# Dubai to Saudi on business??



## Whoppit (Dec 15, 2008)

Hi all,

I have a colleague who is currently going through the process of gaining his Dubai Visa. He now also needs to travel to Saudi. To do a big project out their. This means that his visit might be indefinatly extetended or that he travel's to Saudi on a regular basis.

Does anyone know the process?

Does he have to have a saudi sponsor to work out there or will a Dubai sponsor do?

There must be out their taht have done this. Your help will be much appreciated...

Thanks


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## grasshopper (Aug 12, 2008)

I've had to travel to Saudi but never actually had to get the visa myself - but he will need a Saudi company or resident to sponsor him. The visa usually is issued for only 3 months which is annoying as you have to constantly renew.

It can take some time to get all the ducks in a row, so tell him not to book his flights until he's got the stamp!

Can the sponsor of the project he will be working on sponsor him for the visa?

And Riyadh airport is v. bad, so I hope he's flying in somewhere else...


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## Whoppit (Dec 15, 2008)

grasshopper said:


> I've had to travel to Saudi but never actually had to get the visa myself - but he will need a Saudi company or resident to sponsor him. The visa usually is issued for only 3 months which is annoying as you have to constantly renew.
> 
> It can take some time to get all the ducks in a row, so tell him not to book his flights until he's got the stamp!
> 
> ...


Grasshopper,

Thank you for your reply. Your a star.

Am i correct in thinking that you are a sponsored resident in Dubai? and that as long you have a letter from the company you are visiting in Saudi. You should be able to enter the country for 3 months, before you have return to Dubai.?


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## grasshopper (Aug 12, 2008)

Whoppit said:


> Grasshopper,
> 
> Thank you for your reply. Your a star.
> 
> Am i correct in thinking that you are a sponsored resident in Dubai? and that as long you have a letter from the company you are visiting in Saudi. You should be able to enter the country for 3 months, before you have return to Dubai.?


Yes I've got Dubai residency. My employer has an office in Riyadh so our local partner there is the one that sponsors us. There is usually a process involving no-objection letters, photos, and visa numbers but I'm not sure how it works as in my case someone from the office will take my passport and it will come back with a stamp a few days later (sometimes I hope it doesn't have a stamp so I don't have to go!)

I'm only ever in Saudi for a couple of days at a time, but I can't imagine why one couldn't spend the whole of the three months (or however long the visa is) in Saudi. Although to get a new visa, it might have to be done from Dubai again.

All in all they don't make it easy for outsiders to go to Saudi...


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## Andrew Farrant (Feb 9, 2009)

Grasshopper you are a star - I do not have a degree so can get residency in Dubai but will have issues travelling to Saudi without a "professional" visa. 

I will need to travel to Saudi with work so have put your suggestion forward to the HR team at the company I am trying to secure a place with. They seem happy with it and are now trying to get me a sponsorship letter from their business partner in Saudi.......

this forum has been SOOOOO helpful in ironing out the boring mundane newbie stuff. Hopefully once I am there I will be able to contribute in a more cerebral sense rather than just asking about cars, visas, degrees and all the other stuff that must be so boring for you guys. 

It would be good to document everything about degrees and visas as a sticky for other newbies.


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