Saudi Arabia is stepping up scrutiny of business visas, causing disruptions for UAE-based professionals who have long relied on the “fly-in fly-out” model to manage projects in the kingdom without relocating staff. The result: a noticeable uptick in business visa rejections and delays, especially for technical specialists, consultants, and professionals making frequent, short-term visits.
While official rejection rates are not published, immigration advisors and corporate leaders report that more applications are being returned or refused than in previous years. Saudi authorities are now closely examining how often applicants travel to the kingdom, how long they stay, and—crucially—what kind of work they actually do while there. Business visas are meant for short-term meetings, negotiations, or building relationships—not for revenue-generating or operational roles.
Abeer Husseini, a partner at Fragomen, notes a “higher possibility” of applications being returned in cases where the purpose of the visit appears to go beyond what business visas allow. The authorities are particularly wary of travel patterns that look like full-time employment, with repeated entries raising red flags.
Sectors like consulting, banking, law, and project management—which have traditionally depended on frequent travel between Dubai and Riyadh—are feeling the most impact. Over a dozen UAE-based professionals in these fields have reported recent delays or cancellations of Saudi business trips, a stark contrast to the near-weekly border crossings many once took for granted.
This crackdown is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic reforms, which aim to strengthen the local workforce and enforce “Saudisation” by requiring companies to employ more Saudi nationals. It also dovetails with Riyadh’s mandate for regional headquarters to be based in Saudi Arabia in order to qualify for government contracts—a move that has already prompted several multinationals to shift key operations from Dubai to Riyadh.
Experts say the new approach brings Saudi Arabia more in line with international standards, drawing a firm line between genuine business visits and de facto employment. Recruitment specialists stress that the intention isn’t to disrupt business, but to ensure compliance, transparency, and greater opportunities for Saudi nationals.
For Gulf-based companies, the message is clear: relying on short-term travel is no longer a substitute for building a long-term presence in Saudi Arabia. The landscape is changing, and businesses will need to adapt their workforce strategies to keep pace.
