Last updated: 14 November 2026
Saudization (توطين, also called Nitaqat localisation) is the rule that a set share of certain jobs in Saudi private companies must be held by Saudi nationals. In 2026 the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) has rates in force for more than 20 profession groups, from 100% for administrative support, customer service and real estate brokerage to 70% for procurement, 60% for sales and marketing and 30% for engineers, with more increases already dated for 2027.
This page lists every Saudization rate by profession that we could confirm on an official source, the date each one started or starts, the conditions that decide whether your company is covered, and what each rule really means for an expat already working in that job.
Does Saudization Apply to Expats?
Yes, but not in the way many expats fear. A Saudization decision does not cancel your iqama or ban foreigners from a job title. It sets a minimum share of Saudis that your employer must have among the workers in the listed titles. If a company with 10 procurement staff must reach 70%, at least 7 of them must be Saudi; the other 3 can be expats.
In real expat experience in KSA, the pressure shows up in three places: fewer new work visas for that title, fewer approvals to change an iqama profession into it, and a company that drops below its rate losing services in Qiwa. That is why the occupation code on your Qiwa profile matters more than the title on your business card.
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Saudization Rates by Profession in Saudi Arabia (2026)
All rates below apply to private-sector establishments. “Workers” means workers in the listed job titles, counted across the whole company unless stated otherwise.
| Profession group | Saudization rate | In force since | Who is covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative support (69 more titles, e.g. administrative assistant, receptionist, recruitment and HR roles) | 100% | 4 October 2026 | Any company with a worker in these titles |
| Customer service (including supervisors and outsourced teams) | 100% | 2022 | Where customer service is a main or supporting activity |
| Real estate brokerage and real estate marketing | 100% of these titles; 70% of all staff in real estate activities | 1 October 2021 | Real estate activities |
| Shopping mall jobs and mall management | 100% (cleaning, loading, entertainment maintenance and barbers excluded) | 4 August 2021 | Closed shopping malls |
| Driving schools | 100% (cleaners and loaders excluded) | 30 December 2021 | Saudi counts at SAR 5,000 or more |
| Customs clearance | 100% of named titles, 70% of total staff | 30 December 2021 | Saudi counts at SAR 5,000 or more |
| Cinema (ticket, food and beverage, retail and supervisory sales roles) | 100% | 1 October 2021 | Cinemas |
| Health: therapeutic nutrition and physiotherapy | 80% | 17 October 2025 (all companies) | 1 or more worker; specialist SAR 7,000, technician SAR 5,000 |
| Health: medical laboratory | 70% | 17 October 2025 | 1 or more worker; same wage floors |
| Health: radiology | 65% | 17 October 2025 | 1 or more worker; same wage floors |
| Procurement (12 titles) | 70% | 31 May 2026 | 3 or more workers in these titles |
| Legal consulting (legal advisers, contracts specialist, legal affairs clerk) | 70% | Phase 2 after the 2022 grace period | Companies, law firms and legal offices; SAR 5,500 for bachelor holders |
| Tourism and hospitality (28 titles in phase 1) | 100% for 4 front-desk titles, 70% or 50% for the rest | 22 April 2026 | Tourism activities; later phases announced for 2027 and 2028 |
| Pharmacy | 65% hospital pharmacies, 55% other pharmacy activities, 35% community pharmacies | 27 July 2025 | 5 or more pharmacy workers |
| Sales (8 titles) | 60% | 19 April 2026 | 3 or more workers in these titles |
| Marketing (10 titles, e.g. marketing manager, graphic designer, PR specialist) | 60% | 19 April 2026 | 3 or more workers; Saudi counts at SAR 5,500 or more |
| Dentistry | 55% | 27 January 2026 | 3 or more workers; Saudi dentist at SAR 9,000 or more with an SCFHS licence |
| Accounting (financial, accounting and audit titles) | 50% | 27 October 2026 | 5 or more workers; SAR 6,000 bachelor, SAR 4,500 diploma |
| Optics (optometry technician, optician) | 50% | 18 March 2023 | 4 or more workers |
| Consulting (financial, business and cybersecurity consulting specialists) | 40% | 25 March 2024 | Consulting activities |
| Engineering (46 titles) | 30% | 30 June 2026 | 5 or more engineers; Saudi Council of Engineers accreditation |
| Technical engineering (94 titles) | 30% | 27 July 2025 | 5 or more workers |
| Gyms and sports centres (12 titles, e.g. sports coach) | 15% | From 18 November 2026 | 4 or more workers |
Sources: HRSD announcements for each decision, the Ministry of Health for dentistry and the health professions, and the Saudi Press Agency for sales and marketing. Full list at the end of this page.
Upcoming Saudization Changes: 2026 to 2028
These increases are already announced with a date, so companies are adjusting their hiring now:
| Date | Change | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| 18 November 2026 | Gyms and sports centres: 15% of 12 sports jobs | Gym Saudization |
| 14 February 2027 | Project management: up from 40% to 70% | Project management Saudization |
| 9 May 2027 | Technical engineering: up from 30% to 35% (94 titles) | Technical engineering Saudization |
| 27 October 2027 | Accounting: up from 50% to 60% | Accounting Saudization |
| 2027 and 2028 | Tourism: phases 2 and 3 (chefs, then leadership roles) | – |
| 27 October 2028 | Accounting: up to 70% | Accounting Saudization |
Procurement already reached 70% on 31 May 2026; see our procurement Saudization guide for the 12 job titles.
