Saudi Arabia Ties Work Visa Quotas to Company Age, Compliance & Saudization Performance

RIYADH, August 26, 2026 — Saudi Arabia has revised its work visa quotas for newly established businesses, capping instant visas based on company age, participation in the Establishment Programme, and Nitaqat compliance .

The new framework, announced through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development's Qiwa platform, ties foreign recruitment capacity to Saudization performance from day one, marking a significant shift in how newly established businesses can access work visas .

Published: August 26, 2026 | By VisasUpdate.com Editorial Team

Saudi Arabia revises work visa quotas tying foreign recruitment to Saudization performance. (Image: Qiwa Platform / MHRSD)

Revised Work Visa Quotas at a Glance

Business Category	Visa Quota
Less than 2 years old	Up to 5 work visas
More than 2 years old	Up to 50 work visas (single or multiple applications within same week)
Establishment Programme	Initially 2 visas, with opportunity to increase

Tying Visas to Saudization Compliance

The revised quota system means new businesses can no longer import a founding team and address Saudization later — the local hiring requirement now takes effect at company formation . This aligns with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goal of increasing national employment in the private sector.

Key Points:

• Businesses operating for less than two years may obtain up to five work visas

• Businesses that have been operating for over two years can acquire up to 50 work visas, either through one application or several applications submitted within the same week at the entity level

• Businesses participating in the Establishment Programme initially receive two work visas, with the opportunity to increase their quota as they progress through the programme and achieve a higher Nitaqat rate

10 Conditions for Recruiting Non-Saudi Workers

To recruit non-Saudi workers from abroad, businesses must meet the following conditions :

#	Condition
1	Maintain active business status
2	Hold valid work permits for all employees
3	Possess valid commercial registration
4	Meet Saudisation requirements (Medium Green category or above)
5	Comply with the Wage Protection System
6	Maintain sufficient balances on platforms such as Absher or Muqeem
7	Complete annual self-assessment (for firms with 10+ employees)
8	Register employee work locations on Qiwa
9	Employer must be at least 18 years old
10	Maintain available recruitment quota based on visa type

Visa Categories Available

The Qiwa platform outlined three types of work visas :

Category	Details
Permanent Work Visa	Issued for long-term employment of non-Saudi workers under regular employment contracts
Temporary Work Visa	Available for short-term employment contracts lasting up to three months
Hajj & Umrah Work Visa	Intended for workers during the Hajj and Umrah seasons; requires MHRSD approval

What This Means for Employers

The revised framework requires employers to:

1. Plan Saudization from inception — New businesses can no longer delay local hiring

2. Achieve Medium Green Nitaqat classification — Essential for work visa access

3. Maintain compliance across multiple platforms — Qiwa, Absher, Muqeem

4. Build localization into organizational design — The more locals hired, the more foreign recruitment capacity is unlocked

Employers should confirm their visa quota through the Qiwa platform and ensure all 10 recruitment conditions are met before applying for work visas .

Read Also

• Saudi Arabia Increases Saudization to 70% for Project Management Professions from February 2027

• Saudi Arabia Explains Rules for Multiple-Entry Umrah Visas: New Nusuk Booking & Permit Needed for Each Visit

• Saudi Arabia Launches New Training Visa for International Trainees, Approves State Revenues Law in Major Vision 2030 Push

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