Riyadh, Saturday, 1 November 2025.
Saudi Arabia’s expansion of its e‑visa program to include Canada and additional European and Asian markets, announced this Saturday, removes a key barrier to short‑term inbound leisure and project travel while simultaneously imposing mandatory employer‑arranged health insurance for temporary work visas. For retail and destination operators this creates a near‑term uplift in tourist demand and easier access for VIPs and suppliers, but also raises labour costs and compliance overheads for projects that rely on foreign technical, seasonal, and installation crews. The most intriguing effect: travel friction is lowered at the same moment labour costs rise, forcing a recalibration of revenue forecasts, contractor contracts, and workforce sourcing strategies. Practical next steps include revising demand models, embedding insurance costs into tender pricing, renegotiating delivery schedules, and engaging Saudi licensing and immigration contacts to fast‑track compliant staffing plans. Stakeholders who act can capture inbound demand while avoiding cost surprises from tighter worker‑insurance rules.