Hire Egyptian Workers in Saudi Arabia
Saudi employers can hire Egyptian workers by setting clear workforce requirements, selecting candidates through a structured recruitment process, and then completing Saudi Arabia’s work-visa, work-permit and residence steps through the official channels. Begory Advance Hire is a recruitment agency based in Maghagha, Minya, in Egypt. It is extending its Egypt-side support to employers in Saudi Arabia: sourcing candidates in Egypt, initial screening, interview coordination and candidate-side documents.
Who does what. You, the Saudi employer, are the legal employer. You request the work visa, employ and pay the worker, issue the work permit and complete residence and labour-law obligations. You can do this directly or through an appropriately licensed Saudi representative. Begory works only on the Egypt side. It does not file Saudi applications, does not issue visas or work permits, and cannot guarantee approvals, visa decisions or arrival dates.
Compliance notice: This page is general recruitment information. It is not Saudi immigration, employment or legal advice. Requirements, fees and eligibility rules change. Confirm every step with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), the Qiwa platform, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a qualified Saudi adviser.
Last fact-checked: 12 November 2026
Why Saudi Employers Look at Candidates From Egypt
Saudi companies in construction, operations and services sometimes need more candidates than local hiring provides. Egypt has a large workforce with experience in construction trades, production, hospitality and logistics, and a shared Arabic language can make contracts and safety briefings easier to explain. Each candidate should still be assessed individually.
Saudi Arabia also requires employers to support the employment of Saudi nationals. The Saudi Labor Law expects establishments to employ Saudis, and the Nitaqat classification on Qiwa affects whether you can request visas. International recruitment therefore works best as one part of a workforce plan that already reflects your Saudization position, not as a replacement for it.
Saudi Arabia has a specific link to Egypt for skilled trades. HRSD has announced that its Professional Verification (“Professional Inspection”) programme operates in Egypt, run with the Egyptian Ministry of Labour. In its first phase it covered plumbing, electrical work, welding, automotive mechanics and carpentry. Workers take theory and practical tests at accredited centres in Egypt before travelling. See the work-authorization section below.
Roles Saudi Employers Can Ask Begory to Source
The candidate pool depends on your job description, salary, location, working conditions and any verification or licensing requirement. Begory can support sourcing for roles such as:
Construction and building services
- Masons, bricklayers and plasterers
- Carpenters and formwork workers
- Steel fixers and concrete workers
- Welders, plumbers and electricians (check the Professional Verification requirement first)
- HVAC and maintenance technicians
- Equipment operators and general site workers
See Begory’s international recruitment for construction workers.
Manufacturing, warehousing and logistics
- Production-line and machine operators
- Assembly, packaging and quality-support workers
- Warehouse, forklift and material-handling staff
- Drivers, subject to Saudi licensing and verification rules
See hiring factory workers from Egypt.
Hospitality and facility services
- Cooks, kitchen assistants and waiting staff
- Housekeeping, cleaning and facility-support workers
See Begory’s hospitality recruitment page.
Begory will not present a candidate as qualified for a regulated or verified occupation until the required certificate or approval has been confirmed.
How Begory Can Support a Saudi Hiring Brief From Egypt
Begory would act as your Egypt-side recruitment partner. The scope is agreed in writing for each project and may include:
- Reviewing your job requirements and turning them into screening criteria
- Advertising roles and sourcing candidates in Egypt
- Reviewing CVs, work histories and available documents
- Coordinating online interviews with your team
- Coordinating trade tests or practical assessments where agreed (how trade testing works)
- Helping selected candidates understand and prepare the documents your Saudi process asks for, including booking Professional Verification tests where the occupation requires one
- Keeping communication clear between candidates, your HR team and your licensed Saudi representative
Begory’s role does not replace HRSD, Qiwa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or any Saudi licence required to recruit workers. Saudi Labor Law (Article 30) says that no person may engage in recruiting workers unless licensed to do so by HRSD. Article 31 adds that workers recruited on behalf of employers are employees of the employer, with a direct contractual relationship. Before recruitment starts, confirm with a Saudi adviser how your recruitment will be structured, including whether a Saudi-licensed recruitment office must be involved.
Step-by-Step: From Brief to Arrival
| Stage | What happens | Primary responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Workforce brief | You define roles, headcount, experience, salary, accommodation, work location and timing. | Saudi employer, with Begory support |
| 2. Eligibility check | You confirm on Qiwa that your establishment can request work visas (Nitaqat band, permits, wage protection, balance). | Saudi employer or licensed representative |
| 3. Sourcing in Egypt | Begory identifies candidates against the agreed criteria. | Begory |
| 4. Screening and interviews | CVs, documents and skills are reviewed and interviews or trade tests coordinated. | Begory and Saudi employer |
| 5. Employer selection | You make the final selection and offer. | Saudi employer |
| 6. Verification and visa | Required Professional Verification tests are taken in Egypt. You request the visa through Qiwa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa channel. The worker completes visa stamping. | Employer, licensed representative and candidate |
| 7. Travel | Travel is arranged only after the visa has been issued. | Employer and candidate, with Begory coordinating candidate-side information |
| 8. Arrival | You issue the work permit, arrange medical insurance, authenticate the contract on Qiwa and complete the Iqama. | Saudi employer |
Saudi Work Visas and Work Permits for Egyptian Workers
Egyptian citizens need employer sponsorship and a work visa to work in Saudi Arabia. Based on HRSD and Qiwa information available on 12 November 2026, the route normally looks like this:
1. Visa request on Qiwa. HRSD’s Visa Issuance service (provided through Qiwa) lets eligible establishments request work visas. HRSD lists these conditions:
- a valid commercial registration, unless the activity does not require one
- an active establishment
- valid work permits across all establishments under the same unified number
- compliance with wage protection
- an activity permitted to use the service
- a Nitaqat level of at least Medium Green (or Very Small Green, under the stated conditions)
- enough balance in the establishment’s unified national number account
Qiwa’s guidance also mentions available recruitment quota and contract-authentication compliance. If your establishment does not meet these conditions, recruitment from Egypt cannot move forward, so check eligibility before you ask any candidate to prepare documents.
