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The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced the initiative to regularize the status of professional workers recorded as absent from work, enabling them to transfer legally to a new employer via the Qiwa platform. According to the ministry, the measure took effect from September 18, 2025, and forms part of ongoing efforts to safeguard contractual rights for all parties while enhancing the attractiveness of the labor market and promoting compliance. The ministry’s statement specified that the new employer must commit to paying any outstanding fees related to the expatriate worker’s employment permit for the transfer to proceed.
Workers qualify under the initiative if their status changed to absent after the end of a 60-day grace period following work discontinuation without a documented contract, the ministry reported. The rules also cover cases where a documented employment contract expired or was terminated and the status shifted to absent once the grace period lapsed. Expatriate workers who had absence reports filed before the initiative’s launch, provided those reports predated the work discontinuation system, may also benefit, a ministry assessment found.
A key condition requires that the worker has completed a continuous period of at least 12 months in the kingdom prior to the work discontinuation or contract expiration, according to the ministry’s published criteria. The ministry clarified that the service operates on an ongoing basis rather than as a temporary window, allowing eligible workers to secure new contracts whenever conditions are met. Earlier regulations outlined in a 2022 ministry document granted workers a 60-day window from an absence report to transfer or exit before the absent status applied.
The initiative extends the ministry’s labor market reforms that have streamlined processes through the Qiwa platform for contract management and employee transfers. A separate ministry notice from December 2024 extended an additional 60-day grace period for certain absent workers to correct their status and re-enter compliant employment relationships. These steps align with broader regulatory updates that removed the previous employer’s consent requirement for transfers in qualifying absent cases, the ministry data shows.
Under the framework, new employers submit transfer requests through the Qiwa platform, after which related government entities process the change, a ministry guide explained. The rules exclude workers who have not reached the 12-month threshold, those absent due to a final exit visa, or individuals holding border numbers or suspended status. The ministry has urged affected workers to complete procedures promptly via the platform to avoid further complications in their residency and employment records.
This policy builds on the labor reforms that have facilitated greater worker mobility while maintaining employer protections through mechanisms such as the Nitaqat program and wage protection systems. The ministry’s announcement emphasized that the changes contribute to a more stable and compliant labor environment essential for the kingdom’s economic objectives. Officials noted that all transactions occur electronically, reducing administrative burdens for both workers and businesses involved in the transfers.
