{
  "id": 10983732,
  "title": "Saudi Arabia allows some ‘absent’ workers to transfer to new employers through Qiwa platform",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/saudi-arabia-allows-some-absent-workers-to-transfer-to-new-employers",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T15:50:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-allows-some-absent-workers-to-transfer-to-new-employers-through-qiwa-platform-1.500693906"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia with an \"absent\" employment status may transfer to a new employer via the Qiwa platform, provided they have resided in the country for more than twelve months. This applies to situations where the absence was reported, there was a work interruption, or the contract was terminated. The new employer must cover any outstanding permit fees for the worker. Government employees cannot create new contracts through Qiwa until they complete clearance procedures and close their registration with the government on the Masar platform. Workers can be excluded from their previous employer's records if their status is marked as \"left and did not return\" or \"final exit\" on the Absher or Muqeem platforms. Qiwa does not mediate disputes between parties to an employment contract, suggesting those matters should be resolved through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development's amicable settlement service or taken to the labor court. To access Qiwa, users log in through Nafath; a group manager can authorize others by granting permissions via the User Management service. The platform operates entirely electronically, not accepting or validating paper documents. Establishments must not remain in the red category for eight consecutive weeks to issue a work permit, although new companies are exempt from this rule. Saudi Arabia also sets rules for final exit visas for domestic workers during probation, allowing three-month renewals for domestic workers, and imposes a five-visit limit for businesses under two years.",
  "summary": "Dubai: Expatriate Workers in Saudi Arabia whose employment status has been changed to “absent” may transfer to a new employer through the Qiwa platform under certain conditions, including having spent more than 12 months in the Kingdom, the platform has said. Qiwa, which operates under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, said the provision applies to workers whose status…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "Second team of pilots in civilian clothes stepped in to save flydubai plane, helped land safely in Saudi: Report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/second-team-of-pilots-in-civilian-clothes-stepped-in-to-save-flydubai",
        "published": "2026-09-30T12:20:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Flight from Dubai to Israel lands in Saudi Arabia after pilots fight midair",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/flight-from-dubai-to-israel-lands-in-saudi-arabia-after-pilots-fight",
        "published": "2026-09-30T13:21:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Pakistan will be there to defend Saudi Arabia in any conflict: Khawaja Asif",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/pakistan-will-be-there-to-defend-saudi-arabia-in-any-conflict-khawaja",
        "published": "2026-09-30T15:54:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}