Immigration

Saudi Arabia | Saudisation expansion, visa policy updates, labour penalties & training requirements

Summary

Saudi Arabia has introduced a series of significant regulatory updates impacting workforce localisation, labour compliance, training obligations and international travel.

Key changes include the expansion of Saudisation to additional administrative roles, increased labour penalties for non-compliance, enhanced trainee quota requirements for private sector employers, and the introduction of visa-free travel with Russia.

The detail

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has announced the following updates:

Saudisation expansion (effective 5 April 2026)

• 69 additional administrative support professions are now subject to 100% Saudisation
• Affected roles include secretarial, translation, data entry, and other administrative functions
• The requirement applies to all private sector establishments with employees in these roles
• An updated procedural guide has been issued outlining compliance requirements

Updated labour violations & penalties

• Significant increases in fines, particularly for:
  • Job title mismatch: now SAR 3,000–10,000
  • Employing foreign nationals in Saudi-only roles: SAR 3,000–10,000
  • Unauthorised employment in restricted roles: SAR 10,000
  • Wage protection violations have been reduced to SAR 300
• Increased focus on compliance with job classification and Saudisation rules

Trainee quota requirements (effective 18 April 2026)

• Companies with 50+ employees must ensure 2% of workforce are Saudi trainees
• Saudi job seekers in training now count toward this quota
• Companies with 5,000+ employees are capped at 100 trainees annually
• Employers must:
  • Implement structured training programs
  • Execute cooperative training contracts
  • Report through the Qiwa Platform

Visa-Free Travel – Saudi Arabia & Russia (Effective 11 May 2026)

• Saudi and Russian nationals may travel visa-free for:
  • Tourism
  • Business
  • Family visits
• Permitted stay: up to 90 days per year
• The exemption does not apply to work, study, residency, or Hajj travel

What this means

• Employers face increased compliance obligations across multiple areas, particularly:
  • Workforce localization and Saudisation
  • Job classification accuracy
  • Work authorisation compliance
• The expansion of Saudisation and higher penalties increase enforcement risks and financial exposure
• The trainee program introduces additional operational and administrative requirements
• The visa-free regime offers greater flexibility for short-term business travel, but strict boundaries remain around work activities

A proactive review of workforce structure, policies, and compliance processes is strongly recommended.

How we can help

• Conduct a comprehensive compliance review across Saudisation, job classification, and labour
• Identify impacted roles and support workforce restructuring strategies
• Support the reporting of trainee program via the Qiwa Platform to ensure compliance
• Provide guidance on business travel vs. work authorization requirements under the new visa-free regime

We continue to monitor regulatory updates and will share further guidance as new information becomes available. For tailored advice, please contact our team.

Contact us

For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:

Anir Chatterji
EMEA Immigration Partner

Ali Ibrahim
Director, KSA and Bahrain Lead

Adel Moumen
Senior Manager Middle East Immigration

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