Ask any expat who’s worked in Saudi Arabia over the last few decades, and they’ll likely tell you the same thing: your job title often defined your life. Whether it was a cleaner, a technician, or a surgeon everyone held the same general residency permit, known as an iqama, regardless of their skill set. That era is now coming to a close.

As of July 2025, Saudi Arabia has introduced a completely new work permit system that ranks foreign workers based on their actual qualifications, experience, and income levels. In simpler terms, it’s no longer just about what’s written on your job contract but what you bring to the table.

This reform is tied to something far bigger, that is Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

This national plan aims to push Saudi beyond oil and into sectors like tourism, technology, and more. And to get there, they need people who can build, code, design, and manage high-level professionals from around the globe.

Projects like: