Ajeer and Saudization: How Temporary Worker Transfers Affect Nitaqat

Ajeer and Saudization meet at one awkward point: the Ajeer program lets one company use another company's non-Saudi worker, but the public rules say little about whose Nitaqat that worker counts toward. This page sets out how Ajeer works, what the rules fix, and what MHRSD has not yet answered.

What is Ajeer and why does it matter for Saudization?

Ajeer is the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) program for the temporary movement of workers between establishments. On the Qiwa platform it is described as a virtual labor marketplace for temporary work, and the page states that Ajeer does not recruit workers. It organizes and documents their movement.

It matters for Saudization because it is one of the few lawful ways to use a worker who is employed by someone else. Employers sometimes assume that this changes their headcount. That assumption is where the risk sits.

The rules are set by Ministerial Decision No. 60339, in force from 26 January 2026, according to BSA Law and ZC Zamakhchary & Co (Z&Co). The Ajeer platform is mandatory for documenting these arrangements.

How does a temporary transfer of non-Saudi workers work?

The lending employer keeps the worker on its payroll and permit, and the receiving establishment uses the worker under an electronic service contract and an Ajeer permit. Nothing transfers permanently.

Sources for the table: Z&Co, BSA Law and Al Watan's report on the MHRSD rules. The original employment contract does not move to the receiving establishment, and a worker may be placed with more than one establishment, with multiple permits in the same period.

What are the two kinds of arrangement?

BSA Law distinguishes two models. The difference matters because only one of them puts the worker under the receiving company's day-to-day direction.

Is Ajeer the same as a transfer of services?

No. A transfer of services moves the worker's employment, and the sponsoring entity changes. Ajeer is temporary, the lender stays the legal employer and the worker is tied to a named beneficiary through a permit. The permit cannot be used for any other entity.

Do Ajeer workers count in the receiving or the lending entity's Nitaqat?

MHRSD has not published a rule on this in the documents we reviewed. We found no counting rule in the Ajeer rules as reported by two law firms, none in the ministry's Ajeer service page, and no reference to Ajeer in MHRSD's 2026 Nitaqat procedural guide.

Here is what can be said, kept apart from what cannot.

The Ajeer page also says that using some Ajeer services positively affects an establishment's Nitaqat classification. It does not say which services or how. Do not read that line as a counting rule.

How long does Ajeer last and what does it cost?

The permit lasts up to three years or until the service contract ends, whichever is earlier. That limit appears in both law-firm summaries of Decision No. 60339 and in Al Watan's report. Renewal needs fresh approval, and the lender is liable for delayed or refused renewals during an outsourcing period.

On fees, the evidence conflicts. MHRSD's service page for Ajeer permit issuance lists the service as free. Some advisers say the permit is invoiced through the platform, and we could not match that to an official tariff. We have therefore left out any amount. Check the fee screen on the Ajeer platform before you budget, and treat the price between the two companies as a commercial matter.

What are the compliance risks of using Ajeer?

Most risks come from permit timing and from the gap between the registered profession and the real work. BSA Law and Z&Co list the prohibited practices below.

Neither law-firm summary states penalty amounts. MHRSD applies its Schedules of Violations and Penalties; see Saudization penalties and inspections for what we can and cannot confirm.

What if the borrowing company is part of the same group?

The rules also apply to labor transfers between parent companies and their subsidiaries, per BSA Law and Z&Co. A group cannot treat an intra-group placement as informal. It needs a permit, a documented service contract and the same expiry discipline. Our page on Saudization for holding groups covers the entity questions that follow.

A worked example

Entity A employs a non-Saudi technician and lends him to Entity B for a project. The service contract runs for 10 months, so the permit cannot run past it.

• Entity A stays the legal employer. His contract does not move to B, and A renews the permit if the project overruns.
• If the project finishes early and B cancels, work must stop at cancellation.
• If the permit expires and he is still on site on the next working day, the violation is treated as starting that day, and A is liable as lender.
• Which entity's headcount he enters for Nitaqat is not stated in the public rules. A should plan its own band on the basis that he remains its employee, and B should not assume he is outside its own headcount until MHRSD or Qiwa confirms it.

That last point is our planning approach, not an MHRSD statement.

What should HR do before using Ajeer?

1. Confirm both establishments are eligible, including their wage protection status and current Nitaqat band.
2. Match the profession on the worker's permit to the work he will do. Check it against the rates database if the work touches a covered occupation.
3. Get the worker's consent in writing unless his contract already allows outsourcing.
4. Put the service contract on the platform and wait for the permit before work starts.
5. Diary the expiry date and the renewal request well ahead of it.
6. Ask MHRSD or Qiwa support in writing how the worker is counted for your entity, and file the reply.
7. Review any Ajeer use alongside your readiness checklist.

This page describes the rules as published and what remains unpublished. It is not legal advice for your entity.