Saudi Arabia introduces permanent residency and regulates expatriate outsourcing

At a glance

• Saudi Arabia launches a permanent residency scheme for expatriates, removing sponsorship requirements and offering enhanced privileges.
• The scheme targets experts in priority sectors like AI, medicine, and renewable energy, with eligibility tied to legal and health criteria.
• Applications are processed via the National Unified Platform for Premium Residency.
• New regulations now govern the outsourcing of expatriate workers between businesses via the Ajeer platform.
• Labour secondment permits formalise shared worker arrangements under direct employer supervision.

Saudi Arabia continues to modernise its immigration and labour frameworks with two developments aimed at attracting global talent and regulating workforce mobility. The introduction of a permanent residency scheme marks a significant shift in the Kingdom’s approach to expatriate settlement, while new outsourcing regulations bring structure and oversight to inter-company labour sharing. These initiatives reflect a broader strategy to enhance competitiveness, streamline administration, and support strategic sectors.

New permanent residency scheme for expatriates

Saudi Arabia has launched a new permanent residency system through its General Directorate of Passports, offering long-term settlement options for expatriates at a fee of SAR4,000. The scheme removes the traditional sponsorship requirement and provides access to government services, banking, education, and healthcare. Residents can also sponsor family members for legal residence.

The scheme targets professionals in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, cardiac surgery, oncology, renewable energy, space technology, and urban planning. Eligible applicants must maintain a clean criminal record, demonstrate stable legal income, and prove continuous legal residence. Entrepreneurs, investors in priority sectors, and elderly residents with over ten years of legal residence may also qualify.

Applications are submitted via the National Unified Platform for Premium Residency, with successful applicants required to pass medical exams and prove freedom from communicable diseases.

Regulations for outsourcing expatriate services approved

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has implemented new regulations to govern the outsourcing of expatriate workers between establishments. Under the new framework, businesses can share workers via the Ajeer digital platform, while workers remain under the supervision of their primary employer.

The system introduces labour secondment permits, formalising arrangements between companies and ensuring contractual clarity. These regulations are part of broader efforts to regulate the labour market and improve transparency in workforce management.