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Saudi Arabia had a sharp surge in the number of expats because of the simplification of the visa regime and the fact that the Kingdom remains attractive for foreign business.
Numbers. The number of non-Saudi citizens who signed up for the Kingdom's social insurance program (mandatory for most employees) increased sharply from 198,803 in the second quarter of 2022 to 1,183,577 in the third quarter of 2022, representing an almost sixfold increase, according to a report by the General Statistical Office.
Example. Deloitte places most of its 6,000-strong regional workforce in Saudi Arabia and says their number will "grow significantly year after year," Deloitte Middle East CEO Mutasem Dajani told Al Arabiya English.
Context. Several government initiatives have prompted companies to expand their operations in Saudi Arabia, including the announcement in February 2021 that by the end of 2023, enterprises should establish a regional headquarters in the country to work under government contracts. As a result, 44 multinational corporations, including Deloitte, Unilever, and Siemens, agreed to move their regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia.
In March 2021, new labor laws came into force, allowing employees to change jobs without having their employer's approval.
Changing the exit and re-entry visa system has given employees more leeway to travel outside the Kingdom without having permission from their employer on each trip.
In early 2021, the government also introduced a new temporary work visa allowing short-term workers to stay in the country for 90 days. Along with changes to visitor visas for tourists, including a visa on arrival for some passport holders, introduced in September 2022, these reforms have radically opened the country to foreigners.
Source: Al Arabiya
Photo by Mohammed Hassan on Unsplash
