa has drastically reduced approval slots for foreign workers, establishing rigid quota barriers:
- Companies incorporated for less than 2 years: capped at only 5 instant visas, with zero quota increases once core project teams are staffed.
- Companies with 2+ years of registration: maximum quota of 50 instant visas. Firms enrolled in government incentive schemes start with merely 2 visas; additional allocations are unlocked gradually only after lifting Saudization levels.
Ten mandatory prerequisites must be satisfied concurrently for any work visa submission. Applications get rejected outright if any requirement fails: active company registration status, Mid Green or higher Saudization rating, full adherence to wage protection laws, sufficient credit standing on the Absher platform, valid residency permits for all employees, and other statutory obligations.
Gonex One-Stop Saudi HR Solution
No need to set up your own legal entity in Saudi Arabia, bear Saudization KPIs or be bound by official visa caps. We deliver end-to-end outsourced HR administration via our self-owned local Saudi legal entities to secure full labour compliance.
We act as the legal Employer of Record on your behalf, conserving your company’s native Qiwa visa quota and bypassing the 5-visa cap for newly founded firms. We deploy your Chinese technical, engineering and procurement personnel on demand. Our entities consistently maintain Mid Green / Platinum Saudization ratings and inherently satisfy all 10 mandatory visa application criteria.
- Manage full-cycle recruitment of Saudi local employees, payroll disbursement and full GOSI social insurance contributions, complying with the SAR 8,000 minimum monthly wage regulation.
- Complete electronic validation of all Saudi staff employment contracts via the Qiwa system for real-time inclusion in official Saudization rate calculations.
- File applications for HRDF government subsidies to claim full wage and vocational training grants and lower net local staffing costs.
- Provide agency support for SCE Saudi engineering registration to formalise credentials for Chinese engineers and validate these staff toward official Saudization headcounts.
Fully Managed Offshore Payroll & HR Outsourcing
We take over all complex overseas HR, social insurance and tax administration work so your business does not need an in-house local Saudi HR team:
✅ Precise local payroll calculation + cross-border compliant salary disbursement
✅ Monthly Saudi tax declarations and timely statutory social insurance payments to avoid fines from incorrect filings or delayed contributions
✅ End-to-end administration for employee onboarding, attendance tracking, permit renewals and offboarding procedures
✅ Local legal support for labour disputes and arbitration to proactively mitigate employment litigation risks
✅ Monthly compliance reports covering Saudization tier status and workforce compliance for real-time visibility of your regulatory standing
Fast Market Entry with Lower Costs & Shorter Overseas Deployment Timelines
Cut months of preparation work for Saudi company incorporation, Ministry of Labour registration and Qiwa account setup – we initiate visa processing right after confirming your requirements. Eliminate heavy overheads for building an on-site local HR team by fully outsourcing HR functions, allowing your team to focus purely on project development and business expansion.
We own physical office premises in Saudi Arabia together with complete legal corporate licenses, sustaining stable Platinum / Green ratings long-term. All payroll payments, social insurance contributions and employment contracts are fully executed and recorded in official government systems instead of paper-based nominal arrangements, completely eliminating audit risks associated with fictitious staffing.
Overseas companies may scan the QR code to connect with our dedicated visa consultants for customised work visa solutions. Our professional offshore HR specialists will reach out within 1 to 2 working days to design long-term compliant staffing frameworks tailored to your business needs. Should you require expatriate visa services for other countries or regions, you may also scan the code to consult our team for targeted solutions.
Why Gonex?
Experienced Management Team: each member in the team has 10+ years experiences in Overseas Human Resources Management, composed of seasoned HR professionals.
Powerful connection: Gonex has established over 10 entities worldwide, along with more than 30 stable partners, together offering the most comprehensive overseas human resource services to our clients.
Strict compliance with laws and regulations: At every step in our service process, Gonex strictly adheres to local laws and regulations, ensuring our clients completely avoid any legal disputes.
Competitive price: Gonex’s services are 20% more affordable compared to other companies in the industry, allowing our clients to allocate more resources to their core business.
What Gonex offer?
Employment of Record: This service helps clients legally hire employees in countries or regions where they do not have a legal entity established.
Payroll BPO service: This includes payroll project implementation plan development, project deployment, payroll calculation, payment of funds, administration of statutory and supplementary benefits, customized reporting, and other comprehensive payroll services.
Global Mobility: Based on the company’s internationalization strategy, the company assigns employees to overseas branches/subsidiaries and handles visa and tax matters in accordance with local policies, while assisting in the compliance management of employees throughout their international assignment life cycle.
GONEX One-Stop Solution: Your strategic partner
Compliance and Legal Adherence: GONEX’s Employer of Record (EOR) service ensures legal compliance in employing local staff.
Cross-Border Payroll and Tax Management: Streamlined payroll services simplify cross-border management.
Flexible Employment Solutions: Adaptable employment services cater to changing business needs.
International Talent Dispatch: Support services facilitate the dispatch of key talent to overseas.
Digital HR Management Platform: Technology-driven solutions enhance management efficiency and cultural integration.
Who do we serve?
Gonex served 70+ clients to expand overseas. The incomes of our clients like Mengniu, Kuaishou and CHINT are up to 192.4 billion.
Let Gonex assist you and your company with handling such complex overseas hiring processes! To access more information on corporate international expansion cases, global employment guidelines, worldwide compensation management, regulations for various regional countries, and factory establishment manuals in different nations, you are welcome to visit the GONEX official website at www.letsgonex.com to download these resources or view our company’s business introduction in PDF format (https://letsgonex.com/in.pdf).
