How to Map Job Titles to Saudi Occupation Codes
Saudization rules apply to occupations, not internal job titles. Each employee is registered under an occupation in the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations, and MHRSD profession decisions list covered occupations by code, for example 121314, 214909 and 242108 for project management. To map titles, export registered occupations from Qiwa, match them to each decision's list, and compare them with actual duties.
Saudi occupation codes decide which Saudization rules apply to each employee, so mapping job titles to them correctly is one of the most useful checks an employer can run. Internal titles such as "Delivery Lead" or "Growth Associate" mean nothing to the system. The registered occupation does.
What is a Saudi occupation code?
A Saudi occupation code identifies an occupation in the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations, issued by the General Authority for Statistics. MHRSD's project management guide states that its decision applies to the occupational titles listed in the guide as classified under that standard, and to the employee's actual duties.
The guide lists three codes. They show the format.
| Code | Occupation | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 121314 | Project Management Manager | 70% from 14 February 2027 |
| 214909 | Project Management Engineer | 70% from 14 February 2027 |
| 242108 | Project Management Specialist | 70% from 14 February 2027 |
Other decisions list occupations by title. Check each guide for the exact titles and, where given, codes. The rates database links to each rule.
Why does the registered occupation matter more than the job title?
Because the ministry reads the recorded occupation. MHRSD's project management guide says compliance with the localization rate is monitored electronically through an automated process that applies the formula to the occupational titles recorded in the General Organization for Social Insurance database.
So three things follow:
- Your internal title does not change coverage.
- An employee whose registered occupation sits on a targeted list counts in headcount for that rule.
- An employee doing covered work under a different registered occupation is a mismatch.
What is the mismatch risk?
A mismatch means the registered occupation and the actual work disagree. It can run either way, and it has two kinds of cost.
| Mismatch | Example (illustration only) | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Registered under a covered code, duties are different | A person registered as Project Management Specialist spends their time on office administration | Headcount in the covered rule is overstated, so the Saudi requirement is calculated on the wrong base. Wrong data feeds every calculation |
| Registered under a non-covered code, duties are covered | A person doing project management work is registered under a generic code | The guide says the decision applies to actual duties. It also refers to assigning covered duties to a non-Saudi employee directly or indirectly under another job title |
| Titles differ across documents | Contract says one title, Qiwa another, internal chart a third | Hard to defend in an inspection; hard to calculate from |
MHRSD's guide describes the second case as part of the enforcement language: an establishment that fails the rate, or that assigns duties of a localized profession to a non-Saudi employee directly or indirectly under any other job title, falls under the penalties in the Schedules of Violations and Penalties. See Saudization penalties and inspections.
What MHRSD says
- Decisions apply to the listed occupational titles, as classified in the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations, and to the employee's actual duties.
- Compliance is monitored electronically using occupational titles recorded in the GOSI database.
- Assigning localized-profession duties to a non-Saudi employee under another title, directly or indirectly, falls under the penalty schedules.
- The Qiwa Change Expatriate Profession service lets an establishment change a resident (non-Saudi) employee's profession to match the work done, or correct it under the unified Saudi classification, free of charge.
Our analysis
- Treat the registered occupation and the duty statement as a pair. If you cannot defend both, fix the one that is wrong.
- Do not reclassify to dodge a rule. A change on paper without a change in work leaves you with a record that no longer matches reality.
- Where a role sits between two occupations, ask MHRSD or Qiwa support in writing and keep the reply.
How do you map job titles to occupation codes, step by step?
- Export registered occupations. Pull every employee's occupation and code from Qiwa for all branches in the entity.
- List your internal titles. Put each internal title beside the registered occupation. Group employees by title.
- Collect the targeted lists. Take the occupation list from each MHRSD procedural guide that could touch your business. Start with the procurement, marketing, sales, engineering and project management pages.
- Match by occupation. Mark each employee in or out of each list, using the registered occupation, not the internal title.
- Test each match against duties. Ask the line manager to write what the person does in a paragraph, then compare it with the occupation's description in the classification.
