GCC Updates: Saudi Premium Residency & Bahrain Golden Licence Changes

Saudi Arabia: Five New Categories, One Restructured Fee

In February 2026, the Saudi Premium Residency Centre (SPRC) activated a restructured Premium Residency Permit (PRP) scheme through a new electronic application platform. The reform consolidates entry into five formal categories: special talent (covering executives and healthcare or scientific professionals); gifted individuals in culture, arts and sport; investors; entrepreneurs; and real estate owners or investors.

The pricing change is the most operationally significant element. The standard government fee is now SAR 4,000(approximately USD 1,050), with an additional SPRC assessment fee of USD 170. This is a structural departure from the original 2019 product, which priced unlimited-duration permanent residency at SAR 800,000 as a one-off payment. The legacy investment-tier products (SAR 100,000 annual, SAR 800,000 permanent) remain available alongside the new self-sponsored categories.

Two parallel developments tighten the framework:

• Royal Decree M/14 (July 2025), the new Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis, took effect on 21 January 2026. It replaces the restrictive 2000 framework with a geography-based system administered through the Real Estate General Authority (REGA). Premium Residency holders may own residential, commercial, and industrial property; non-Saudi buyers pay a 5% Real Estate Transaction Tax plus a foreign transfer fee of up to 5%, with Makkah and Madinah largely excluded.
• Sector-targeted recruitment: The talent track is being operationalised through approved entities in priority fields, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, cardiac surgery, oncology, renewable energy, space technology, and urban planning.

The 21-year minimum age requirement has been removed. Applicants must still demonstrate a clean criminal record, valid medical insurance, and sufficient financial resources.

A separate UHNW track (proposed for individuals with verified net worth above USD 30 million, including a "superyacht" pathway) was reported as under deliberation as of January 2026 but has not been formally launched. This requires verification before being treated as live policy.

Bahrain: A 35% Cut to the Golden Residency Threshold

In late November 2025, Bahrain's Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA), under the Ministry of Interior, reduced the Golden Residency Visa real estate threshold from BHD 200,000 to BHD 130,000 — approximately USD 345,000. The cut applies to the property-investment route only. The visa remains a 10-year renewable permit with work rights, family sponsorship, and unrestricted re-entry.

Other qualifying tracks were restated alongside the change:

• Salaried professionals: Minimum basic salary of BHD 2,000 per month with at least five years' service in Bahrain.
• Retirees with Bahrain history: At least 15 years' work in Bahrain and pension income above BHD 2,000.
• Non-resident retirees: Pension income exceeding BHD 4,000.
• Entrepreneurs and exceptional contributors: Assessed case-by-case where the applicant is judged to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain's economy or society.

The application sits with NPRA and requires a valid passport, six months of bank statements, proof of residence, and health insurance. Application fees range from BHD 100 to BHD 300 depending on category.

A Note on the Golden Licence (Distinct from the Golden Residency)

The Bahrain Golden Licence, introduced by the Cabinet in April 2023, is a corporate FDI instrument — not a personal residency permit. It targets companies committing USD 50 million or more in investment, or creating 500+ jobs in Bahrain, offering priority land allocation, expedited permits, tax exemptions, and dedicated account management through the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), with Tamkeen and Bahrain Development Bank support.

The original eligibility thresholds remain in place. No public amendments to the Golden Licence criteria have been announced for 2026; the more recent regulatory movement on the corporate side has been Decision No. 71 of 2025, which expanded the list of business activities eligible for 100% foreign ownership.

Initial recipients of the Golden Licence include Citi, Eagle Hills Diyar, Infracorp, Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC), and Whampoa Group. Subsequent awardees include Bahrain Titanium (Interlink Metals & Chemicals), the National Bank of Kuwait greenfield headquarters, Beyon's data centre and submarine cable project, and the Bahrain Marina waterfront development. By early 2024, the programme had attracted USD 2.4 billion across nine projects.

For enterprises evaluating Bahrain, the Golden Licence and Golden Residency are complementary instruments — one for the entity, one for the people running it.

Comparison: Saudi Premium Residency vs Bahrain Golden Residency

What This Means for Decision-Makers

For businesses operating across the GCC, two practical shifts follow from this quarter's reforms:

The Saudi PRP at SAR 4,000 is now a viable retention instrument for senior expatriate hires in priority sectors, removing the kafeel (sponsor) dependency that has historically tied talent to specific employers. For companies recruiting in healthcare, AI, cybersecurity, and renewable energy, this changes the negotiation dynamic — candidates can now hold residency independently of employment contracts. Application volume reflects this: Saudi reported over 40,000 PRP applications between January 2024 and mid-2025, with approvals concentrated in the Exceptional Competence and Talent categories.

Bahrain's threshold cut repositions the Kingdom in the lower-to-mid pricing band of GCC investor visas — undercutting Saudi Arabia's SAR 4 million property route and Oman's RO 200,000 (USD 520,000) requirement, while remaining above the UAE Golden Visa's AED 500,000 (USD 136,000) entry point. For mid-market property buyers and regional executives who do not meet UHNW thresholds, Bahrain has moved from a premium niche to a tactical mid-cap option.

Neither reform alters the underlying tax position (no personal income tax in either jurisdiction) or the geopolitical calculus. Both reduce the friction of entry and increase the optionality of exit — particularly relevant for businesses building multi-jurisdiction GCC footprints.

WorldPath View

These two reforms point in the same direction but reflect different strategic postures.

Saudi's PRP overhaul is structural — five new tracks, a new agency, a new digital platform, and a new property law converging in the same window. It signals that Saudi is no longer testing residency-by-investment as a symbolic Vision 2030 product; it is integrating it into the labour market via approved-employer talent pathways.

Bahrain's threshold cut is tactical — a clean 35% pricing decision aimed at defending share against the UAE's volume-led Golden Visa and capturing capital that finds Saudi Arabia's SAR 4 million bar too high.

Best-suited audiences:

• Enterprises and SMBs: Bahrain's Golden Licence remains the relevant instrument for projects above USD 50 million or 500 jobs; the Golden Residency is the right complement for senior leadership relocation.
• Skilled professionals and executives: Saudi's PRP talent track is now the most credible self-sponsored route in the GCC for Vision 2030 priority sectors. Bahrain's salaried track (BHD 2,000+/month for five years) is the more realistic option for mid-career professionals already in the region.
• Property investors: Bahrain's BHD 130,000 entry is the lowest-cost long-tenure property-linked residency in the GCC outside the UAE.

The verdict is neutral but directional: the GCC residency market is converging on lower fees, broader categories, and digital-first application infrastructure. The competitive question for 2026 is no longer whether to offer long-term residency, but how cheaply and quickly it can be granted. Operators planning regional moves in the next 12–18 months should expect further pricing adjustments from Oman and Kuwait in response.