How the Saudization Percentage Is Calculated
Every profession decision comes with an HRSD procedural guide, and four details in it decide whether a rule touches your company:
- Minimum number of workers. Most rules start at 3, 4 or 5 workers in the listed titles. A small company with 2 accountants is outside the accounting rule.
- Counted per company, not per branch. The newer decisions count all branches of the establishment together.
- Minimum wage for a Saudi to count. A Saudi worker counts toward the rate only above the wage floor in the decision, for example SAR 9,000 for dentists or SAR 5,500 for marketing. A Saudi paid less still works there, but does not count.
- Professional accreditation. Some rules count only accredited Saudis, such as engineers registered with the Saudi Council of Engineers or dentists with a Saudi Commission for Health Specialties licence.
These profession rates sit on top of the company-wide Nitaqat minimum wage rules, which decide how much a Saudi must earn to count fully in the overall Nitaqat score. Company size bands also matter; see how Qiwa classifies companies by size.
Saudization and Nitaqat: How They Fit Together
Nitaqat is the overall scoring system. It gives every establishment a colour band based on its total Saudization percentage for its activity and size: Platinum, High Green, Medium Green, Low Green and Red. The profession decisions on this page are separate targets inside the company: a firm can be Green overall and still miss its 70% procurement rate.
- Platinum, High Green and Medium Green: new visas, iqama profession changes, work permit renewals and transfers in are all open.
- Low Green: renewals and transfers continue, but new visas and profession changes stop.
- Red: work permit renewals, new visas and profession changes stop.
You can see your own company band in a minute with our free Nitaqat colour check (iqama colour status).
What Saudization Means for Expats Already in These Jobs
Many expats in Saudi Arabia hear “100% Saudization” and assume they will be sent home. In practice, this is what changes:
- Your iqama is not cancelled by the decision itself. The rule is on the employer. Your renewal depends on your company keeping its Nitaqat band and its work permit payments.
- New visas for that title get harder. A company below its rate cannot bring in new expats for the localised title.
- Profession changes into a localised title are blocked. Companies cannot simply re-label an expat into a protected job, and the occupation in Qiwa must match the real job.
- A transfer can be your safest move. If your company is falling into Red, moving to a compliant employer keeps your status. Track a transfer with our iqama transfer status check.
- Fully localised titles (100%) are the real risk. In customer service, administrative support, malls and real estate brokerage, an expat in that exact title should talk to HR about a correct occupation code or a new role before renewal.
How to Check if Your Job Is Under Saudization
It takes a few minutes, and you need only your own login:
- Log in to Qiwa with Nafath (here is our Qiwa login guide) and open your employee profile.
- Note your occupation exactly as Qiwa shows it. This, not your contract title, is what the ministry checks.
- Compare it with the profession groups in the table above. If it matches, ask HR how many staff the company has in that title and whether it meets the rate.
- Check your company Nitaqat colour. Green bands keep renewals and transfers open.
Penalties for Not Meeting Saudization Rates
HRSD says that after each grace period its inspection teams check compliance and that companies below the rate face the statutory penalties. The ministry does not publish one fixed fine per worker in these announcements, so treat any single figure you see online with caution. The practical penalty most companies feel first is the loss of Qiwa services: no new visas, no profession changes and, in Red, no work permit renewals.
Saudization and Salaries
The wage floors in these decisions apply to Saudis counted toward the rate, not to expats. Your own pay rights, including the minimum salary in Saudi Arabia discussion for Saudis and the rules for expats, are covered separately.
Frequently Asked Questions About Saudization
What is Saudization?
Saudization is the Saudi government policy, run by HRSD, that requires private companies to employ a minimum percentage of Saudi nationals overall (Nitaqat) and in specific professions (profession localisation decisions).
What is the Saudization percentage for my profession?
It ranges from 15% for gym and sports jobs to 100% for administrative support, customer service and real estate brokerage. Find your group in the Saudization rates by profession table above.
Is Saudization only for Saudi citizens? What about foreign workers?
The rate counts Saudis, but it limits how many foreign workers a company can keep in that job title. Expats can still hold the remaining share unless the title is 100% localised.
Can my iqama be renewed if my job is under Saudization?
Yes, if your company stays in a Green Nitaqat band and keeps paying the work permit fees. Renewals stop when the company falls into Red.
Does Saudization apply to small companies?
Many profession decisions apply only from 3, 4 or 5 workers in the listed titles. Some, like administrative support and the health professions, apply from 1 worker.
Sources
- HRSD news: procurement 70% (18 June 2026), project management 70% (16 August 2026), engineering 30% (8 July 2026), accounting localisation (6 November 2025) and its procedural guide, administrative support (4 October 2026), tourism phase 1 (22 April 2026), gyms (21 December 2025), marketing and sales (26 January 2026), health professions (17 April 2025), the 269-profession decisions for dentistry, pharmacy and engineering (26 January 2025), legal consulting and customer service (20 December 2022), customs, driving schools and legal phase 1 (30 December 2021), real estate and cinema (2021).
- Ministry of Health: dentistry phase 2 (27 January 2026); health professions (16 April 2025).
- Saudi Press Agency: marketing and sales implementation; Okaz and Al Arabiya: technical engineering 35% (8 November 2026).
- Saudi Gazette and Arab News: malls (2021); Arab News and Fragomen: consulting 40% (2024); Al Eqtisadiah: optics (18 March 2023).