Not so long ago, managing your workforce meant endless visits to government offices, requiring patience, preparation and an army of Government Relations Officers (GROs). Today, managing your workforce in the Kingdom is at your fingertips through various interconnected government platforms accessible anytime, anywhere. These platforms—Qiwa, Absher Business, Muqeem, GOSI, and Mudad—are critical to Saudi Arabia's modern workforce management architecture. Mastery of these platforms is crucial for business success, ensuring compliance and enhancing strategic planning. In this series or Articles palm.hr aims to shed some light into their functionality and how they interact.

1. Qiwa: Hub for Workforce Management

Qiwa is a comprehensive platform designed to streamline workforce management and ensure compliance with Saudi labor laws. Operated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), Qiwa addresses key HR functions and provides tools for efficient HR operations.

Primary Functions:

• Labor compliance
• Work visa management
• Saudization monitoring
• Contract authentication
• Occupation change and correction

Key Features:

• Real-time Saudization monitoring
• Instant processing of visa issuance and profession changes
• Alerts for document expirations
• Integration with Absher Business and Muqeem for consistent data management

Integrations:

• Verifies employee data from Absher Business upon employment contract creation
• Upon contract creation key contract data is synced with GOSI
• Mudad syncs Wages Protection System (WPS) payroll data to assure contractual compliance

2. Muqeem: Platform for Foreign Employee Management

Muqeem, operated by the Ministry of Interior, focuses on managing foreign employees in Saudi Arabia. It enhances transparency and efficiency in handling expatriate-related administrative tasks. Whereas Absher Business also offers the option to handle some of these tasks, this functionality is limited to sole-proprietor business and all other types of legal entities must use Muqeem.

Primary Functions:

• Electronic issuance of exit/re-entry visas
• Final exit visa service
• Residency permits and renewals
• Passport information updates
• Reporting and reviewing residency status

Key Features:

• Integration with National Information Center, General Directorate of Passports, and other government departments
• Comprehensive reports on foreign employee status
• Online forms for residency-related procedures

Integrations:

• Syncs the status of expatriate employees with Absher Business

3. Absher Business: General Government Services for Businesses

Absher Business, a component of the broader Absher ecosystem, simplifies government service processes for businesses. Managed by the Ministry of Interior, it offers a range of services tailored for companies operating within the Kingdom.

Primary Functions:

• Employee visa management
• Work permit issuance and renewal
• Exit/re-entry visa processing
• Document delivery and updates
• Authorization and service transfers

Key Features:

• Integration with Qiwa and Muqeem for consistent employee data
• Facilitates visa management during peak periods
• Streamlined document processing and updates

Integrations:

• Verifies employee IDs with Qiwa
• Syncs expatriate employees actions with Muqueem

4. GOSI: Social Insurance Management

The General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) is crucial for managing social insurance contributions and ensuring employee welfare. It collaborates with other platforms to ensure compliance and improve workplace safety.

Primary Functions:

• Social insurance contributions management
• Occupational hazard data
• Employee welfare monitoring

Key Features:

• Interaction with Qiwa for compliance and reporting
• Data analysis for improving workplace safety
• Regular updates on social insurance regulations

Integrations:

• Gets employee contract details from Qiwa and verifies data from there
• Syncs employee contract data with Mudad

5. Mudad: Payroll Management System

Mudad, operated by the Ministry of Labour and MHRSD, simplifies payroll processing and ensures compliance with wage protection regulations. It provides comprehensive tools for managing salaries and benefits.

Primary Functions:

• Payroll processing
• Salary calculations
• Transparency in salary distributions
• Compliance with wage protection regulations

Key Features:

• Integration with SAMA for secure salary payments
• Comprehensive records for payroll audits
• Tools for effective employee communication regarding salaries

Integrations:

• Performs WPS compliance check with GOSI
• Received employee contract data details from GOSI
• Distributes payroll directly to selected banks