RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has extended until the end of 2026 the grace period for employers to rectify the status of expatriate workers whose work permits have been expired for more than 12 months. The new grace period is also applicable to workers, who have not been issued work permits within six months of joining an establishment. The ministry said the extension is part of its efforts to strengthen compliance with labor regulations, protect the rights of employers and employees, and provide establishments and workers with additional time to complete the required legal procedures. The decision also reflects the ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve compliance across the Saudi labor market following positive responses from a number of establishments and workers that have already taken steps to regularize their status. The ministry urged employers to renew or issue work permits before the revised deadline expires, warning that failure to rectify workers’ status by the end of the year will result in the enforcement of applicable legal measures. The extension comes just days after the Qiwa platform had announced that workers with expired work permits would begin to be removed automatically from employers’ records starting July 1 if their permits had remained expired for more than three months. Under Qiwa’s regulations, employers remain liable for all outstanding financial obligations incurred while employing workers without valid work permits, even after their records are removed from the establishment.Qiwa has advised employers to settle outstanding work permit fees and complete the necessary procedures, including renewing work permits or transferring workers’ services where applicable, to avoid legal action and financial penalties.