If your employer's office has started renewing your iqama every three or six months instead of the usual full year, this is not an administrative mistake — it is the direct result of a government decision designed to give establishments more flexibility in managing labor costs.
📌 What exactly changed?
Under Cabinet Decision No. 325 of 1442H, the Council of Ministers approved issuing and renewing residency permits together with work permits, for flexible periods chosen by the employer: 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, or a full year as before.
Cabinet Decision No. 325 dated 13/6/1442H: permitting the issuance and renewal of residency permits linked to work permits on a quarterly basis, explicitly excluding domestic workers from the scope of this decision at the time it was issued.
The domestic-worker exclusion mentioned above no longer applies. Under Cabinet Decision No. 24 dated 1/1/1448H, this exclusion was formally removed from the text of Decision 325 — meaning the flexible quarterly renewal scheme now covers domestic workers too, as of that date.
💰 Why was this decision issued?
The stated goal is to ease the financial burden on small and medium establishments specifically: instead of paying a full year of iqama and work-permit fees at once, an employer can now pay in smaller installments every 3 months, for example — which in theory means more stability for you as a worker, since the employer will no longer delay renewal on the excuse of "not having the full amount available at once."
⚠️ What does this mean for you in practice?
- Track your own iqama expiry date via the Absher platform — do not rely solely on your employer's reminder, especially now that renewal happens more frequently than before.
- Your rights do not change whether your iqama is renewed for three months or a full year — the renewal period does not reduce any statutory right you have under the Labor Law.
- The domestic-worker exclusion no longer applies — following Cabinet Decision No. 24 of 1448H, quarterly renewal now covers them too, after they were excluded when the original Decision 325 was first issued.
Responsibility for renewing your iqama lies with the employer, not you. If your iqama expires unrenewed due to your employer's negligence, this does not automatically make you "in violation of regulations" — see our dedicated article on fines in this specific situation.
✅ What should you do now?
- Check your current iqama expiry date via the "Absher Individuals" app.
- If the date is less than 14 days away and your employer has not informed you of renewal, contact them in writing (a documented message or WhatsApp) to ask about the timeline.
- If they do not respond, document every communication — this is the evidence you will need if the matter escalates to a formal complaint later.
- Cabinet Decision No. 325 dated 13/6/1442H
- Residency Law issued by Royal Decree No. 17/2/25/1337 of 1371H and its amendments
- Cabinet Decision No. 24 dated 1/1/1448H — removing the domestic-worker exclusion from Decision 325