Saudi Arabia: Work permits granted by administrative region (governorate) (2012)

Governorate Labour permits
Riyadh 1,692,236
Makkah 957,245
Madinah 163,231
Al-Qasseem 293,953
Eastern 1,146,432
Assir 157,872
Hail 96,862
Tabouk 43,694
Al-Baha 26,390
Northern Border 22,963
Al-Jouf 44,542
Jazan 47,987
Najran 117,688
Total 4,811,095

Source: Ministry of Labour
1. Definitions

Classification used for economic activity is adapted from ISIC 3.1

2. Data collection methodology

The issuance of the residency and work permits begins with filing an application with the Ministry of Labor.
After its approval, the Ministry of Labor forwards the application to the Ministry of Interior for the issuance of the residency permit.

3. Institution which provides data

Ministry of Labour

4. Data availability

Published in Ministry of Labour’s Statistical Yearbooks
MoL Yearbooks (in Arabic) are available online at http://portal.mol.gov.sa/ar/Statistics/Pages/default.aspx (all issues since 2004)
2012’s Yearbook:
http://portal.mol.gov.sa/ar/Statistics/Documents/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%86%D9%88%D9%8A%20%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%202012%D9%85%20.pdf

Last date of access: July 2015.