Qiwa’s new visa cap means Saudization starts at company formation

The Human Resource Ministry’s Qiwa platform has capped instant work visas for newly established businesses at five — tying foreign recruitment capacity to Saudization compliance from day one, the Saudi Gazette reports. Companies less than two years old are now limited to five instant visas, but those operating for more than two years can access up to 50 per week through single or multiple applications at entity level.

The incentive structure is straightforward: Businesses enrolled in the establishment program start with two visas, with headroom expanding as Saudization rates improve. The more locals hired, the more foreign recruitment capacity is unlocked.

Qiwa set out 10 conditions for firms seeking to recruit non-Saudi workers — active operations, valid employee work permits, valid commercial registration where required, Medium Green Nitaqat classification or above, Wage Protection Law compliance, sufficient financial credit on Interior Ministry platforms, completed annual self-assessments for eligible firms, employee location registration through Qiwa, an employer aged 18 or above, and an available recruitment quota for the visa type requested.

SOUND SMART- Nitaqat classifies Saudi companies into color-coded bands — Platinum, High Green, Mid Green, Low Green, and Red (non-compliant) — based on the share of Saudi nationals in their workforce. The higher the band, the more access a company gets to foreign recruitment visas and other government services.

Three visa categories apply — permanent work visas for long-term contracts, temporary work visas for engagements of three months or less, and Hajj and Umrah seasonal visas subject to ministry approval.

Why it matters: New businesses can no longer import a founding team and figure out Saudization later — the local hiring requirement now kicks in at inception. It’s the earliest stage the compliance regime has reached.

REMEMBER- The Kingdom set a target to increase nationalization rates in 269 professions across sectors including engineering, dentistry, accounting, and pharma. The Human Resources Ministry later expanded its 100% Saudization mandate to cover 69 administrative support professions. Meanwhile, the localization rate for marketing and sales professions is now 60% for private sector firms with three or more employees in these roles.

AND- No starting work without a fitness screening

New mandatory health screenings for all employees: The Human Resources Ministry is rolling out mandatory occupational fitness and non-communicable disease screenings for all workers in the Kingdom in three phases, according to a ministerial guide seen by Okaz. New hires cannot start work until their screening result is approved by an occupational medicine specialist.

The plan: The rollout begins with pre-employment screening in the first six months, then it will expand to existing employees at high-risk establishments in months seven through 18 and will reach full compliance across all sectors — including public entities, non-profits, temporary and seasonal workers, trainees, people with disabilities, and remote workers — in the third phase. Employees who fail to meet fitness requirements cannot continue in their role; establishments must reassign them or conduct additional tests to verify capacity.

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