Work visa applications need to be made to the Saudi embassy or consulate in your country of origin.  All fees should be paid by the company who is sponsoring your move, although you may be liable for a small processing fee. Details and application forms are available from the website of the Saudi Arabian embassy.

It is possible to register a visa application online at the embassy website and employers have to get authorisation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before they can submit a work permit application to the embassy.  If any of the details that are given to the Ministry are different from those given to the embassy then the application will be rejected immediately. 

If you have worked in Saudi Arabia before you will need to get a reference from your previous employer. Those who have an Israeli stamp in their passport or any connection with Israel will not be allowed to enter the country. 

The rules and regulations have a tendency to change on a regular basis, so it is important to ensure that you have up to date information.  This can be obtained by checking the embassy website.  Some applicants may be asked to provide additional information.

Firstly it gives you an opportunity to find out what it is really like to work in Saudi Arabia IT jobs without tying yourself down.  You can get a contract for six or nine months and see how things progress.  If you like it you can negotiate to renew your contract or change to another IT company.  If you don’t you can treat it as job experience, add it to your CV and come back home again.

Regardless of the length of your IT contract you will need an employer to sponsor you in order to gain entry into Saudi Arabia.  Ensure all the required paperwork is in order – your passport should have at the minimum another six months to run on it.  You will also require an employment visa that will allow you to work in Saudi Arabia IT jobs, or indeed any other form of employment.

Short term contracts are a good way to test the waters when you are thinking about working in Saudi Arabia.  You don’t want to lock yourself into a longer period of time and then find you want to leave.  It won’t look good on your CV and you may not get a good reference either.

While it is true that a willingness to learn is important for any potential candidate for employment to possess, it is even truer when looking at jobs in Middle Eastern countries. You are likely going to have to learn a foreign language, not to mention you will have to learn how to work with individuals from different cultures, regardless of whether you are working in an IT job in Dubai or a Saudi telecom job. Considering the fact that you are a foreigner, your learning curve is going to be significantly steeper compared to local candidates, so you must be able to prove to your potential employer that you have what it takes to excel at your task, regardless of which jobs in Middle Eastern countries you are applying for. Be willing to learn, and you will set yourself ahead of the pack.

Whenever you are applying for Saudi IT jobs, one of the first things you need to be aware of is the fact that climate and cultural conditions will vary from one city to the next.  For instance, the largest city is Riyadh (and the capital) and the second largest is Jeddah.  But there is a world of difference between them.  Riyadh is viciously hot during the summer months.  Additionally, there are numerous restrictions involving religion.  Conversely, Jeddah is a more cosmopolitan city with a much more tolerable climate as well as fewer restrictions.

When you begin investigating the different companies offering Saudi IT jobs, focus on those larger corporations that have been in operation the longest.  Chances are that these will be more lucrative in the fact that they will typically offer better benefits and compensation than the smaller companies.  This is also your best option for finding secure employment, that is critical to anyone who is considering relocating to this area of the Middle East and working there in the long term.