New MHRSD Rules On Outsourcing Non-Saudi Labour Through The Ajeer Program: Implemented As Of 26 January 2026

Pursuant to Ministerial Resolution No. 60339 dated 25 October 2025, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has issued new rules regulating the outsourcing (internal secondment) of non-Saudi labour between establishments through the Ajeer Program.

The new rules replace and consolidate the previous, fragmented Ajeer guidance and introduce a much more structured compliance framework governing:

• When non-Saudi employees may be outsourced between entities,
• How such arrangements must be documented and approved, and
• The respective responsibilities of the service-providing and service-receiving establishments.

The stated policy objective is to close regulatory gaps, enhance labour-market oversight, and prevent informal or disguised labour-leasing arrangements.

What the New Rules Do

In practical terms, the rules:

• Formally regulate internal labour outsourcing (تعهيـد القوى العاملة) as a distinct legal model.
• Require mandatory use of the Ajeer platform to document, approve and regulate these arrangements.
• Introduce clear limits on scope, duration, roles, supervision and locations where outsourced workers may operate.
• Clarify who remains the legal employer, and who bears compliance risk.

Why This Matters for Businesses

These rules materially affect:

• Group companies sharing non-Saudi staff,
• Project-based operations,
• Outsourced technical, operational or specialist functions,
• Any arrangement that places non-Saudi employees at third-party premises.

Legacy Ajeer arrangements, informal secondments, and "temporary" placements should be aligned with the new framework.

Key Changes Compared to the Previous Ajeer Regime

1. Clear distinction between "service outsourcing" and "labour outsourcing"

Previously, Ajeer was often used inconsistently for:

• Short-term secondments,
• Project-based services, and
• De facto manpower supply arrangements.

The new rules now expressly distinguish between:

• Internal outsourcing of services (project-based, output-driven), and
• Internal outsourcing of labour (where workers are placed under the supervision of the beneficiary entity).

2. Mandatory Ajeer service contract + Ajeer permit

Under the new framework:

• An electronic service contract must be issued and documented on the Ajeer platform, and
• An Ajeer Permit becomes the formal proof of lawful presence of the non-Saudi worker at the beneficiary's premises.

Previously, many entities relied on informal arrangements, emails, or commercial contracts alone.

3. Stricter conditions on who can outsource and receive labour

Both parties must now meet specific eligibility requirements, including:

• Valid commercial registration and activity licensing,
• Compliance with wage protection, establishment file management, and labour documentation rules,
• Role-to-role consistency (the outsourced worker must perform the same licensed profession).

4. Duration limits and renewal controls

• Ajeer permits are capped at a maximum of three years, or the earlier expiry of the service contract.
• Renewals require fresh platform approval.
• Multiple permits for the same worker may exist, but only with respect to the same time period and within regulated parameters.

This addresses previous long-running secondments that effectively bypassed sponsorship controls.

5. Explicit prohibitions (now clearly enforceable)

The rules now expressly prohibit, among other things:

• Using outsourced workers before an Ajeer permit is issued,
• Assigning tasks outside the approved profession or contract scope,
• Using the permit for any entity other than the named beneficiary,
• Continuing to host workers after permit expiry or cancellation.

6. Clear allocation of liability

The rules confirm that:

• The service-providing entity remains the legal employer, including responsibility for:
• • Work permits,
  • Renewals, and
  • Employment law compliance.
• The beneficiary entity bears responsibility for:
• • Supervision,
  • On-site compliance,
  • Immediate cessation of work upon permit expiry.

Legacy Ajeer arrangements, informal secondments, and "temporary" placements should be aligned with the new framework.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.