A work visa is the permission a foreign national needs to enter a GCC country for the purpose of employment. In practice it is the first stage of a multi-step process: an employer obtains approval and an entry permit, the worker enters and completes formalities such as a medical fitness test and biometrics, and a work permit plus a residence permit are then issued, tying legal stay to the employer under the kafala framework.
Terminology varies across the region. The same idea is delivered through the MOHRE work permit and employment visa in the UAE, the work visa and Iqama in Saudi Arabia, the work residence permit in Qatar, the LMRA work permit in Bahrain, and ROP-issued employment visas in Oman. The detailed requirements, fees, and quotas are set by each country and change over time.
Because the work visa underpins residence, dependents' status, and the right to work, understanding how it converts into a residence permit, and who controls renewal and cancellation, is central to managing status in any GCC country.