Buying Manpower Supply in Saudi Arabia: From RFQ to Site
How manpower supply works for Saudi project buyers: what it is and is not, the steps from request to site, what drives the price, the documents and cards to check, how to choose a supplier, and where to find each city and trade.
Manpower supply means a supplier provides named trades for your project, while the supplier stays the workers' employer and your team directs the work on site. You send an RFQ with trades, headcount, site and dates, approve CVs and card copies, issue a purchase order, and the crew mobilizes. Price depends on trade, duration, shifts, cards and location.
Key takeaways
- In manpower supply the supplier employs the workers; your site team directs the work.
- A complete RFQ names trades, headcount, site, dates, shift pattern and required cards.
- Approve CVs and card copies before the purchase order to keep them off the critical path.
- Price follows trade and grade, duration, shift pattern, cards, location and logistics; accommodation and transport are quoted separately.
- Check the supplier's registration, its worker documents process and its stated times before you compare prices.
What manpower supply is, and what it is not
In manpower supply, a supplier provides workers in named trades for your project for an agreed period. The supplier remains the workers' employer and carries their employment, while your site team directs the work. It is different from recruitment (istiqdam), where you bring the worker onto your own establishment, and from subcontracting, where the subcontractor takes responsibility for delivering a scope of work. The differences decide who employs the worker and which documents apply; see manpower supply vs labour leasing vs recruitment for the full comparison. For the service itself, see manpower supply.
From request to site: how the process runs
Most delays come from steps that are left until after the purchase order. The table shows the usual sequence and who acts at each step.
| Step | What happens | Who acts | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. RFQ | You send trades, headcount, site, dates, shift pattern and required cards | Buyer | — |
| 2. Response | A priced quotation, or an acknowledgement with any questions needed to price it | Supplier | Within 24 hours for a complete RFQ (Gulf Orbit) |
| 3. CVs and cards | CVs and card copies are sent; you approve or ask for alternatives | Both | Best done before the PO |
| 4. Purchase order | You issue the PO; the mobilization clock starts | Buyer | — |
| 5. Mobilization | Worker documents, travel and site approvals are completed | Both | 48–72 hours from PO for in-Kingdom personnel, subject to worker documents and site approvals (Gulf Orbit) |
| 6. Induction and site start | Supplier safety induction, then any site-specific training and gate passes | Both | Per site |
What drives the price
A manpower quotation is built from the requirement, so two quotations for "20 workers" can differ widely. The main drivers are listed below. Rates are not published here, because each depends on the scope; for how a quotation is put together, see how manpower supply is priced in Saudi Arabia.
- Trade and grade: a 6G welder or a Level III rigger is priced differently from a helper.
- Duration: a two-week outage and a twelve-month maintenance crew are different quotations.
- Shift pattern and working hours, including night shifts and overtime.
- Cards and qualifications the site requires, such as TUV cards or WPQ tests.
- Location: travel to a site far from the crew base is planned and priced.
- Accommodation and transport: quoted on request; ask for them as separate lines.
Documents and cards to check
Ask for the supplier's commercial registration and VAT registration, and agree which worker documents your site needs before mobilization. Where a trade needs a TUV card, or the site requires Aramco-certified workers, card copies should come with the CVs. Welders are accepted by a WPQ test to your welding procedure, not by a TUV card. For the full lists, see what documents to request from a manpower supplier and TUV card requirements by trade.
How to choose a manpower supply company
Compare suppliers on what they put in writing before you compare prices.
- Registration you can check: the commercial registration number, and VAT registration.
- Trades named in the register you need, with the grade, not a generic "skilled labour" line.
- Times with a start point: when the RFQ response is due, and when mobilization starts counting.
- CVs and card copies sent for your approval before mobilization.
- A clear statement of what is quoted separately, such as accommodation and transport.
Manpower supply by city
Gulf Orbit's offices are in Dammam (head office), Jubail Industrial City and Al Khobar, and it supplies projects anywhere in Saudi Arabia. Each city page sets out the trades commonly needed there and what to put in the RFQ: manpower supply in Dammam, manpower supply in Al Khobar, manpower supply in Jubail, manpower supply in Riyadh, manpower supply in Jeddah, manpower supply in Yanbu and manpower supply in Jazan. For scaffolding crews, see scaffolder supply in Jubail and scaffolder supply in Dammam, Khobar and Dhahran.
Manpower supply by trade
The register lists 57 documented trades in three groups: civil trades, mechanical and electrical trades and site and office roles. For a plant outage, see manpower for a refinery turnaround. When the requirement is clear, send the RFQ.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between manpower supply and recruitment?
In manpower supply the supplier stays the workers' employer and provides them for your project. In recruitment you bring the worker onto your own establishment as the employer.
How fast can supplied manpower reach a site?
Gulf Orbit mobilizes in-Kingdom personnel in 48–72 hours from purchase order, anywhere in Saudi Arabia, subject to worker documents and site approvals.
Are accommodation and transport included in a manpower quotation?
Not automatically. At Gulf Orbit they are quoted on request, so state in the RFQ whether your project provides them.
What should a manpower RFQ include?
The trades and headcount per trade, the site and city, the start date and duration, the shift pattern, and the cards or tests the site requires. Complete RFQs get a response within 24 hours.
Does Gulf Orbit supply projects outside the Eastern Province?
Yes. The offices are in Dammam, Jubail Industrial City and Al Khobar, and Gulf Orbit supplies manpower to projects anywhere in Saudi Arabia.