Saudi Arabia: Removal of Requirement to Advertise Vacancies on Taqat Website

Saudi Arabia’s government has abolished the requirement to advertise a vacancy on the Human Resources Development Fund’s online national jobs portal (Taqat) before an employer can recruit a foreign national.

Previously, the vacancy had to be advertised on Taqat for 7–45 days depending on the employer’s compliance with its Saudisation requirements (aimed at promoting Saudi nationals in the workplace). Employers were required to show that there were no suitable Saudi nationals for the vacancy before they were allowed to apply for a visa to recruit a foreign national.

Now, a Ministerial Decision of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development has abolished the requirement. As a result, employers may submit an online request to the Ministry of Labour for a visa to recruit a foreign national. The work authorization process for foreign nationals is otherwise unchanged.

Comment

The change is likely to reduce the overall time necessary to complete the immigration process to recruit foreign nationals into Saudi Arabia and will be welcomed by employers.

Written by Anna Marshall and Samir Kantaria of Al Tamimi & Co. and Roger James of Ogletree Deakins

© 2019 Al Tamimi & Co. and Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak and Stewart, P.C.