A guide to relocating
Moving to Saudi Arabia, starting with Makkah and Madinah.
A directory into the official sources, with a wizard for a front door. Every card points at the authority that owns the answer.
“Whoever migrates in the way of Allah will find on the earth many havens and abundant resources. And whoever leaves his home migrating toward Allah and His Messenger, and then death overtakes him, his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah.”
We have listed the officially published routes on this site, but there are many more to explore.
Routes Into the Kingdom
There are two ways in, and which one applies changes what the rest of this guide means for you.
A · Employment
Employment or co-ownership with a Saudi partner
Coming on a contract with a Saudi employer, or running a business in partnership with a Saudi. Employment contracts run through Qiwa; domestic work runs through Musaned.
B · Investment
Outright ownership via MISA
Registering your own entity with the Ministry of Investment and owning it outright, with no local partner required. Full foreign ownership is permitted across most activities.
Source: Ministry of Investment ↗
Premium Residency
The products the Premium Residency portal lists, one card each, every card linking out to the page that owns the detail.
01
Special Talent Residency
For individuals with special talent recognised by the Kingdom.
02
Gifted Residency
For individuals recognised as gifted in their field.
03
Investor Residency
For individuals investing in the Kingdom.
04
Entrepreneur Residency
For entrepreneurs setting up or running a business in the Kingdom.
05
Real Estate Owner Residency
For individuals who own qualifying real estate in the Kingdom.
06
Limited Duration and Unlimited Duration Premium Residency
Premium residency granted for either a limited or an unlimited duration.
For individuals with special talent recognised by the Kingdom.
For individuals recognised as gifted in their field.
For individuals investing in the Kingdom.
For entrepreneurs setting up or running a business in the Kingdom.
For individuals who own qualifying real estate in the Kingdom.
Premium residency granted for either a limited or an unlimited duration.
Official site
Source: pr.gov.sa/pr ↗ · last verified
Development Zones
REGA — the Real Estate General Authority — designates specific zones within Saudi Arabia where the rules for owning real estate differ from the general rule that applies elsewhere in the Kingdom.
The designated-zones portal above is REGA's own listing of where those zones are and what applies within each one.
This section links to that portal directly rather than naming a zone, a development or a term here, because none of that detail is sourced in this repo yet.
01
Designated zones
The zone material is re-sourced before this section ships.
02
Ownership terms
No term, percentage or duration appears here until it carries a source.
03
Named developments
Developments are named only from the official portal.
The zone material is re-sourced before this section ships.
No term, percentage or duration appears here until it carries a source.
Developments are named only from the official portal.
Official site
Maps
Masjid al-Haram
Nothing is loaded from Google until you press this.
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
Nothing is loaded from Google until you press this.
Investments
Invest Saudi (investsaudi.sa) is the Kingdom's promotional gateway for investors — sectors, setup guidance and incentive programmes. The Ministry of Investment — misa.gov.sa — is the regulator behind it.
01
Sectors and opportunities
Invest Saudi lists the Kingdom's priority sectors and the opportunities open within each.
02
Setup, scale and incentives
Guidance on setting up and scaling, plus the incentive programmes on offer to investors.
03
Who regulates it
Invest Saudi is a promotional site; the Ministry of Investment — misa.gov.sa — is the regulator.
Invest Saudi lists the Kingdom's priority sectors and the opportunities open within each.
Guidance on setting up and scaling, plus the incentive programmes on offer to investors.
Invest Saudi is a promotional site; the Ministry of Investment — misa.gov.sa — is the regulator.
Official site
Source: investsaudi.sa · regulator: misa.gov.sa · last verified 2026-09-09
E-Services and Registrations
The Ministry of Investment's own e-services catalogue, linked here rather than reproduced.
01
Licences
The ministry's e-services catalogue covers licences for investment activities.
02
Registrations
Registrations for investors and businesses sit behind the same door.
03
Renewals and amendments
Existing licences can be renewed or amended through the same catalogue.
The ministry's e-services catalogue covers licences for investment activities.
Registrations for investors and businesses sit behind the same door.
Existing licences can be renewed or amended through the same catalogue.
Official site
Source: misa.gov.sa/activities/e-services · last verified 2026-09-09
Places of Interest
Two groups: religious and historical sites, and everyday places — parks, waterfronts, markets and malls. Each entry carries its own source. Sources are labelled OFFICIAL where they are a Saudi government site, visitsaudi.com, discovermakkah.sa or UNESCO, and GENERAL otherwise.
Religious and Historical Sites
Makkah
The mosque surrounding the Holy Kaaba, the qibla toward which Muslims pray.
Source: visitsaudi.com ↗
Makkah
Where the first revelation came. A steep climb of roughly 1,200 steps, best begun early; the Hira Cultural District sits at the base.
Source: discovermakkah.sa ↗
Makkah
Where the Prophet and Abu Bakr sheltered for three days during the Hijrah.
Source: thenationalnews.com ↗
Everyday
Important Links
A general catch-all for useful links that do not belong to any single section above — each one carries its own source.
For a company based outside Saudi Arabia looking at opening a regional headquarters in the Kingdom.
Source: Ministry of Investment ↗ · last verified
For a company headquartered outside the Kingdom opening a branch in Saudi Arabia.
Source: Saudi Business Center ↗
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development's platform — the employment route's front door for contracts and job mobility.
Source: Qiwa ↗
Join the My Hijra Community
Ask questions, share relocation experiences, and connect with others making hijra to Saudi Arabia.
Community
Join our Facebook Group
Continue the conversation with others on the same journey.
Official site
Contact Us
Two doors, kept separate, both by email. No form, no field stored.
01
Influencers
For creators who want to work with us. One line on what to send.
02
Promote Your Project
For companies who want to promote. One line on what to send.
A commercial relationship buys placement — a card position, a mention — and never buys a claim about eligibility, terms, figures or any other sourced fact on this site. Wherever content appears as part of one, it is labelled as such.