Moving to Saudi Arabia

Tax-free earnings on a sponsored, renewable residence permit, in a country with no ordinary route to settlement.

Saudi Arabia hosts one of the largest foreign workforces in the world, and almost all of it lives on a conditional footing. Residence is granted through the iqama, a renewable permit issued on the strength of a sponsor — normally an employer, and for dependants a family member. The permit is a term-limited authorisation to remain while that relationship lasts, not a stage on a path toward settlement, and there is no ordinary route by which years of residence convert into permanent status or nationality.

The framework around that permit has changed considerably. Labour reforms introduced from 2021 loosened the older kafala sponsorship arrangements by allowing many private-sector workers to change employer and to obtain exit and re-entry permits without the employer's consent in defined circumstances. In parallel, Saudization quotas reserve stated proportions of private-sector jobs for Saudi nationals, which shapes directly what roles foreigners can be hired into and in some activities closes them altogether. The Premium Residency programme, which offers permanent and renewable categories obtained without a sponsor, is the closest thing to permanent residence the system contains, and it is priced and gated accordingly.

Social conditions have shifted quickly under the reform programme of recent years: women drive, cinemas and concerts operate, and the sexes mix in most public settings in a way they did not a decade ago. The legal and social environment nonetheless remains conservative and religiously governed, alcohol is prohibited, non-Muslims may not enter Mecca or Medina, and summer heat in much of the country is extreme. Foreign employment is concentrated in energy, construction, health, education and the large state-backed giga-projects.

Why people move to Saudi Arabia

• There is no personal income tax on salaries, so gross pay and take-home pay are close to identical.
• Senior technical, medical and management packages are high by international standards and commonly include housing and schooling allowances.
• Employers must arrange health insurance for employees and sponsored dependants as a condition of the residence permit.
• Labour reforms allow many private-sector workers to change employer and to travel without the sponsor's approval in defined circumstances.
• The Premium Residency programme provides sponsor-free residence, including a permanent option, for those who qualify.
• Large state-backed construction, energy and giga-project programmes sustain steady demand for foreign specialists.

What to know before you commit

• There is no ordinary route to permanent settlement, and citizenship is granted only exceptionally by royal decision rather than by completing a residence period.
• Residence depends on a sponsor: when employment ends the iqama ends with it, and dependants lose status alongside the sponsor.
• Saudization quotas reserve proportions of jobs for Saudi nationals and can close whole occupations to foreigners at short notice.
• A monthly levy is charged for each sponsored dependant, which can materially reduce the value of a family posting.
• Outside senior specialist roles, pay is compressed and varies sharply by nationality and job classification.
• The legal environment is conservative and religiously governed, alcohol is prohibited, and non-Muslims may not enter Mecca or Medina.
• Summer temperatures across much of the country are extreme and shape daily life for several months a year.

The eight guides

Official sources

• Saudi national services portal
• Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs — visa information

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.