Member News

United Arab Emirates

31 October 2025 - New Benefits for Golden Visa Holders

Golden Visa holders will now benefit from enhanced support measures when travelling outside the United Arab Emirates. These include a 30-minute online Return Document process for re-entry in the event of a lost or damaged passport, assistance in crisis situations, and access to a dedicated 24/7 support hotline (+971 2 493 1133) for inquiries or emergencies.

31 October 2025 - Reminder of 2025 Deadline for Mainland Private Sector Employers to Increase Emiratization Rate

Private sector mainland companies in the United Arab Emirates with 50 or more employees are reminded that they must increase their current Emiratization rate by an additional 1% by December 31, 2025 to have an Emiratization percentage of at least 8%. Companies which have a higher Emiratization rate must still increase their percentage by 1% on December 31, 2025.

SAUDI ARABIA

28 October 2025 - More Restrictive Contract Rules Implemented

According to new labor contract rules that are part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 program, employment contracts must now be recorded on both the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s Qiwa portal and the Ministry of Justice’s Najiz platform. Previously, employment contracts were recorded only on the Qiwa platform. New employment contracts must also include more details such as the registered national address for both the company and foreign national, employment contract type (fixed-term or non-fixed-term) and exact salary due date, among other information. There are also stricter wage payment enforcement rules that are meant to protect workers who do not receive a timely salary. Employers should ensure that all employment contracts are properly documented and authenticated through the Qiwa platform. Accurate recording of employment terms, timely wage payments, and compliance with documentation requirements are critical to avoid enforcement actions or penalties.

29 October 2025 - Increased Saudization Requirements for Certain Private-Sector Healthcare Roles

Effective in 2025, Saudi Arabia will increase Saudization rates for four private-sector healthcare professions as follows:

• Medical laboratories: 70% (up from the current 60%);
• Physiotherapy: 80% (up from the current 60%);
• Radiology: 65% (up from the current 60%); and
• Therapeutic nutrition: 80% (up from the current 60%).

These increases will be implemented in two phases. Starting April 17, 2025, the new rates will apply to all hospitals and health facilities in Al Khobar, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Makkah and Riyadh, as well as large health facilities in other cities. Starting October 17, 2025, the new rates will apply to all other hospitals and health facilities in Saudi Arabia. To assist with the transition, Saudi Arabia will provide employers with support in recruiting and training Saudi nationals in the affected fields. Employers may need to restructure their workforce constitution to ensure compliance with these new Saudization requirements.

As anticipated, the two-phase Saudization rate policy went into effect as described below.

OMAN

13 November 2025 - Grace Period Extended for Foreign Nationals in Irregular Status

Oman has extended the grace period for foreign nationals in an irregular status until December 31, 2025. Initially announced in June 2025 with a July 31, 2025 deadline, this initiative allows individuals to regularize their immigration status without incurring any immigration-related fines for overstaying by either applying for a new visa or exiting the country.

MIDDLE EAST

11 November 2025 - Penalty Introduced for Late Payment of Social Security Contributions to GCC Nationals

Effective immediately, the Bahraini General Organization for Social Insurance and the Kuwaiti Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) have introduced penalties for failure to pay the monthly social security contribution within the required deadlines for Gulf Cooperation Council nationals (GCC) employed in Bahrain and Kuwait respectively, and for Bahrainis and Kuwaitis employed in other GCC countries.

ABOUT FRAGOMEN

Fragomen is a leading firm dedicated to immigration services worldwide. The firm has nearly 5,500 professionals and staff in 62 offices located in the Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA. Overall, Fragomen offers support in more than 170 countries.

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Our Middle East and North Africa (MENA) practice also provides corporate services, including social security assistance, end-to-end corporate setup, corporate secretarial services, corporate amendments, restructuring activities and more. Our corporate services and immigration professionals have extensive experience working with multinational businesses, conglomerates, local employers, start-ups and individual investors. We have a deep understanding of the MENA region and maintain strong professional relationships with relevant authorities.

To learn more about how we can assist you, please visit our website at www.fragomen.com or contact us at [email protected].