Saudi Arabia has introduced new limits on the number of work visas businesses can obtain, as the kingdom adjusts its rules for recruiting foreign workers.

Under the revised framework, businesses that have operated for less than two years can obtain up to five work visas, while companies that have operated for more than two years can obtain up to 50 visas.

The new rules represent a significant change from the previous framework, which did not impose specific visa limits based on the length of time a business had been operating.

Businesses operating for more than two years can obtain up to 50 visas either through a single application or multiple applications submitted within the same week.

Companies participating in the Establishing Programme will operate under a separate quota system.

Such businesses will initially receive two work visas, with the quota increasing as they progress through the programme and achieve a higher classification under the Nitaqat system.

Nitaqat is Saudi Arabia’s system for classifying employers according to the composition of their workforce and the proportion of Saudi nationals they employ.

The new policy is expected to have a particular impact on foreign workers seeking employment with newly established or smaller Saudi businesses.

A company that has operated for less than two years will now have significantly less capacity to recruit workers from abroad compared with an established employer.

By contrast, businesses that have passed the two-year threshold will have access to a substantially larger pool of work visas, giving them greater flexibility in international recruitment.

The changes form part of Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts to regulate access to the labour market while promoting the employment of Saudi nationals.

Foreign workers seeking employment in the kingdom will therefore need to consider not only their prospective employer’s willingness to sponsor them but also the company’s eligibility and available visa quota under the revised framework.