Training data disclosure in Saudi Arabia is due again: the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) has told private companies with 50 or more workers to file on Qiwa before 31 January 2027. The ministry made the call on 2 November 2026, and it applies even to companies that ran no training at all.
If you work in HR, payroll or government relations for a mid-sized firm, this lands on your desk. Most employees have nothing to do themselves, because the duty sits with the establishment.
What changed in the HRSD training data deadline
The obligation is not new; the new element is the date. HRSD has set 31 January 2027 as the cut-off for this round, one year after the 31 January 2026 deadline announced through SPA last November.
The requirement goes back to a 2023 ministerial resolution, which made annual disclosure through Qiwa compulsory for establishments with 50 or more workers. Okaz and Al Watan both describe it this year as mandatory for every covered establishment.
| Your company’s situation | What to disclose on Qiwa |
|---|---|
| Ran training during the year | Number of trainees, training programmes, hours and costs |
| Ran no training | A statement that no training took place |
Telling the ministry you ran nothing is not a way out. HRSD says this does not exempt a company from the training requirements set by regulation.
Follow Saudi Life Guide for Iqama, visa and job updates
New rules, fees and news as soon as we publish them. Join 83,500+ followers on Facebook.
Who is affected
Private sector establishments with 50 or more workers are covered. The statement speaks of workers without separating Saudis from expats, and it does not spell out how the figure is calculated, so check your Qiwa headcount before assuming you are under the line.
Compliance is still patchy. According to the ministry’s figures reported by Okaz, more than 53% of establishments disclosed in 2025, up from more than 38% in 2024. Plenty of firms are clearly still missing it, so do not assume your company filed last time.
What expats in HR roles should do now
Start in November, not in the last week of January. Collecting hours and cost records from department heads is usually the slow part.
- Check the headcount. Confirm on Qiwa whether your establishment is at 50 workers or more.
- Pull the records. List trainees, programmes, hours and what each cost.
- Check the unit minimum. The 2023 resolution asks for at least eight training units per trainee a year, and groups trainees as employees, students, graduates and job seekers.
- Prepare next year’s plan. The 2023 rules also cover training plans, expected trainee numbers and the budget for the coming year.
- File before 31 January. If no training ran, file that statement anyway.
What the ministry has not said
The November statement does not mention fines. HRSD said in 2023 that its procedural guide sets out the penalties, and immigration law firm Fragomen reported fines of SAR 5,000 to SAR 15,000 at the time. Check the guide for the current amounts before you quote a figure to management.
The ministry also has not spelled out the exact reporting period in the coverage we reviewed, and no extension has been mentioned.
What has not changed
The separate decision on graduates and job seekers still stands alongside this. Argaam reported in February that companies with 50 or more workers must train the equivalent of 2% of their workforce a year, through on-the-job programmes of two to six months documented on Qiwa. Companies with 5,000 or more workers are capped at 100 trainees.
Disclosure and training are two different duties, so ticking one does not clear the other. Get the Qiwa filing done early and leave January for fixing errors.