Question: I have a UAE golden visa, which I have arranged as I own a villa. This was only finalised a short while ago but I am going to be terminated by my employer as they are relocating the head office to Riyadh.
The company has offered me a similar job out of Saudi Arabia and I will have to spend most of each month there. I would get a Saudi residence visa so I can work.
My children are happy in school so I don’t want to move them and my wife wants to stay in Dubai. I sponsor them, so my question is whether I can keep my golden visa as well as have a residence visa for Saudi Arabia. EH, Dubai
Answer: There is no legal reason to stop anyone from having residence visas for both the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Multiple residencies are permitted.
As EH sponsors his family in Dubai, he has the legal responsibility to have suitable medical insurance in place for them and will need to arrange this independently.
Q: I live in Saudi Arabia with a full-time job and an Iqama. I have read your column with information for people in the UAE wanting to set up their own small hobby as a side hustle but can’t find any information about doing the same when living in the kingdom. Or about having a part-time job to earn some extra money.
Is there a way I can make some extra money this way? Is there a special trade licence I can organise? RC, Saudi Arabia
A: Under Saudi Arabia law, a non-resident is generally only permitted to work for their sponsor. It can be possible for private sector employees to take on a second job but only with the permission of the main employer and it depends on the wording in a contract of employment. This is not common but has been confirmed by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources after updates last year.
My understanding is that any second job should also comply with the category on the work permit.
Working for yourself is a very different situation. Non-Saudis can apply to set up a business and can have 100 per cent ownership. Business licences are issued by the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia. These licences are not issued to regular employees and there are multiple legal requirements linked to running a business.
Freelancing can be possible, with a commercial registration from the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, but not in addition to employment.
At present, there is no equivalent to the home business type licences that are available in the UAE and operating any business alongside employment will be illegal for expatriates.
With the many updates and positive changes to labour and commercial laws in Saudi Arabia, I would expect this to change in the future but for now, “side hustles” are not permitted for non-Saudis.
Q: My daughter has a valid UAE residence visa. Her father is her sponsor. She has been out of the country since January 4 of this year as she has been studying in Europe and travelling. She is coming back to stay with us in Abu Dhabi in December for Christmas and New Year.
Is it going to be a problem for her to re-enter the UAE? My friends disagree as some say it’s fine and others say she will be stopped from entering. SM, Abu Dhabi
A: Being out of the UAE for 180 or more days is a problem for the majority of expatriates as visas are invalidated after this time. Note that they are invalid but not cancelled. That is an important distinction.
There are some exceptions to the rule, namely holders of golden visas, foreign wives of Emiratis and students. It has been confirmed that SM’s daughter is not on a student visa.
As SM’s daughter has been out of the UAE for more than 180 days, her visa will be invalid. That means she will be stopped at immigration and could have quite a delay before being permitted to enter the country as the visa would need to be cancelled. There could also be a fine.
In this situation, the best course of action would be for the daughter’s visa to be cancelled by her sponsor –her father – before she travels. He can visit any typing centre registered with ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship Customs and Port Security) and they will assist with the forms. He will need to take his original passport and a copy of his daughter’s. It is often also possible to arrange a cancellation through the ICP website. The fees should be around Dh100.
SM’s daughter has a passport that makes her eligible for a visit visa on entry but people need to be aware that if that is not the case, an application for a visa needs to be made before travelling.
