Solutions
Hire in MENA without a local entity.
Direct EOR is a Global Kinect Direct Payroll configuration for end-employer businesses hiring workforces in MENA without their own local entity. The local entity employs the worker. You direct the work. Visa, Iqama, GOSI, Mudad, EOSB — handled. You get one invoice and an employee who's compliant from day one.
What is Global Kinect Direct EOR? Direct EOR is a Direct Payroll configuration from Global Kinect — the workforce control surface for businesses operating across MENA — for end-employer businesses hiring MENA-resident employees without holding their own MENA entity. The worker is employed under a partner-delivered entity; the end-employer directs the work. Includes visa, Iqama, GOSI / Mudad / WPS submissions, EOSB carriage, CCHI medical (Saudi), and statutory submissions on the partner entity's behalf. Direct EOR is distinct from Global Kinect EOR-Engine — which is a separate product sold to established EOR providers running their own client books; if you're an EOR provider, see /solutions/eor-engine. Talk to us if it fits your operational need.
Overview
Direct EOR is a Direct Payroll configuration from Global Kinect — the workforce control surface for businesses operating across MENA — for end-employer businesses hiring MENA-resident employees without holding their own MENA entity. The worker is employed under a partner-delivered entity; the end-employer directs the work. Includes visa, Iqama, GOSI / Mudad / WPS submissions, EOSB carriage, CCHI medical (Saudi), and statutory submissions on the partner entity's behalf. Direct EOR is distinct from Global Kinect EOR-Engine — a separate product sold to established EOR providers running their own client books; if you're an EOR provider, see /solutions/eor-engine. Talk to us if it fits your operational need.
What’s included
The local entity employs. You direct.
Direct EOR puts a local, in-country entity on record as the legal employer in the country where you're hiring. The worker becomes that entity's employee on paper — visa, Iqama, work permit, statutory contributions, payslip all under the entity. You retain operational control of the work: scope, deliverables, hours, performance, termination decisions. The entity carries the legal employer obligations; you carry the operational management. Same engine as Bureau and Managed runs the payroll cycle underneath.
Onboarding · Visa, Iqama, contract.
Block visa, medical processing, biometric tracking, Iqama issuance, local-law employment contract in the country's required format. Onboarding cycle 22–35 days for Saudi (the most regulated); other GCC similar or faster.
Monthly cycle · Payroll, statutory, medical.
GOSI / WPS / Mudad / GPSSA / ILOE submissions on the partner entity's behalf. CCHI medical for Saudi. Bank-format file out per country. Same engine as Direct Payroll; same audit trail.
Tenure and end-of-service · EOSB accrued and carried.
End-of-service benefit accrued per country (Saudi tier-2 at 5 years; UAE tier transition; Kuwait private-sector tier; etc.). Carried on the partner entity's books; settled on termination.
Termination · Notice, EOSB, visa cancellation.
Notice period per local labour law. EOSB settled per accrued tier. Visa cancellation and statutory deregistration handled. Repatriation logistics if applicable.
When Direct EOR is the right shape — and when it isn't.
Direct EOR fits when you want to hire a MENA-resident employee but you don't have your own MENA entity in their country; when speed matters (entity setup takes months, EOR onboards in weeks); when you're testing a market before committing to entity formation; when in-country headcount is too low to justify entity overhead; or when you want operational simplicity (one invoice, one provider) over long-term cost optimisation of owned entity. Direct EOR is NOT the right shape when you already have a MENA entity in the country (use Bureau or Managed instead); when you're an EOR provider running your own book (that's EOR-Engine — a different product); when long-term scale changes the per-employee economics; or when the role is a real contractor relationship (that's /solutions/contractor-engagement).
Direct EOR vs EOR-Engine — two products, two buyers.
Direct EOR and EOR-Engine sound similar; they're separate offerings for separate buyers. Both run on the same MENA payroll engine. The difference is who's the customer. Direct EOR is for end-employers hiring into MENA. EOR-Engine is the operating platform for established EOR providers running their own client books — see /solutions/eor-engine.
How Direct EOR engagements start.
Direct EOR is one of five configurations of Global Kinect Direct Payroll. As of 2026, we take Direct EOR inbound — buyers who land on this page get the full service, the demo, and a scoped quote. If Direct EOR is your need, the page is here, the form works, and the conversation routes to a founder-level call.
Frequently asked questions
Popular countries for Direct EOR
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Need Direct EOR scope, timing and pricing?
Describe the country, roles, headcount, start date, and visa requirements, and we'll return with the viable route, onboarding steps, pricing structure, and responsibility split.