Saudi Arabia has lifted a three-year ban on certain foreign workers from re-entering the Kingdom, according to local media reports.
Arabic language newspaper Okaz reports that the Kingdom has revoked the ban on workers who were issued an exit and re-entry visa, but did not return before the document expired.
According to the local media report, the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) has informed officials at all land, sea and air entry points and ports to allow the expats to renter the country again.
Saudi Arabia expat visa rules
The new rules started from Tuesday, January 16.
It reverses a ban introduced in 2022 which ruled that expats who left the Kingdom with an exit and re-entry visa, but failed to return in the allotted time were prevented from re-entering the Kingdom for a period of three years.
To be awarded an exit and re-entry visa a worker must have a valid passport and paid off all outstanding fines.
The ban was first introduced after businesses called for officials to deny entry to workers who did not return to Saudi Arabia within the time allotted in their visa.
A previous ruling indicated that exit and re-entry visa durations can be extended by workers outside the country.
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