Saudi Arabia Work Visa & Jobs for Pakistanis & Indians
Saudi work visa: Qiwa work visas with direct company hiring — no middlemen.
Saudi Arabia is hiring on a historic scale — NEOM, the Red Sea projects, Riyadh's expansion — with demand for construction workers, drivers, hospitality staff, technicians, healthcare workers and professionals. Work visas run through the Qiwa platform: your Saudi employer issues the visa, and you can verify your contract and status on Qiwa yourself.
Saudi also offers Premium Residency for those who qualify. The golden rule for the Gulf: never pay 'visa fees' to an agent — in Saudi the employer bears the visa costs, and any agent demanding big upfront payments is a red flag.
✈️ Schengen visa waiver 'very close' (Oct 2026)
The EU Council adopted conclusions at the EU-GCC summit in Riyadh on 24 Oct 2026 to LAUNCH the Schengen waiver process for citizens of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait (only the UAE is visa-free today). If adopted: up to 90 days in 180 across the 29-country Schengen area with no visa — but no right to work or settle. Existing visa rules apply until a waiver is formally in force. See the full story in Visa News on the main site.
🆕 Qiwa instant-visa caps by company age
Saudi firms under 2 years old can get at most 5 instant work visas; firms over 2 years up to 50 — and only with Medium Green+ Saudization, WPS compliance and valid permits. A job offer from a brand-new startup can only ever carry a handful of visas: verify the employer on Qiwa before paying any recruiter. See Visa News for the full breakdown.
🆕 Qiwa goes fully digital: paper contracts dead, no unilateral changes (5 Nov 2026)
Paper employment contracts are no longer recognised — every contract must be authenticated digitally on Qiwa with Nafath login, and your employer cannot change your terms without your electronic consent. Workers flagged 'absent' can now transfer to a new employer after 12 months in the Kingdom — the new employer offers on Qiwa, you accept electronically, and they settle your outstanding permit fees. Instant visa quotas: 5 for firms under 2 years old, 50 for older firms. No agent can sell a Qiwa transfer — it is free and electronic. See Visa News for the full breakdown.
📊 Accounting Saudization now 50% (from 27 Oct 2026)
Private firms with 5+ accounting staff must now fill at least 50% of those roles with Saudis (up from 40%) — and the rate climbs to 60% in Oct 2027 and 70% in Oct 2028. The 44 covered professions include financial managers, controllers, treasury and audit managers. A Saudi counts only if SOCPA-accredited and paid SAR 6,000+/month (bachelor's) or SAR 4,500+ (diploma). Next deadlines: 15% in sports centres/gyms from 18 Nov 2026, 70% in project management from 14 Feb 2027. See Visa News for the full breakdown.
✈️ GCC residents: profession rule GONE for Saudi visit visas (3 Nov 2026)
Residents of the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman can now apply for a Saudi visit visa whatever their job title — the Saudi Tourism Authority removed the approved-professions list on 3 November 2026. You still need a GCC residence permit valid 3+ months and a valid passport; fee about SAR 300 plus insurance and VAT. Covers tourism, business and Umrah. Apply only via visitsaudi.com, nusuk.sa or ksavisa.sa — no agent can sell a 'profession waiver' because the restriction no longer exists. See Visa News for the full breakdown.
🚫 ALL visas halted for travellers from Kenya (from 30 Oct 2026) — UPDATE 6 Nov
Saudi Arabia has suspended travel by its citizens to Kenya, halted issuance of all visa categories for people arriving from Kenya, and barred entry to anyone who has been in Kenya — or any other active-Ebola country — within 21 days before arrival, even via a third country. No end date has been given. Update: 350+ Kenyan workers who flew out on 30 Oct on valid work visas were refused entry, spent 4 days stranded at Sharjah Airport and were flown home on 2 Nov. Kenya has opened diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, while agencies warn 50,000+ already-issued Saudi job visas could expire before the freeze lifts. Update 10 Nov: Africa CDC has called on Saudi Arabia to review the ban, calling Kenya's handling of its single imported cluster 'a good model' — Kenya has gone 18 days with no new case (since 19 Oct), 66 contacts have finished monitoring and 52 remain under observation. As of 11 Nov Saudi Arabia has not responded and the freeze still stands. Update 12 Nov: Kenya discharged its last Ebola patient on 11 Nov and began the 42-day countdown to being declared Ebola-free (expected ~23 Dec) — but the freeze is unchanged, and Kenya says it will not serve as a quarantine destination or issue Ebola-free certificates. If you are a Kenyan worker on leave at home, you may be unable to return until the freeze lifts — and no agent can issue a visa or 'bypass' the ban while it stands. See Visa News for the full breakdown.
Popular work visa routes
Real routes with links to the official immigration websites. Fees and thresholds change — always confirm on the official site.
Work visa via Qiwa
Official platform where Saudi employers issue work visas and contracts — verify yours here.
Official site →Visa quotas for new businesses
New framework (Sep 2026): companies under 2 years old can get at most 5 work visas; firms older than 2 years up to 50 per week; Establishing Programme members start at 2 and grow with their Nitaqat rating. Check the employer's Qiwa record and Nitaqat tier before you accept a job.
Official site →Absent workers: transfer via Qiwa
New (Oct 2026): workers reported 'absent from work' can regularise and move to a new employer through Qiwa — 135,596 already transferred under the MHRSD integration initiative. Needs 12+ months in the Kingdom; the new employer settles unpaid permit fees. Never pay an agent for this — it is done electronically by the hiring employer. See the full story in Visa News on the main site.
Official site →Family visas for skilled workers
New (6 Oct 2026): highly skilled expats can get entry visas for spouse, sons under 25 and unmarried daughters issued concurrently with their own employment-visa process — no more waiting for the iqama first. All conditions still apply; residence permits are completed after arrival in the Kingdom. See the full story in Visa News.
Visa News →Jobs in Saudi Arabia (0 listings)
Live listings from Visa Jobs World. Click any job to view & apply on the main site.