Question

Suppose the following: You are an HR Director for a US-based company and are preparing to relocate one of your U.S. employees to Saudi Arabia to pursue a large project as part of an international joint venture with three other firms.

Based on your research, what are the visa requirements for this employee to be allowed to work in Saudi Arabia?

What "protections" or requirements are incumbent with the visa (holidays, vacation, minimum wages, taxes)?

How long do you expect the visa process to take and

how does that impact your ability to do business there in the shorter term?

Answer 1

The visa requirements for the employee to be allowed to work in Saudi Arabia are as follows:

• Original employment contract, written in Arabic, signed by the employee
• Original passport of the employee, valid till the term of the employment
• Medical certificate to prove the medical fitness of the employee
• Color photos of the employee of passport size
• Police verification form
• Invitation letter which has been issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia. This will be in the name of the employer

The protections or requirements , incumbent with visa of Saudi Arabia are as follows:

• Compensation must be divided into base salary, HRA and transport allowances
• 40-48 hour week is the maximum work limit
• Statutory vacation leave, at minimum is 30 days
• Around 4 months of sick leave is allowed if the employee is submitting medical certificate
• Tax on the employee is estimated at 10%

The visa processing time varies from 1- 3 weeks. In that time, the business needs to manage the work with its internal resources.