Beyond Borders Blog

MHRSD Reminds Employers: Job Applicants Must Be Notified of Interview Results Within 30 Days

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has reaffirmed, via its official beneficiary care channel, an obligation that many establishments in the Kingdom overlook: employers must notify job applicants of their interview outcome within 30 days of the interview taking place. The Ministry also confirmed that failing to do so — along with related breaches in how vacancies are advertised and interviews are conducted — is a violation of the regulating Ministerial Decision, and can be reported directly through the Ministry’s application.

Saudi Arabia's New Work Visa Caps: What It Means for Your Business

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Saudi Arabia has revised its work visa framework, and the new rules now tie visa quotas directly to how long a business has been operating. If you’re planning to hire foreign talent — or currently in the process of setting up in the Kingdom — this is a change worth understanding before it affects your recruitment plans.

What’s changed

Businesses under 2 years old are now capped at 5 work visas.
Businesses over 2 years old can access up to 50 visas, filed as a single submission or across multiple applications within the same week.
Establishing Programme participants follow a separate track — starting at just 2 visas, rising as the company advances through the programme and improves its Nitaqat classification (the government’s Saudisation compliance rating).

Why this matters for you

For newer entities, this is a real constraint on scaling a foreign workforce early — five visas won’t stretch far if your hiring plan assumes broader flexibility. Recruitment timelines, contractor arrangements, and even entity structuring decisions may need to account for this cap from day one.

Key legal compliance updates and enforcement rollouts from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and the Ministry of Interior

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The most notable development in Saudi Arabian legal and regulatory frameworks comes from an aggressive nationwide enforcement and compliance clampdown spearheaded by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and the Ministry of Interior.

Rather than sweeping changes to text of the statutes themselves—as the massive 38-article Labor Law overhauled earlier is already in full effect—the focus has shifted entirely toward unprecedented execution, inspection, and severe penalty applications.

Saudi Arabia's New MHRSD Mandate: What Qiwa's Compliance Overhaul Means for Employers

Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has raised the bar for employer compliance through its Qiwa platform, rolling out a sweeping set of changes that affect contracts, employee management, leave entitlements, and enforcement mechanisms. Businesses operating in the Kingdom — regardless of size — must understand these updates and act swiftly to avoid penalties that are now automated and immediate.

1. New Qiwa Contract Compliance Targets

The MHRSD has set clear, time-bound contract compliance targets for all registered establishments. By Q4 2025, firms must achieve an 85% compliance rate, with the next milestone requiring 90%. These thresholds are not self-reported — they are calculated algorithmically by the Qiwa system, which cross-references registered headcount against verified, digitally active contracts.

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