Published: 11:23 PM, 07 October 2026
Expatriate workers get chance to enter Saudi Arabia with families
Saudi Arabia has reformed its visa process for skilled foreign workers, allowing them to bring family members into the country while their own work visa or residency permit (Iqama) is still being processed.
Dubai-based Gulf News and UAE daily Khaleej Times reported the change on Tuesday, citing a notice from the Saudi interior ministry.
The move was coordinated with the foreign ministry and the human resources and social development ministry, the interior ministry said, with the aim of improving living standards for foreign residents and speeding up the entry process for "highly skilled" professionals coming from abroad.
Under the new rules, a skilled foreign worker can secure entry visa applications for specific family members while their own work visa is being processed.
This covers spouses, children under 25, and unmarried daughters.
Previously, migrant workers had to complete their own work visa and residency permit process in Saudi Arabia before applying separately for their families -- a rule that often meant long waits.
The new policy lets workers and their families enter the country together, ending that extended wait.
Once family members arrive in Saudi, their residency permits will be finalised according to standard procedures and regulations.
Migration experts have called the move a "milestone" for attracting professionals to the Gulf nation and easing the resettlement process.
