Working in Saudi Arabia vs the UAE

A separate country, not part of the UAE

Working in Saudi Arabia vs the UAE means comparing offers in two separate countries with different work rules. Confirm the employer, work location and written package for each before comparing pay.

Capital
Riyadh
Area
2,149,690 km²

Our guides cover the UAE. Saudi Arabia has its own visas and employment rules, so UAE guidance does not apply there.

Flag of Saudi Arabia: green with a white Arabic inscription above a white sword

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More about Saudi Arabia

Check the work permission for each offer

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development sets out the work permit requirement for non-Saudi workers and the rules for their written, fixed-term contracts. A UAE work permit does not give you permission to work in Saudi Arabia. Ask the Saudi employer which process applies to the role and which documents they’ll need. For both offers, get the contract and check the employer name, work address, duration and written allowances before committing. For a UAE offer, use the UAE government’s separate work permit guidance and confirm the route with your employer.

Compare the place and the whole package

Get the site address for each offer. A Riyadh office and an industrial site in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province could call for different housing and transport plans. Ask where you’ll report and who pays for travel to the site. List the base pay, allowances, housing, health cover and transport for both offers, and put them on the same monthly and currency basis. Compare what you’d pay yourself before you decide which package works for you.

If you’re still considering the UAE, start with our UAE work visa guides, pay and offer guides and living costs guides. These guides cover the UAE.

The seven emirates