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🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · MNL → RUH

Hire Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia

Licensed recruitment of skilled Filipino professionals for Saudi employers. Your company is the direct employer — we run selection in Manila, the Saudi permit process and the Philippine exit formalities end to end. From 1 worker.

Route Work visa via Qiwa and Iqama Typical timeline 6–10 weeks Minimum 1 worker

How recruitment works

Every Saudi project runs on the same backbone: you define the roles, headcount and start date; our own DMW-licensed agency in Manila, Prime Search, sources and trade-tests candidates; you approve the shortlist (on-site or online); and we manage the Saudi permit process under your power of attorney while the Philippine side — contract verification, medical, pre-departure orientation and the Overseas Employment Certificate — runs in parallel. The employment contract is signed and verified before departure; your new employee lands, completes local onboarding and clocks in.

The Saudi specifics below are the part that makes Saudi Arabia different from every other market we serve.

Licensing: Recruitment in the Philippines runs through our own DMW-licensed agency (Prime Search); delivery in Saudi Arabia follows Saudi licensing and immigration rules.

Saudi immigration and work-permit route

Work visa via Qiwa and Iqama. The employer requests visa issuance through the Qiwa platform, receives the visa authorisation via Enjaz and the worker completes visa stamping in Manila after medical checks. On the Philippine side, the employer and contract are verified by the Migrant Workers Office in Riyadh, Jeddah or Al-Khobar. After arrival the worker receives the Iqama (residence permit).

  1. Employer applies for work-visa issuance in Qiwa; visa authorisation via Enjaz.
  2. MWO verification of employer and contract; medical exam; visa stamping in Manila.
  3. Arrival; Iqama, Absher registration and insurance.

Labour-market test: No labour-market test. Nitaqat (Saudization) sets the required share of Saudi employees by sector and company size; a company in a compliant band obtains block visas and issues work visas through Qiwa. Filipino deployment additionally requires MWO contract verification.

Shortage occupations: No list; demand is broad across construction, healthcare, hospitality and industrial services.

Authorities involved: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (Qiwa) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Enjaz) · Saudi Embassy Manila. Rules change; we confirm the current position for your role before you commit, and we tell you the honest number — not the marketing one.

Employer requirements

  • Company in good Nitaqat standing with available visa quota.
  • Contract in the Qiwa format verified by the MWO.
  • Accommodation, insurance and transport per Saudi labour law.

DMW / MWO process on the Philippine side

Deploying a Filipino worker abroad is regulated by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). MWO Riyadh, MWO Jeddah and MWO Al-Khobar verify employers and contracts for their regions. The verified contract, together with the job order approved by the DMW, allows the worker to obtain the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) — the exit clearance without which no Filipino worker can legally leave for a job abroad. Pre-employment orientation, medical examination at a DOH-accredited medical clinic authorised to examine overseas Filipino workers and pre-departure orientation complete the sequence. Because we operate the licensed agency ourselves, this runs in parallel with the Saudi permit rather than after it.

Timeline

Typical gate-to-gate time for Saudi Arabia is 6–10 weeks from signed engagement to the first arrival, driven mainly by the Qiwa visa authorisation, MWO verification and visa stamping in Manila. Sourcing and trade testing usually take two to four weeks and are not on the critical path. We give you a written timeline for your specific role before you commit.

Typical professions for Saudi Arabia

Sectors where Saudi employers most often hire Filipino workers through us:

  • Construction
  • Healthcare
  • Hospitality
  • Oil & gas services
  • Facilities management
  • Retail

Costs and commercial model

Our contractual partner is the employer, and it is the employer we invoice for the service. You receive an individual offer for Saudi Arabia covering sourcing, trade testing, documentation, the permit process and arrival support — there is no price list, because volumes, roles and the Saudi route differ from project to project. Direct employment means the worker's wage is paid by you under your Saudi contract; there is no intermediary employer.

What a typical Saudi Arabia project looks like

A Saudi employer briefs us on roles and headcount. Within two to four weeks we present trade-tested candidates from Manila with video assessments; the employer interviews online and approves. We file the work visa via qiwa and iqama under power of attorney while Prime Search completes the DMW documentation. The employment contracts are signed and MWO-verified before departure; on arrival the workers complete registration and local onboarding and start on the floor — with our team reachable for the first months of integration. Whether the project is one specialist or a full shift, the mechanics are identical.

Frequently asked questions — Saudi Arabia

  • How does Nitaqat affect us?

    Your Saudisation band determines the visa quota available; we check it at qualification stage.

  • Is the Philippine side complicated?

    The MWO verification and DMW documentation are standard; we run them for every deployment.

  • Which sectors hire most?

    Construction, healthcare and hospitality lead; industrial services and facilities follow.