Iqama (Residence Permit)

Iqama is the Arabic word for residence and the standard Gulf term for a residence permit. Strictly, 'iqama' is the official name of Saudi Arabia's residence card, but expatriates across the region use it loosely for any Gulf residence status — so in the UAE context, someone asking about their 'iqama' almost always means their UAE residence visa and the Emirates ID card that now embodies it. The practical translations: checking iqama validity means checking the residence visa expiry linked to the Emirates ID; iqama transfer maps to changing sponsors or employers through ICP/GDRFA and MOHRE processes; iqama cancellation maps to visa cancellation and the grace period that follows. The terminology matters for client intake and search: workers moving between Saudi Arabia and the UAE carry the vocabulary with them, and conflating the two systems leads to wrong assumptions, since UAE rules on sponsorship, grace periods, and bans differ significantly from Saudi practice.