Viral claim: Saudi Arabia suspended ‘block work visas’ for 14 countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Iraq, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Libya, Kenya, Turkey — the viral list varies). India’s Ministry of External Affairs fact-check unit stated the claim is FALSE: ‘The Saudi Government has not issued any notification on this matter.’ What actually happened is two separate things the viral story conflates. First, each Hajj season Saudi Arabia temporarily restricts SHORT-TERM visas (Umrah, family-visit, business, and visa-on-arrival for 14 countries, 13 April to mid-June 2026) to prevent unregistered Hajj participation and overstays; that restriction ended with Hajj. Second, separately, in February 2026 Saudi Arabia DID suspend Temporary Work Visas for 17 countries (Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Türkiye, Yemen). No official reason or timeline was announced; immigration advisers link it to the push toward long-term hiring. What it means for you: standard Iqama-based employment visas were never part of either measure. Verify on Qiwa and official channels before paying any agent for ‘urgent’ processing. What this does NOT change: existing Iqama holders are unaffected, and a Temporary Work Visa (short project stints) is not the same as an Iqama employment visa. Sources: https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mea-fact-checks-reports-of-saudi-arabia-suspending-block-work-visas-says-claim-false-1749471205373 , https://hajjreporters.com/fact-check-did-saudi-arabia-ban-visas-on-arrival-for-14-countries/ , https://WWW.MONDAQ.COM/unitedstates/work-visas/1756756/february-2026-global-immigration-recap-%7c-emea , https://travelobiz.com/saudi-arabia-suspends-temporary-work-visas-for-workers-from-17-countries/ , https://panatlantickompass.com/2026/02/10/nigeria-affected-as-saudi-arabia-suspends-temporary-work-visas/ . Related: Iqama renewal fees (https://gulfexpatrights.com/iqama-renewal-fee-2026/).