Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has no digital nomad visa. Remote workers choose between short tourist stays and Premium Residency, the Kingdom's self-sponsored residence.

Choosing a route

• Short stays: the tourist visa, issued online or on arrival to eligible nationalities and to holders of US, UK or Schengen visas or residence, allows stays totaling up to 90 days on a multiple-entry visa valid for one year (Tourist Visa Regulations). It is for tourism and gives no residence rights.
• Long stays with money to spend: Premium Residency in its Limited Duration form buys a renewable term of one to five years with no sponsor and no published income test. The yearly fee makes it a residence for the wealthy rather than a nomad visa.
• Settling for good: the Unlimited Duration product and the investor, talent, entrepreneur and property routes of Saudi Arabia's premium residence lead to permanent status. Unlimited Duration is permanent from the start. Investor Residency and Entrepreneur Category 2 lead directly to permanent residency, subject to keeping the investment and jobs for two years. Special Talent and Gifted holders can move to permanent residency after 30 months of residence within five years.
• Working for a Saudi employer: a job with a Saudi employer comes with its own employer-sponsored residence, which this guide does not cover.

All Premium Residency products include family residence, private-sector work and visa-free exit and re-entry. The full rules, documents and fees are on the program page.

Saudi Arabia uses the riyal (SAR). In Numbeo's crowd-sourced prices, a single person's monthly spending excluding rent was about SAR 3,390 in Riyadh and SAR 3,170 in Jeddah. Rent makes most of the difference.

Each total adds the average one-bedroom rent, outside the center and in it, to Numbeo's estimate of other monthly costs. The figures are averages of user reports, not official statistics, and furnished short lets usually cost more.

At the Sept. 30, 2026 exchange rate, a remote worker renting a one-bedroom apartment should budget about US$1,740 to US$2,090 a month in Riyadh and US$1,370 to US$1,640 in Jeddah. Premium Residency fees come on top and dwarf the living costs: SAR 100,000 a year for the Limited Duration product.

• Riyadh: the capital and business center, with the widest choice of coworking spaces, international schools and flights. It suits remote workers who want city life and networking. Summers are extremely hot.
• Jeddah: the Red Sea port city, with a seafront corniche, a historic center and lower rents than Riyadh in Numbeo's data. It suits those who want the coast and a more relaxed pace.
• Dammam: the main city of the Eastern Province, next to Al Khobar and a causeway drive from Bahrain. It suits people tied to the energy industry or wanting easy trips to Bahrain.

Saudi connections are fast. In the Speedtest Global Index for August 2026, the median fixed broadband download speed was 174 Mbps and the median mobile speed 225 Mbps, faster on mobile than on fixed lines.

Coworking spaces cluster in Riyadh and Jeddah, mostly in business districts and malls, with day passes and monthly desks. Dammam and Al Khobar have a smaller choice. Hotel business centers and cafes fill the gaps in smaller cities.

A local SIM or eSIM with a data plan is the simplest backup connection, given how quick mobile data is.

Saudi tax residence starts with a stay of at least 183 days in the tax year, or at least 30 days with a permanent place of residence in the Kingdom (ZATCA residency rules filed with the OECD).

Premium Residency has no special tax regime; holders and their dependents are exempt from the fees charged on expats. No other official special regime for remote workers exists.

Income tax applies to business activity carried on in Saudi Arabia (ZATCA). Points to check:

• Freelancing or a company in the Kingdom: registration and filing duties with ZATCA.
• Remote work for a foreign employer: how the home country taxes a resident abroad, and whether a tax treaty applies.

• Arrival: check eligibility for the online or on-arrival tourist visa before flying. Single-entry visas allow a shorter stay than the multiple-entry visa (Tourist Visa Regulations).
• Money: the riyal is the currency, and cards and mobile wallets are common in the big cities.
• Phone: a local SIM or eSIM gives fast mobile data, and eSIMs are the easy option for short stays.
• Health: private hospitals in the big cities are well equipped but expensive. Travel or international health insurance is a must for visitors, and residents need cover arranged through their residence.
• Customs and law: rules on alcohol, dress and public behavior are stricter than in most nomad hubs, so reading them before arrival avoids trouble.
• Climate: summer heat in Riyadh and humidity in Jeddah and Dammam make October to April the easier season.