- Log mismatches. Record each gap, its likely cause (old data, promotion, copy error) and who decides.
- Correct genuine errors. Use the Qiwa profession service for errors where the registered occupation no longer reflects the work. Keep the approval and the reason.
- Align the documents. Contract, Qiwa record and internal organization chart should tell the same story.
- Recalculate. Re-run headcount and required Saudis for each rule. See the 90-day readiness checklist.
What typically causes a mismatch?
| Cause | How it appears | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Old data | Employee was promoted or moved and the Qiwa record was never updated | Update through the profession service once duties have really changed |
| Hiring at a generic title | Role was opened under a broad code to speed up onboarding | Review at the next audit and correct if the duties are narrower |
| Group copy-across | Title was copied from another entity or country | Check against the Saudi classification, not the group grade |
| Title inflation | Internal title sounds senior but duties are not | Align the duty statement and the registered occupation |
| Merged roles | One person covers two functions | Record the main duties; ask MHRSD or Qiwa support where the split matters |
How does the Qiwa profession change service work?
MHRSD describes it as a free electronic service, supported by artificial intelligence, that lets an establishment correct an employee's profession according to the unified Saudi occupational classification without visiting the ministry. The steps shown on the MHRSD page are to log in to Qiwa, choose the profession change service and start the service. The page states the service is immediate.
Two limits are worth knowing. Entities in the Low Green or Red Nitaqat bands face suspension of profession changes for non-Saudi workers; see Low Green and Red Nitaqat. And in late January 2026, Deloitte reports, MHRSD suspended a Qiwa feature that let expatriates' job titles be changed to certain roles, naming general manager, sales representative, marketing specialist and procurement manager. A clarification followed on 30 January 2026. The detail of each restriction is on our Qiwa profession change page.
What if my titles are mapped correctly but the headcount is still short?
Then the issue is hiring, not data. Calculate the gap with the rounding rule, plan hires and development, and check support from Hadaf and other programs. The employer guide explains how the profession rules sit beside Nitaqat.
This page describes how the rules work and is not legal advice for your entity.
Frequently asked questions
01What is a Saudi occupation code?
It is the number that identifies an occupation in the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations issued by the General Authority for Statistics. MHRSD decisions list targeted professions by occupational title, and some procedural guides show the code, such as 121314 for Project Management Manager.
02Can I change an employee's occupation on Qiwa to avoid a Saudization rule?
MHRSD describes its Qiwa profession service as a way to correct the occupation to match the employee's actual duties. A change made to avoid a rule, without a matching change in duties, would leave the record out of line with the work done. Decisions apply to actual duties too.
03Who can see my employees' registered occupations?
The ministry can. MHRSD's project management guide says compliance is monitored electronically using occupational titles recorded in the General Organization for Social Insurance database. Assume the recorded occupation is what the system reads, so keep it accurate.
04What if one person does two jobs?
MHRSD has not published a rule for split roles in the guides we reviewed. Decisions apply to the listed occupation and to actual duties. Document the person's main duties and registered occupation, and ask MHRSD or Qiwa support how your case is treated.
05How often should I check occupation codes?
At least quarterly, and whenever you promote, hire or reorganize. A new decision can add occupations to a targeted list, so also check each time MHRSD publishes one. Our calendar and changes tracker list new decisions as they appear.
06Does my job title on Qiwa decide whether a rule applies?
Coverage follows the official occupation and its code under the Saudi classification of occupations, as registered for the employee. Informal titles do not change that, and a title that does not match the actual duties is a compliance risk.
Sources
- MHRSD: Procedural Guide on the Decision to Localize Project Management Professions (PDF). Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, 2026-09.
- MHRSD: Change Expatriate Profession service (Qiwa). Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
- Deloitte Middle East: Update on occupation changes for expatriates. Deloitte.
- Al Tamimi & Company: Saudi Arabia's 2026/2027 Saudisation Overview. Al Tamimi & Company, 22 September 2026.
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.