Every expatriate employee in Saudi Arabia must have a clear picture of the meaning of the term “Huroob”. It translates to “escaping” or “absconding”, which refers to the situation when an employer files a report with the authorities stating that their sponsored worker has left the workplace without obtaining permission or has violated the terms of their job contract.

As a result, the employee faces a series of important legal status changes that are very powerful and have immediate effects. Beginning in the year 2025, a worker declared Huroob by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) or through the Absher system will be known as an illegal employee. So the said person will be taken to jail, deported, and banned from coming back to Saudi Arabia for a specified time.

Why is Huroob So Critical?

The Saudi labour market is based on a sponsorship system called kafala, in which expatriates, who were about 15.7 million, constituting 44.4% of the total population in 2024, needed to be associated with an employer to live and work in the country. Not only does Huroob status immediately invalidate legal residency (Iqama), but it also prohibits the right to work, the transfer of sponsorships, or the renewal of documents.

The consequences are so serious: termination of employment, deprivation of the end-of-service benefits, legal fines, the possibility of arrest, and a ban, which is usually 3 to 5 years, from returning.

The Saudi authorities have come up with reform measures in response to the situation. At the end of 2024, the MHRSD launched a 60-day grace period, giving “Huroob” employees the opportunity to fix their status, change their sponsor, or apply for a final exit visa through digital means like the Qiwa platform. Officials are sending out notifications to those expatriates who will be affected, indicating a shift toward more adaptability and conformity.

Legal Updates and Amnesty Initiatives

Seeking to increase the safety of not only employees but also employers, Saudi Arabia has, as a result, declared a six-month amnesty for domestic employees who have been previously reported under Huroob. The purpose of this amnesty, which is effective until November 2025, is to provide a change of status or transfer to a new job without the need for manual intervention for the eligible employees through digital platforms.

This move is linked to the worker rights protection reforms and the simplification of the recruitment system. The ministry indicates that there will still be stringent penalties for those who neglect this period of concession and disobey after the deadline expires.

Industry Context and Labour Market Trends

• The total rate of employment lowered to a record 2.8% at the beginning of 2025 (all residents), whereas the unemployment rate of expatriates was only 0.8%.
• Almost 90% of non-Saudis are within the working age range of 15-64 years.
• The development of “giga-projects” like NEOM, The Red Sea Projects, and Qiddiya has immensely increased the need for skilled expatriate employees, particularly in the areas of tourism, construction, and technology.
• In the middle of 2025, the government came up with a skill-based work permit that categorised foreign employees into high-skill, skilled, and basic groups. This innovative idea aims to make the labour market more transparent, help better plan the workforce, and ensure compliance with it.
• Expatriates’ remittances to their families amounted to SR12.78 billion ($3.41 billion) in February 2025, showing that they are a source of economic importance.

However, Huroob is still a major problem in the foreign worker community and continues to influence the number of those who drop out of the legislation process annually. Additionally, there are instances in which employers misuse it to gain leverage or commit fraud.

Digital Transformation in Huroob Monitoring

One significant upgrade, which took place in 2025, is Saudi Arabia’s move towards digital labour management. Now, tools such as Absher and Qiwa help foreign workers to get their Hula labour status by a short call with the Iqama number; thus, a situation in which they do not know their legal status is avoided.

It has become very convenient for foreign workers to take a step forward in solving or challenging Huroob statuses due to the Ministry’s direct text alerts and more straightforward online transfers, which, in turn, have contributed to the increased workforce visibility and the reduced number of legal issues arising unintentionally.

How Huroob Status is Determined

It is quite surprising that a lot of employees find out that they have been categorised as Huroob without any prior warning. Employees can now more easily monitor their official status through their Iqama number, thanks to advanced tools like the Absher portal and the Qiwa platform.

Besides that, the government also sends alerts to the workers, advising them to take immediate action if they have been marked as “absconding”. Non-tech-savvy people may still make a physical visit to Jawazat offices (passport offices) and verify their information.

Legal and Economic Impact

Consequences are immediate and far-reaching:

• Citizenship rights, as well as the right to work, are lost.
• There are restrictions on the transfer of sponsorship, renewal of documents, and legal moves.
• Removal from the country and prohibitions typically last between 3 to 5 years, with more extended or permanent prohibitions in severe cases.
• By the year 2024, the 60-day grace period gave many people a chance to legalise their work or go away without a fine.
• Employers who submit false Huroob reports are liable to pay a fine of up to SAR20,000 to emphasise the severity of the misuse.

How 6 Pence Can Help

6 Pence is known for providing the most current and precise guidance to expatriates and employers who are facing the intricacies of the Saudi labour law. With their strong local expertise, 6 Pence extends the following support:

• On-time verification and solving of the Huroob situation
• Guidance in the change of sponsorship during a grace period or after a legal disagreement
• Compliance checks are necessary to prevent the inadvertent occurrence of Huroob, which can happen either through workers filing for Huroob or employers misusing the process.
• We provide recruitment and HR services from start to finish for the management of the workforce, which is in accordance with the law.

When clients work together with 6 Pence, they can stay abreast of the latest policy changes, have access to digital platforms, and receive assistance with their paperwork, all of which helps them reduce their legal risks and safeguard the interests of both employees and employers in the rapidly changing labour market in Saudi Arabia.

Also Read: Top 10 Benefits of Outsourcing Staff in 2025 For Businesses