Saudization Salary Thresholds by Profession: What Salary Counts
The Saudization salary threshold depends on the rule. Nitaqat counts a Saudi as one at SAR 4,000 a month and as half at SAR 3,000 to 3,999. Marketing professions require SAR 5,500 and engineering requires SAR 8,000 plus Saudi Council of Engineers accreditation. MHRSD's sales and procurement announcements and its project management guide name no floor, although Al Tamimi reports SAR 5,500 for sales.
Saudization salary thresholds are not one number. Nitaqat has one wage test, and a few profession rules add a higher floor for the Saudis they count. If a Saudi employee earns less than the floor, that employee does not count toward the rule in question.
What is the minimum salary for a Saudi employee to count toward Saudization?
| Rule | Saudi share required | Minimum salary to count | Status of this fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitaqat, full count | By economic activity and size | SAR 4,000 | Reported by Al Tamimi |
| Nitaqat, half count | Same | SAR 3,000 to 3,999 | Reported by Al Tamimi |
| Marketing | 60% | SAR 5,500 | Stated by MHRSD |
| Engineering | 30% | SAR 8,000, plus SCE accreditation | Stated by MHRSD |
| Sales | 60% | None stated by MHRSD | MHRSD announcement names no floor; Al Tamimi reports SAR 5,500 |
| Procurement | 70% | None stated | MHRSD announcements name no floor |
| Project management | 70% | None stated | Procedural guide names no floor |
| Administrative support | 100% | Not applicable | Role is reserved for Saudis |
| Housing supervisors | 100% | SAR 5,000 (reported) | Reported by Okaz and Zawya; a Saudi paid less does not count |
| Wellness centers and spas (administrative roles) | 100% | Not applicable | Role is reserved for Saudis |
| Dental | 55% | SAR 9,000 | Registered with GOSI, with valid SCFHS accreditation (Ministry of Health) |
| Tourism | Phased | Being verified | Not confirmed by us |
| Gyms and sports centers | 15% | Being verified | Not confirmed by us |
"None stated" means MHRSD's published decision or guide does not name a minimum salary. It does not mean no wage rules apply anywhere. "Being verified" means we have not confirmed a floor, and we will not guess one. Check the rates database for the latest status of each rule.
What does the Nitaqat salary rule mean in practice?
A Saudi employee earning SAR 4,000 or more counts as one. Between SAR 3,000 and SAR 3,999 the employee counts as half. Below SAR 3,000 the employee does not count at all. The weights and their conditions, including Qiwa contract documentation, are covered in our guide to how Saudi employees count.
A short example shows the effect. An entity has four Saudi employees paid SAR 5,000, SAR 4,200, SAR 3,500 and SAR 2,800. They count as 1 + 1 + 0.5 + 0 = 2.5, not 4. Moving the SAR 3,500 employee to SAR 4,000 adds 0.5. Moving the SAR 2,800 employee to SAR 3,000 or more adds at least 0.5, and to SAR 4,000 adds 1.
Can a Saudi employee be counted if their salary is below the required threshold?
Only in part, and only under Nitaqat. A Saudi on SAR 3,000 to 3,999 counts as half. Below SAR 3,000, or below a profession floor such as SAR 5,500 for marketing or SAR 8,000 for engineering, the person is not counted toward that rate, although they stay in your total headcount.
Which professions add their own salary floor?
Among MHRSD's profession decisions, two do: marketing and engineering. The table above also lists the Ministry of Health's SAR 9,000 dental floor and the reported SAR 5,000 floor for housing supervisors.
Marketing: SAR 5,500
The 60% marketing rate covers establishments with three or more workers in 10 targeted professions. A Saudi must earn at least SAR 5,500 to count. The rule took effect on 19 April 2026 after a three-month grace period. See marketing Saudization for the 10 roles.
Engineering: SAR 8,000 and accreditation
The 30% engineering rate covers establishments with five or more workers across 46 engineering professions. A Saudi engineer must earn at least SAR 8,000 and hold Saudi Council of Engineers accreditation to count. MHRSD set a six-month period from issuance, and Clyde & Co reports the effective date as 30 June 2026. See engineering Saudization.
Does sales have a salary floor?
MHRSD's announcement for the 60% sales rate names no floor and attaches its SAR 5,500 minimum to marketing only. Al Tamimi's September 2026 overview, however, lists SAR 5,500 for sales as well, so check the sales procedural guide before relying on either reading. The two decisions were announced together and share a 60% rate and an effective date, but they are separate rules with separate conditions. See sales Saudization.
The same is true of project management. MHRSD's procedural guide for the 70% rule, effective 14 February 2027, names no minimum salary. Your Saudi project managers still count toward Nitaqat under the SAR 4,000 and SAR 3,000 weights, which is a separate test.
