90-Day Saudization Readiness Checklist for HR

A Saudization readiness audit checks that every employee is registered under the right occupation, that your Saudi headcount meets each rule that applies, and that you have a dated plan for any gap. This 90-day checklist is built around the rules that apply in 2026 and the 70% project management rule that takes effect on 14 February 2027.

How is the 90-day plan organized?

The plan runs in three stages: collect, calculate, act. Each stage ends with one output that the next stage depends on.

If you start on 1 November 2026, day 30 is 30 November, day 60 is 30 December and day 90 is 29 January 2027. That leaves about two weeks before the project management effective date.

How can employers verify their Saudization compliance?

Test each rule on its own. Check your band on Qiwa, then count workers in each covered occupation, apply the rate with MHRSD's rounding and check any salary floor. The rates database lists each rule's threshold, and the Nitaqat overview explains the band check.

What documents are required for Saudization compliance?

We found no single MHRSD checklist. The records that decide the result are each Saudi's contract documented on Qiwa, registered occupations, GOSI-registered salaries and your Nitaqat band. Keep the dated calculations and any Qiwa corrections as well.

What should HR do in days 0 to 30?

Build the occupation register. Nothing else in the audit is reliable without it.

Two points need care. First, coverage follows the occupation, but MHRSD guides also say decisions apply to the employee's actual duties. Compare both. Second, if you find a genuine error, log it now and correct it through the proper Qiwa process in stage 3. See how to map job titles to occupation codes.

What should HR do in days 31 to 60?

Turn the register into numbers. Calculate each rule separately.

Worked example for the project management rule. An entity has six people registered in the three covered occupations, two Saudi and four non-Saudi. Six multiplied by 70% is 4.2, which rounds to four. The entity needs four Saudis and has two, so the gap is two. If it hires one Saudi into those roles, headcount becomes seven and Saudis become three. Seven multiplied by 70% is 4.9, which rounds to five, so the gap is still two. Hiring one Saudi did not shrink the gap, because the requirement rose with headcount. Re-run the calculation whenever headcount changes.

Floors matter for other rules. A Saudi marketing employee counts toward the 60% marketing rate only at SAR 5,500 or more a month, and a Saudi engineer needs SAR 8,000 and Saudi Council of Engineers accreditation. The project management guide names no salary floor. See salary thresholds by profession.

What should HR do in days 61 to 90?

Close the gap and build the habit of monitoring.

Which deadlines fall around the 90 days?

Check these against your own roles. The Saudization calendar holds the full list.

Which mistakes derail an audit?

• Counting by branch instead of by entity.
• Using internal job titles instead of registered occupations.
• Forgetting that a Saudi's salary may sit below a floor that applies to your rule.
• Treating a good Nitaqat band as cover for a profession rule. MHRSD says the band does not affect the calculation.
• Changing occupations to avoid a rule. A mismatch between registered occupation and actual duties is itself a risk; see penalties and inspections.

Return to the employer guide for how the two tests fit together, and see how to meet Saudization targets for the levers that close a gap once you have sized it. This checklist describes published rules and is not legal advice for your entity.