2. Professional Verification for certain occupations. HRSD says the Professional Verification certificate is now an essential requirement for recruiting skilled workers to Saudi Arabia in specific professions. It is obtained at an accredited centre in the worker’s home country before arrival, after passing theory and practical tests. The first phase in Egypt covered plumbing, electricity, welding, automotive mechanics and carpentry, and HRSD said more fields would follow. Check the current occupation list on the Professional Accreditation platform for every role you plan to fill.
3. Visa authorization and stamping. After the visa is issued on Qiwa, the visa authorization is processed through the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs channels, and the worker applies for the visa through the designated Saudi channels in Egypt. Confirm the current steps, centres and documents with the Saudi Embassy in Cairo or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before quoting a timeline.
4. Work permit after arrival. The work permit is issued on Qiwa after the worker enters Saudi Arabia on a work visa and receives a border number. HRSD and Qiwa say you must issue it within the first 90 days after arrival. Establishments in the red Nitaqat band cannot issue or renew work permits. Qiwa says a valid work permit is needed for the Iqama (residence permit). After the first permit, you also arrange medical insurance and authenticate the employment contract on Qiwa.
Fees. Qiwa and HRSD publish fees for work permits and the monthly expat levy that applies to non-Saudi employees. These depend on your workforce mix and change from time to time. Check the current fee calculation in your Qiwa account rather than relying on a figure from a website.
What You Should Prepare Before Recruitment
- Job titles that match the occupations available to your establishment on Qiwa
- Headcount, job descriptions and required experience
- Any Professional Verification, licence or certificate requirement for each role
- Monthly salary, allowances, payment method and payroll arrangements
- Working hours, rest days, overtime and leave
- Accommodation, transport, meals and medical insurance
- Work location and project duration
- Who will handle Qiwa, visa and residence steps (your HR team or a licensed Saudi representative)
- A realistic start window that does not depend on a guaranteed visa date
Costs and Planning
Ask Begory for a written proposal based on your roles and headcount. Keep these items separate:
- the recruitment service fee
- salaries and benefits
- government fees and levies in Saudi Arabia
- Professional Verification test costs
- medical checks, travel and accommodation
- any adviser or licensed-office costs in Saudi Arabia
Agree who pays each item. Begory supports the principle that workers should not pay recruitment fees or related costs that are prohibited under applicable law or fair-recruitment standards. Any fee arrangement should be checked against the rules that apply in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Timelines depend on candidate availability, interviews, verification test dates, your Qiwa eligibility and government processing. Begory can estimate the Egypt-side sourcing and screening schedule once it has seen your brief. It cannot promise a visa or arrival date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Egyptian worker need a work visa and a work permit for Saudi Arabia?
Yes. The worker enters on an employment visa that you request, and you then issue a work permit on Qiwa within the period HRSD sets (currently 90 days from arrival). Confirm the current rules with HRSD and Qiwa.
Does Begory file Saudi applications or issue visas or work permits?
No. Begory does not file applications with Qiwa, HRSD or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it does not issue visas or permits. These steps are handled by you, as the Saudi employer, or your licensed representative, and decisions are made by the Saudi authorities. Begory supports sourcing, screening and candidate-side coordination in Egypt.
Who employs and pays the worker?
You do. Under Saudi Labor Law, workers recruited on behalf of an employer are that employer’s employees, with a direct contractual relationship. Your contract should state the salary, allowances, accommodation, working hours and other terms.
Is a visa or work permit guaranteed once a candidate is selected?
No. Selection does not guarantee a visa, verification result, work permit or entry. Each case depends on your establishment’s eligibility, the candidate’s documents and test results, and decisions by the Saudi authorities.
Do Egyptian electricians, plumbers or welders need a skills test?
For certain occupations, yes. HRSD has made the Professional Verification certificate a requirement for specific professions, and its first phase in Egypt covered plumbing, electricity, welding, automotive mechanics and carpentry. Check the current list before recruiting.
Ready to Discuss a Saudi Hiring Brief?
Tell Begory which roles you need, how many workers, the experience required, salary and accommodation, and your timing. The team can review your brief, explain the Egypt-side process and identify what is needed before sourcing begins.
Related pages: Hire Egyptian workers · Hire Egyptian workers in the Gulf · UAE · Qatar · Kuwait · Oman · Bahrain · European pages: Romania · Croatia
