Saudi Arabian investor class visas : an overview

Abstract

Currently, the Saudi Arabian government, through the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), offers an investor-class visa to facilitate and encourage foreign investment in the country. However, while many countries offer similar investment-based visas as a pathway to permanent residency and eventual citizenship as a selling point to foreign investors, the Saudi Arabian investment class visa offers only limited residency (through a residency permit known as an iqama). This note examines the unique aspects of this immigrant visa class.