How to move a senior team into Saudi Arabia in stages, from choosing who goes first to having everyone resident, housed and operational.
Relocating an executive team works best in waves: one or two people who can set up the entity and the employer accounts, then the leadership who run the business, then their families. Each executive needs a work visa and iqama through the Saudi entity, housing, insurance and, often, school places. The limiting factor is usually the entity's readiness on the labour and residency platforms, not the executives' willingness to move.
Before stage one
The Saudi company must be able to employ people before anyone moves. That means it is registered, has its employer accounts on Qiwa, Muqeem and GOSI, and understands how foreign hires affect its Saudisation position. Relocation packages also need to be agreed in writing before visas are processed, because the registered salary and occupation follow each person into the system.
- The entity is registered and its employer accounts on the labour and residency platforms are active.
- Visa allocations for the planned roles are available or requested.
- Relocation packages, including housing and schooling support, are agreed and documented.
- Occupations for each executive are chosen to match their actual role and qualifications.
- A relocation provider or internal owner is appointed to manage the logistics.
Stage 1: Decide the waves
Choose the first people in: usually the general manager and an operations or HR lead who can handle the platforms. Then plan the next wave of executives and the timing for families, avoiding school-year disruption where possible.
- Deliverable: A relocation schedule by person and family.
- Owner: Chief executive or project sponsor.
- Approval gate: First-wave executives can sign and act for the entity.
Stage 2: Prepare contracts and occupations
Draft Saudi employment contracts consistent with the Labour Law, with the occupation, salary and allowances that will be registered. Qualifications for some occupations must be verified or accredited, so check this early.
- Deliverable: Signed contracts and a verified occupation for each executive.
- Owner: HR with legal adviser.
- Approval gate: Contracts ready for documentation on Qiwa.
Stage 3: Issue visas
Use the visa allocation to issue work visas for each executive, and prepare their documents for entry, including attested degrees where required.
- Deliverable: Work visas issued.
- Owner: Entity HR or government relations.
- Approval gate: Visa details match passports and contracts.
Stage 4: Arrival, checks and iqama
Executives enter, complete medical checks and biometrics, and are added to the health insurance policy. The company issues the iqama and records the contract.
- Deliverable: Active iqama and insurance for each executive.
- Owner: Entity HR.
- Approval gate: Each executive visible in Absher with correct details.
Stage 5: Housing and daily setup
Secure leases registered on Ejar, open bank accounts, arrange mobile lines, cars and driving licences. A settling-in service can save weeks of senior time in the first month.
- Deliverable: Each executive housed, banked and mobile.
- Owner: Relocation provider with HR.
- Approval gate: No executive still in temporary housing beyond the agreed period.
Stage 6: Families and schooling
Apply for dependants, confirm school places and align arrival dates. Add dependants to insurance before they land.
- Deliverable: Families resident, insured and enrolled.
- Owner: HR with each executive.
- Approval gate: Every dependant has valid status and cover.
Stage 7: Handover to steady state
Move from project mode to routine HR: renewals, exit and re-entry requests, payroll through the wage protection process and annual insurance review.
- Deliverable: A calendar of renewals and obligations for the team.
- Owner: Entity HR.
- Approval gate: Renewal dates recorded with owners assigned.
Handovers between stages
Two handovers fail most often. The first is between HR at headquarters and HR in the new entity, where contract terms agreed abroad do not match what is registered locally. The second is between the executive and their family: the executive is resident and working while the family waits on documents that should have been prepared months before.
How you know it is finished
The relocation is finished when every executive and dependant is resident, insured and housed, the contracts registered locally match the agreed packages, and renewals are owned by someone in the Saudi entity rather than by the relocation project.
Domira works with foreign investors on the property side of entering Saudi Arabia: finding land or premises, due diligence, design, construction and asset management. For licensing, tax and legal steps, work with a licensed adviser; we coordinate with yours so the property decision fits the structure you choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to relocate an executive to Saudi Arabia?
It depends on the readiness of the Saudi entity, the visa allocation, document attestation and the executive family plans. A well-prepared entity moves much faster than one still setting up its platform accounts. Plan backwards from the date you need the executive working, and add time for degree attestation, which is often the slowest step.
Do foreign executives count against Saudisation quotas?
Foreign employees, including senior staff, count in the workforce calculations that determine the company Nitaqat band, and the effect depends on the activity, size and number of Saudi employees. Model the effect before hiring several expatriates at once, since a lower band can restrict visa issuance for later hires.
What should an expat executive relocation package in Saudi Arabia include?
Typical elements include housing or a housing allowance, transport, health insurance for the family, schooling support, annual flights and relocation costs. What matters is that the package is written into the Saudi contract as registered, not only in a headquarters letter, so that allowances and end-of-service calculations are clear.
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