Managing a workforce in Saudi Arabia requires ongoing attention to how each employee is recorded and administered throughout their employment. That involves employment records, payroll, social insurance, immigration and Saudization, with information also passing through government platforms such as Qiwa and Mudad.
These requirements do not operate independently, so a change in one part of an employee’s record can affect another. For companies entering Saudi Arabia or growing an existing team, setting up the right processes from the beginning makes it easier to keep those records accurate as the workforce develops.
HR specialist support in Saudi Arabia
Sovereign provides ongoing HR administration for companies operating in Saudi Arabia, supporting employees throughout their time with the business and managing the government processes involved along the way.
Our HR services include:
- Qiwa and employment administration
Managing employment contracts, employee transfers, profession changes, work permits and renewals through Qiwa. With Qiwa now central to private-sector labour services, the employment contract forms part of the employee’s live government record and needs to remain accurate as their role or circumstances change. - Payroll and Wage Protection
Managing monthly payroll inputs such as attendance, overtime, allowances, benefits, deductions and unpaid leave, together with salary files and Wage Protection submissions through Mudad. This includes monitoring submission timelines and compliance results and resolving discrepancies or providing justifications where required. The records need to show that employees were paid correctly and on time, in line with their employment terms. - GOSI administration
Registering new joiners and leavers, maintaining contributory wages and employee records and monitoring invoices and occupational injury requirements. Payroll information also needs to remain consistent with the information held by GOSI. - Iqamas and immigration
Managing Iqamas, work permits, profession details, renewals, exit/re-entry visas and final exits, with expiry dates monitored throughout employment. - Health insurance and HR compliance
Arranging and maintaining health insurance for employees and eligible dependants, with the necessary updates made when their status changes or employment ends. - Saudization and Nitaqat
Monitoring the company’s Developed Nitaqat position and applicable localisation requirements. Saudization is not one percentage that applies to every employer, and separate requirements can apply to particular professions or sectors. Recruitment and profession changes therefore need to be considered against the company’s current position before they affect work permits or access to other services. - Employment terms and leave
Supporting employment contracts and HR administration in line with Saudi requirements covering probation, working hours, including Ramadan hours, overtime, leave and other statutory entitlements. - Employee exits and final settlements
Managing end-of-service calculations and final payroll, including any unused leave, together with service certificates, clearances and the employment and immigration processes required when an employee leaves. - Human resource specialist consultancy
Beyond the above mentioned services, Sovereign PPG can provide HR consultancy to clients to help them understand the talent acquisition journey, local requirements including hiring of Saudi nationals and local employment contracts and how to properly maintain employee data in the relevant government portals.
Keeping employee records consistent
Saudi HR administration is closely connected. A salary change may need to be reflected in payroll and GOSI records, while a change in an employee’s role can affect their contract, profession details and the company’s Saudization position.
Sovereign helps keep these records and supporting documentation consistent throughout employment. This includes Arabic and bilingual HR documentation where appropriate, while taking account of which version carries legal weight.
Maintaining records throughout the year also leaves the company prepared if supporting information is requested during an inspection or an employee complaint needs to be reviewed, rather than having to reconstruct the employment history afterwards.
How Sovereign can help human resource functions
Sovereign supports companies from their first hires in Saudi Arabia through to the ongoing administration of an established workforce. We understand the Saudi labor law and how that applies to foreign companies HR operations. Our HR services bring together employment administration and the Saudi government portals and HR processes involved in maintaining and updating employee records.
As your HR business partner in Saudi Arabia, our support can cover specific HR functions or form part of a wider outsourced service, depending on the company’s internal resources and requirements. This keeps the different parts of Saudi HR administration working together as the workforce develops.
Explore Saudi Arabia
Please contact us if you have any questions or queries and your local representative will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