What MHRSD says
- Marketing: a Saudi must earn at least SAR 5,500 to count.
- Engineering: a Saudi must earn at least SAR 8,000 and hold SCE accreditation.
- Project management: the procedural guide names no minimum salary.
- Sales: the announcement attaches no salary floor.
Our analysis
- A single Saudi hire can sit under three different tests, so a salary that clears Nitaqat may not clear the profession rule.
- Floors raise the cost of each qualifying hire, so they belong in the budget before the headcount plan.
- Where a rule names no floor, the Nitaqat weights still apply to the same person.
How do salary floors affect hiring cost?
A floor sets the lowest annual pay for a Saudi hire who will count. At the marketing floor of SAR 5,500 a month, base pay is SAR 66,000 a year. At the engineering floor of SAR 8,000, it is SAR 96,000 a year. At the Nitaqat full-count line of SAR 4,000, it is SAR 48,000. These figures are salary only. Our cost of Saudization model adds recruitment, training and offsets.
Some of the cost can be recovered. HRDF's Employment Support covers monthly wages between SAR 4,000 and SAR 15,000, so a hire at any of the three floors falls inside the band. See Hadaf wage support for the rates and conditions.
What should HR check before setting a salary?
- Identify which rules apply to the role: Nitaqat only, or Nitaqat plus a profession rule.
- Confirm the registered occupation. Coverage follows the occupation code, so use the job title mapping guide.
- Compare the offer with every floor that applies.
- Confirm the wage on the Qiwa contract matches the offer.
- Re-check when MHRSD publishes new decisions, using the changes tracker.
Frequently asked questions
01What is the minimum salary for a Saudi employee to count toward Saudization?
For Nitaqat, a Saudi employee must earn SAR 4,000 a month to count as one. SAR 3,000 to 3,999 counts as half and below SAR 3,000 does not count. Profession rules can set higher floors, such as SAR 5,500 for marketing and SAR 8,000 for engineering, while procurement, sales and project management name none.
02Can a Saudi employee be counted if their salary is below the required threshold?
Only in part, and only under Nitaqat. A Saudi earning SAR 3,000 to 3,999 counts as half, and below SAR 3,000 does not count. Under a profession rule with a salary floor, such as SAR 5,500 for marketing or SAR 8,000 for engineering, a Saudi paid less is not counted toward that rate.
03Does the SAR 5,500 marketing floor apply to graphic designers and photographers?
Yes, if they hold one of the 10 targeted marketing professions, which include Graphic Designer and Photographer. A Saudi must earn at least SAR 5,500 to count toward the 60% marketing rate, under the decision effective 19 April 2026.
04Is there a salary floor for procurement Saudization?
MHRSD's announcements for the 70% procurement rule name no minimum salary. The rate applies to establishments with three or more workers in 12 procurement professions and has applied since 31 May 2026.
05Can a Saudi count for Nitaqat but not for a profession rule?
Yes. A Saudi engineer on SAR 7,000 counts fully toward Nitaqat, because SAR 4,000 is enough there, but not toward the engineering rate, which needs SAR 8,000 and SCE accreditation. Each test is applied separately.
06Are the salary floors for dental, tourism and gyms confirmed?
Dental is confirmed: SAR 9,000 a month registered with GOSI, plus SCFHS accreditation, per the Ministry of Health. We have not verified a floor for tourism or gyms, so the rates database lists those as being verified until MHRSD confirms them.
07Does the salary mean basic pay or total pay?
Reports of Qiwa's criteria refer to a total registered salary of at least SAR 4,000. HRDF defines its own wage as basic salary plus housing allowance. We did not find MHRSD's wording for each profession rule, so confirm the definition in the relevant guide.
08Do profession rules have their own salary floors?
Some do. Marketing requires a Saudi to earn at least SAR 5,500 to count toward the 60% marketing rate, and engineering requires SAR 8,000 for the 30% engineering rate. The sales and project management decisions do not name a salary floor.
Sources
- Al Tamimi & Company: Saudi Arabia's 2026/2027 Saudisation Overview. Al Tamimi & Company, 22 September 2026.
- MHRSD: 60% Saudization in marketing and sales professions. Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, 26 January 2026.
- MHRSD: Localization decisions for engineering and procurement professions. Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, 21 January 2026.
- MHRSD: Procedural Guide on the Decision to Localize Project Management Professions (PDF). Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, 2026-09.
- DLA Piper: Saudi Arabia increases Saudisation requirements in marketing and sales roles. DLA Piper, 2026-01.
This page explains Saudi workforce localization rules for general information. It is not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm against the official MHRSD decision linked above and take advice from a qualified Saudi legal adviser before acting. StrongYes is an independent publication and is not affiliated with MHRSD, Qiwa or any Saudi government body. Full disclaimer.