What is Ajeer?
Ajeer is a Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) service that authorizes one establishment to temporarily and legally engage a worker whose Iqama is sponsored by a different employer, without transferring or modifying the underlying sponsorship. The program is designed to address the practical reality in contracting, construction, and project-based industries where labor needs move across sites and companies frequently, providing a legal and documented channel for what would otherwise be an unauthorized arrangement.
What Ajeer handles
The Ajeer program creates a formal, time-limited authorization for temporary inter-establishment labor use:
- Authorized temporary placement: the host establishment (the company that needs the worker) and the lending establishment (the original sponsor) agree on a temporary arrangement, which is then documented and authorized through the MHRSD platform. This makes the placement legal and protects both parties and the worker from violations.
- Sponsorship preservation: the original kafeel (sponsor) remains the legal employer and Iqama sponsor throughout the Ajeer period. The worker's Iqama continues to reflect the original establishment, and no transfer of sponsorship occurs.
- Electronic documentation: the arrangement is registered electronically through the relevant MHRSD labor platforms, creating a traceable record that confirms the worker's authorized presence at the host establishment.
- Wage and compliance responsibility: the arrangements around who pays the worker and how compliance obligations are split between the lending and host establishments should be agreed in advance and confirmed on the platform. Confirm current rules with MHRSD, as these can change.
How the Ajeer process works
- The lending employer and the host establishment agree on the terms of the temporary placement (duration, scope of work, and commercial arrangements between the two companies).
- The request is submitted through the relevant MHRSD platform by the authorized representatives of both establishments.
- The worker's details, Iqama number, and the authorized duration of the arrangement are recorded in the system.
- The approved authorization serves as the legal basis for the worker operating at the host establishment. The worker should retain a copy or reference number.
- At the end of the authorized period, the worker returns to work under the original establishment unless the arrangement is renewed or another formal step is taken.
Fees, exact eligibility criteria, permitted durations, and the list of qualifying activities are set by MHRSD and can change. Confirm current terms on the official portal or by contacting MHRSD before entering into an arrangement.
What expats need to know about Ajeer
If you are placed at a different worksite or company for a period, ask your employer whether the arrangement has been formally registered as Ajeer. An undocumented placement at another establishment can be treated as an unauthorized work arrangement and expose both you and the employers to fines or other penalties. A properly registered Ajeer authorization protects your status and gives you a clear basis for your presence at the host site.
Your Iqama, profession, and sponsorship do not change under Ajeer, so any concerns about your residency status during the placement are resolved by checking those records in Absher, not by looking at the host establishment.