RIYADH: A deadline has been set for foreign workers residing in Saudi Arabia concerning their employment permits. Workers with expired permits after June 30 will be removed from the official records.
According to a report by the Saudi Gazette, the “Qawa” platform, which operates under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, has warned that foreign workers whose work permits have been expired for more than three months will be automatically removed from the records of relevant institutions starting July 1.
Employers have until June 30 to either renew the work permits of their employees or complete the necessary steps to transfer their services to another institution.
The agency clarified that if a worker’s work permit has been overdue for more than three months, their name will be automatically deleted from the agency’s records. However, the employer will remain responsible for all outstanding financial obligations and fees until the worker is officially removed from the records.
In some cases, a worker will not be removed from the records if their work permit has expired but their residence permit remains valid for at least 180 days. In such instances, the worker’s registration may be maintained, even if the agency is unable to renew the work permit immediately.
If the remaining period of the residence permit is less than 180 days, the employer must renew both the residence and the work permit; otherwise, appropriate action will be taken.
The Qawa platform has urged all employers to pay any outstanding work permit fees as soon as possible and to take immediate steps to legalize the status of affected employees, whether through renewing work permits or transferring their services, to avoid legal action and additional financial liabilities.
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