Private Sector Employees Now Allowed to Hold Two Jobs in Saudi Arabia

In a recent announcement, the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources declared that private sector employees in the kingdom are now permitted to hold two jobs concurrently. However, this allowance comes with a vital condition—workers must verify that their employment contracts and the regulations of their primary employer don't prohibit them from engaging in multiple jobs.

Saudi Arabia has been actively working on enhancing its job market regulations to boost its appeal and competitiveness. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Human Resources introduced a comprehensive authentication plan through its Qiwa platform. This initiative mandates private sector institutions to document 20% of their employees’ contracts in the initial quarter of 2023, escalating to 50% by the second half and 80% by the third quarter.

The primary objective of this plan is to safeguard the rights of both employers and employees within the contractual relationship. It aims to cultivate a stable labor environment, fostering increased productivity among employees and fostering growth within the kingdom's job market.

Highlighting its commitment to labor reforms, Saudi Arabia implemented significant changes to its sponsorship system in 2020. These reforms, active from the subsequent year, facilitate job mobility and regulate the issuance of exit and re-entry visas for expatriate workers without requiring approval from their employers.

The introduced reforms empower expatriate workers to transition between employers upon the conclusion of their existing work contracts without needing consent from their current employer. Additionally, the exit and re-entry visa alterations enable expatriate workers to travel outside Saudi Arabia without prior approval from their employers after submitting a formal request.

Saudi Arabia, with a population of approximately 32.2 million people, is home to a substantial community of foreign migrants, reflecting the nation's diverse workforce and its ongoing efforts to refine labor regulations in the interest of both employers and employees.