The purpose of this study was to analyze the recruitment of foreigners working in the civil service in Saudi Arabia. The country was facing dual problems in manpower in the form of shortages in both quality and quantity of human resources in all levels and areas of employment, including the civil service. A survey of the literature related to the Saudi Arabian civil service, especially government documents recording the history of civil service legislation, revealed that recruitment of foreigners was carried out on an individual basis until 1953.