During this period of tremendous expansion, Saudi Arabia has introduced a new Temporary Work Visa to meet the growing need for competent short-term employees in the kingdom.
The new Temporary Work Visa was designed to streamline and expedite bringing in temporary labor.
This is a change from the old Work Visit Visa, which was mostly limited to specialised and specific roles, such as engineering, frequently utilised in the oil industry’s rotational workforce in the eastern province.
According to Sara Khoja, an attorney at Clyde & Co in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the new visa is a game changer because it allows a far broader spectrum of people to enter the country.
Working visas in the kingdom have primarily been limited to male laborers or elderly female workers, typically over the age of 40.
However, the new Temporary Work Visa simplifies the invitation procedures, making it more accessible and flexible to a broader demography of employees.
The Temporary Work Visa is substantially easier for international workers than the prior visa. “You need someone in Saudi Arabia who actually invites you; they will be sponsoring the visa,” Köllisch explained.
“So that entity should have a commercial register within Saudi Arabia; that entity must be a Saudi commercial or Saudi entity, either a single merchant in Saudi Arabia, a branch of a company, or an independent company itself; it must be distinct.”
“It’s not something that an individual could apply for or obtain by themselves,” Khoja explained.
“It must [come from] a Saudi company that is well-established, registered with all relevant authorities, and registered with the Ministry of Human Resources.” And it would apply through an electronic platform for this business of bringing in a temporary employee.”
The visa is normally valid for a year, however, it enables access into Saudi Arabia for up to 90 days at a time during the year.
