Saudi Arabia continues to position itself as a global hiring destination, driven by Vision 2030 reforms, a diversified economy, and strategic investment in infrastructure and innovation. With a growing talent pool across fintech, healthcare, logistics, and digital services, the Kingdom offers tremendous opportunity for foreign employers. Yet, navigating Saudi labor regulations, Saudization quotas, GOSI registration, visa processes, and Arabic contract requirements presents significant challenges—especially for companies without a local branch. That’s where Employer of Record service providers become essential.
This guide highlights the top EOR providers in Saudi Arabia for 2025, explains how EORs operate in the region, and helps international employers select the right partner for seamless and fully compliant workforce expansion.
Table of Contents
- What is an Employer of Record (EOR) in Saudi Arabia
- Why Global Companies Use EORs to Hire in Saudi Arabia
- Benefits of Using an EOR in Saudi Arabia
- How to Choose the Right EOR Service Provider in Saudi Arabia
- Top EOR Providers in Saudi Arabia (2025)
- Compliance Factors When Hiring in Saudi Arabia via EOR
- Why Choose Asanify as Your EOR Partner in Saudi Arabia
- FAQs
- Conclusion
What is an Employer of Record (EOR) in Saudi Arabia?
An Employer of Record (EOR) in Saudi Arabia is a third-party legal employer that hires local or foreign employees on your behalf. Your company retains full control over day-to-day operations and tasks, while the EOR manages employment contracts, payroll, visa sponsorship, GOSI compliance, and alignment with Saudi Labor Law.
EORs allow you to hire employees legally in Saudi Arabia—across Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, or remote locations—without setting up a physical presence or legal entity.
Why Global Companies Use EORs to Hire in Saudi Arabia
For international businesses entering the Saudi market, EORs simplify the hiring process and reduce legal and operational risk.
- Fast Market Entry: Onboard employees in as little as 7–10 business days with full legal support.
- Cost Savings: Avoid the need to register a branch or navigate licensing with SAGIA/MISA.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure contracts, visas, and social contributions meet Saudi labor laws.
- Scalable Growth: Focus on operations while the EOR manages HR, payroll, and government filings.
Benefits of Using an EOR in Saudi Arabia
Hiring in Saudi Arabia through an EOR offers significant operational and legal advantages for companies of all sizes:
- Employ staff legally without setting up a company in the Kingdom.
- Issue compliant Arabic and English contracts under Saudi Labor Law.
- Sponsor work visas and process Iqamas, medical tests, and insurance.
- Administer payroll with GOSI registration, leave management, and end-of-service gratuity.
- Ensure compliance with MHRSD, Nitaqat (Saudization), and immigration requirements.
How to Choose the Right EOR Service Provider in Saudi Arabia
Selecting the right EOR partner is critical to ensuring compliance and operational efficiency. Look for:
- Iqama Sponsorship: Verify the EOR can legally sponsor work visas and manage residency permits.
- Local Compliance Expertise: Choose a provider that understands GOSI, Saudization, and MHRSD processes.
- Payroll Accuracy: Ensure the EOR can deliver error-free, SAR-denominated payroll on time with correct GOSI deductions.
- Gratuity and Leave Tracking: Providers must support end-of-service benefits and leave entitlements under Saudi law.
- Responsive Support: Access to HR professionals fluent in Arabic and English with local presence is a plus.
Suggested Read: EOR Saudi Arabia: A Detailed Guide 2025
Top EOR Providers in Saudi Arabia (2025)
Here’s a curated list of top Employer of Record (EOR) service providers helping companies expand into Saudi Arabia in 2025:
1. Asanify
Asanify provides complete EOR services in Saudi Arabia—from drafting bilingual contracts and managing GOSI to handling Iqama sponsorship and end-of-service benefits. With fast onboarding, Arabic compliance, and payroll in SAR or USD, Asanify supports global firms scaling across Saudi cities without needing a local entity.
2. Remote
Remote helps companies hire in Saudi Arabia without physical presence. Their platform supports contract localization, GOSI registration, visa processing, and real-time payroll management, making them suitable for distributed teams entering the Kingdom.
3. Deel
Deel offers EOR support in Saudi Arabia including visa sponsorship, contract generation, and onboarding. Their global dashboard allows businesses to oversee compliance and employee lifecycles in Saudi Arabia alongside other countries.
4. Oyster
Oyster supports compliant hiring in Saudi Arabia by managing local labor contracts, Iqama issuance, and Saudi-specific benefits like gratuity and family visa sponsorship. Their intuitive platform suits HR teams managing global operations.
