Expand to the Middle East -

the right way, from Day One.

HR Advisory for UAE & Saudi Arabia Expansion

Entering the UAE or Saudi market is exciting - but without the right people, compliance, and cost strategy, expansion becomes slow, expensive, and risky.


At talentX, we help global companies land and scale confidently across the UAE & Saudi Arabia - aligning your hiring, HR compliance, leadership, and culture from Day One.


Built on deep regional HR expertise, and over a decade partnering with brands like Deliveroo, TikTok, and CoinW.


What this means for you:

  • Reduce expansion and HR setup costs by up to 40%
  • Avoid costly compliance penalties, payroll errors, and visa mistakes
  • Build a high-performing local team in under 90 days
  • Get the right entity/visa/people cost model before you start


What You Get

01

Your Hiring & People Plan (Built for UAE / KSA)


Everything you need to hire the right people at the right cost.


  • Your first-year hiring plan + role recommendations
  • 3-year people cost model (salaries, visas, insurance, office, benefits)
  • Benchmarking for local salaries & talent availability
  • Emiratization/Saudization alignment from Day 1
  • Visa & immigration guidance (who needs what + how much it costs)


You know exactly who to hire, how much it costs, and avoid expensive mistakes.

02


HR, Legal & Compliance Setup (Done Correctly the First Time)


We set up all your HR basics so you’re compliant in the UAE/KSA.



  • Employee contracts + onboarding documents (localised)
  • HR policies, leave rules, working hours (UAE vs KSA differences)
  • GOSI, Nitaqat, MoHRE, WPS, gratuity setup
  • DIFC vs ADGM vs mainland vs freezone guidance
  • EOR vs entity setup advice (and trusted partners to execute)


You avoid fines, audit issues, payroll errors, and costly admin mistakes

03

Leadership, Culture & Onboarding That Actually Works Here


Because teams fail when culture doesn’t translate locally.


  • Localised onboarding playbooks
  • How to lead and communicate effectively in the Middle East
  • Employer branding + EVP aligned to UAE/KSA
  • Culture & values activation to build strong local teams

Your team integrates fast and performance stays high.



04

Fractional HR Advisory


On-the-ground support for your first 6–12 months.


  • 1–2 days/week senior HR advisor
  • Ongoing support for hiring, HR systems, and leadership alignment
  • HRIS & payroll setup guidance
  • Access to our partner ecosystem (legal, PRO, payroll, insurance, workspace, etc.)


You scale confidently without hiring a full HR team too early.

Delivery

  • Timeline

    Depending on packages

  • Format

    Scalable (individuals → large transitions)

  • Methodology

    We combine hands-on fractional advisory with strategic frameworks, leveraging local labor law expertise, cultural intelligence, and global best practices.

  • Outcome

    Your UAE or Saudi operations are fully compliant, culturally aligned, and equipped with high-performing teams - from Day 1.

Pricing

USD, excl. VAT & expenses

1 Day/week HR Advisory

HR Setup + Weekly Fractional HR Advisory


What’s included:
Entry-ready people strategy, hiring roadmap, policy localisation, HR compliance setup, onboarding playbooks, leadership alignment, and partner ecosystem guidance.



$6,500/month

(Minimum 3-month engagement)


2 Day/week HR Advisory

Accelerated Market Entry + Scale Support


What’s included:
Everything in the 1-day package plus deeper hiring support, hands-on HR setup, culture activation, EVP localisation, capability building, and ongoing founder/leadership coaching.


$12,500/month

(Minimum 3-month engagement)


Bespoke HR Support

For complex, multi-entity or high-intensity expansions


Fully tailored fractional HR advisory when you need more than 2 days per week, multi-country support, or a customised build-out across UAE/KSA. Scope, cadence, and deliverables designed around your expansion plan.



From $18,000/month

(Minimum 3-month engagement - priced to scope)

We’ve helped fintechs, scale-ups, and global brands enter the UAE and Saudi Arabia smoothly and safely — avoiding the common HR compliance risks, hiring delays, visa issues, and costly expansion mistakes.


With deep experience in ADGM & DIFC setup and others, Saudisation requirements, UAE/KSA labour law, localisation, and culture alignment, we guide companies through every step of Middle East market entry with confidence.


Our advantage? Over a decade of hands-on Middle East expertise combined with global best practices. We move fast, build the right people systems from day one, and help you avoid the compliance, hiring, and cultural pitfalls that derail most expansions into UAE, KSA, and the wider GCC.

Expand with Confidence


Your UAE or Saudi operations can run smoothly from Day 1 - with compliant HR setup, the right people, the right policies, and zero surprises.


Protect your expansion, avoid costly missteps, and set up your team for long-term success.

Book Your 60-Min Market Entry Call