5. Papaya Global
Papaya Global delivers workforce management in Saudi Arabia with full visibility into payroll, compliance, and mobility data. They support Iqama renewals, salary transfers in SAR, and offer advanced reporting tools.
6. Velocity Global
Velocity Global provides Saudi Arabia-specific EOR solutions including bilingual contract creation, visa and Iqama sponsorship, and compliance with Nitaqat quotas. Their team is known for reliability and responsiveness.
7. Globalization Partners
With infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Globalization Partners offers employer of record services that cover end-to-end employment including GOSI compliance and health insurance administration for local and foreign hires.
8. Safeguard Global
Safeguard Global specializes in payroll, mobility, and risk management for complex labor markets like Saudi Arabia. Their EOR services include social contributions tracking and immigration support across cities.
9. Rippling
Rippling enables automation of the EOR process in Saudi Arabia—covering onboarding, visa sponsorship, payroll, and asset provisioning. Their unified dashboard simplifies global HR management with Saudi-specific modules.
10. Skuad
Skuad is a flexible EOR solution for startups and SMEs looking to scale quickly in Saudi Arabia. They handle employment contracts, Iqama sponsorships, and gratuity, offering agility for growing teams.
Compliance Factors When Hiring in Saudi Arabia via EOR
Saudi Arabia has strict labor and immigration rules. A reliable EOR must manage the following:
- Employment Contracts: Must be in Arabic, clearly defining role, salary, allowances, and probation terms.
- Visa Sponsorship: Includes work visa, Iqama, medical test, and Labor Office approval.
- Payroll and GOSI: Salaries must be paid in SAR with correct GOSI deductions for Saudi nationals and expats.
- Gratuity Payments: End-of-service benefits are mandatory based on tenure and basic salary.
- Working Hours and Leave: Standard is 48 hours/week; leave entitlements include annual, sick, and Hajj leave.
- Health Insurance: Mandatory for all employees and must be arranged before Iqama issuance.
- Saudization Compliance: EOR must ensure headcount ratios of Saudi nationals in applicable roles and sectors.
Why Choose Asanify as Your EOR Partner in Saudi Arabia
Asanify is a leading EOR provider for Saudi Arabia, offering a fully compliant, end-to-end solution for remote hiring across Riyadh, Jeddah, and beyond. Companies trust Asanify for:
- Fast employee onboarding within 7–10 business days.
- Worry-free Iqama sponsorship and visa processing.
- Payroll processing in SAR with accurate GOSI submissions.
- Drafting Arabic and English contracts that align with Saudi Labor Law.
- Administration of end-of-service gratuity and other statutory benefits.
Whether you’re testing the Saudi market or rapidly scaling a distributed team, Asanify helps you hire, onboard, and manage talent in full legal alignment—without needing to establish a local branch or entity.
Suggested Read: Employee Tax Optimization in Saudi Arabia
Conclusion
Hiring in Saudi Arabia offers access to a growing professional workforce and a thriving economy underpinned by Vision 2030. But hiring success depends on navigating complex labor laws, visa systems, and payroll compliance. This is where EOR providers play a crucial role.
Asanify stands out as a top-tier EOR partner in Saudi Arabia, enabling fast, fully compliant hiring for global companies. Whether you’re hiring one employee in Riyadh or building a distributed team across the Kingdom, Asanify delivers a reliable, efficient path to legal employment in Saudi Arabia.
FAQs
An EOR is a third-party employer that hires, pays, and sponsors employees legally on your behalf.
Yes, an EOR lets you legally hire across Saudi cities without forming a local entity.
Yes, licensed EORs manage full visa and Iqama sponsorship, including medical and government approvals.
No. Contracts must be in Arabic to be legally enforceable. Most EORs offer bilingual versions.
EORs handle SAR-based payroll with GOSI registration and ensure all statutory deductions are made correctly.
Yes, EORs support hiring across Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and other locations based on license coverage.
Employees are entitled to gratuity based on basic salary and service duration, managed by the EOR.
Yes, employers must provide health insurance. EORs arrange this before finalizing Iqama.
Pricing ranges from $450–$1,300/month per employee depending on services, benefits, and job type.
Yes, this is a common and compliant hiring model for foreign businesses.
Yes, once you establish your own entity, employees can be transitioned from EOR to direct payroll.
With complete documentation, onboarding usually takes 7–10 working days.
Yes, fixed-term contracts are supported as long as they comply with Saudi labor law.
Not to be considered as tax, legal, financial or HR advice. Regulations change over time so please consult a lawyer, accountant or Labour Law expert for specific guidance.
