Saudization and Expat Jobs: How to Check If Your Profession Is Affected
To check whether Saudization affects your job, find your registered profession on your iqama, Absher or Qiwa record, then compare it with the occupation lists in MHRSD's profession decisions. If it appears, look at the rate, the employer threshold and the effective date. A 100% rule reserves the role for Saudis; a percentage rule caps the non-Saudi share. Many roles are not covered at all.
Saudization and expat jobs: whether your profession is affected depends on three things you can check yourself, your registered occupation, the rule that lists it and your employer's headcount in that occupation. This page walks through the checks in order. It describes published rules and gives no immigration advice.
What does Saudization mean for expat professionals?
It means some occupations have a minimum Saudi share. Two tests exist: Nitaqat rates the employer's whole workforce, while profession rules set a Saudi percentage for named job titles. As an employee, the profession rules are the ones that can touch your role directly. For the background, see what Saudization is.
Profession rules do not apply to every job. They cover specific occupations, they usually trigger only when an employer has a stated number of workers in those occupations, and they take effect on set dates.
How do I check whether my profession is affected?
Follow these steps. Each takes a few minutes.
- Find your registered profession. Look at the profession line on your iqama, or sign in to Absher or Qiwa and check your profile. Online records can be more current than a card that has not been reissued. Menu names change, so look for the profession or job category field.
- Note the exact occupation title. Write it as it appears, in English and Arabic if shown. The occupation may differ from the title on your business card.
- Open the rates database. Compare your occupation with the lists in the Saudization rates database. Each profession page links to the official MHRSD source.
- Check the rule's details. Note the required rate, the employer threshold and the effective date.
- Ask your HR team about headcount. The rule triggers on the number of workers in the covered occupations across the whole entity, not your team. HR can tell you whether the threshold is met.
- Check your duties against the title. MHRSD says decisions apply to listed titles and to actual duties. If your title and daily work do not match, tell HR so the record is right.
- Check the dates. A rule can be announced long before it applies. See the Saudization calendar.
Which professions are affected now?
The current and announced rules as of 8 October 2026 are in the table. Confirm the exact occupation list on the linked page.
| Profession group | Rate | Applies when an employer has | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement | 70% | 3+ workers in 12 professions | 31 May 2026 |
| Marketing | 60% | 3+ workers in 10 professions | 19 April 2026 |
| Sales | 60% | 3+ workers in 8 professions | 19 April 2026 |
| Engineering | 30% | 5+ workers in 46 professions | 30 June 2026 |
| Administrative support | 100% | 1+ worker in 69 professions | First group 5 April 2026; grace period for the rest ended 4 October 2026 |
| Project management | 70% | 3+ workers in 3 professions | 14 February 2027 |
| Dentistry | 55% | 3+ dentists in private healthcare | 27 January 2026 |
| Tourism | Phased, by role | 41 professions | Phase 1 since 22 April 2026; phase 2 begins 3 January 2027 |
| Accounting | 40%, rising to 50% | 5+ workers in covered accounting professions | 27 October 2025; 50% from 27 October 2026 |
Other sector rules cover gyms and sports centers and wellness centers and spas. The full list of reserved roles is on the 100% professions page.
What do the different kinds of rule mean for me?
A rule's rate tells you how much room remains for non-Saudis in that occupation at your employer.
| Rule type | What it means in plain terms | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 100% rule | The occupation is set aside for Saudi nationals at covered employers | 69 administrative support professions |
| Percentage rule | The employer needs that share of Saudis in the covered roles. The remainder can be non-Saudi | Procurement at 70%: in a team of ten, seven Saudi and up to three non-Saudi |
| Below threshold | The rule does not apply to that employer today | A team of two under a three-worker rule |
| Occupation not listed | No profession rule applies to that occupation | Most other roles |
For percentage rules, the number of Saudis required is the headcount multiplied by the rate, rounded to the nearest whole number. Five employees at 70% gives 3.5, which rounds to four. So the non-Saudi share is the remainder.
What MHRSD says
- Profession decisions apply to the occupational titles on the list and to actual duties.
- Each rule sets a rate, an employer threshold and an effective date.
- The employer's Nitaqat band does not change the profession rate calculation.
- Compliance monitoring uses occupational titles recorded in the GOSI database.
Our analysis
- Check the registered occupation first. It decides which lists apply, and it is often not the title people use day to day.
- A covered occupation does not mean a covered employer. Headcount and threshold decide that.
- MHRSD's own project management example has an employer replacing non-Saudi staff during the grace period, so rules can affect current roles as well as future hiring. We do not know how any single employer will respond, so ask HR about its plan.
What if my profession is covered?
Check the facts before drawing conclusions. A covered occupation means your employer must meet a Saudi share in that group once the rule applies. It does not by itself say what happens to any individual.
- Ask HR whether the employer is above the threshold and whether it is already compliant.
- Ask whether any gap is likely to be met by hiring, or by moving people between roles.
- Ask HR to confirm your registered occupation and duties match.
- Keep a record of your contract and your profession as registered.
Your residence and work permit position is a separate matter that depends on your own circumstances. For that, speak to your employer or a qualified adviser. This site does not give immigration advice.
What are common questions about the registered profession?
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| My business card says one thing and my iqama another. Which counts? | The registered occupation is what the records show, and MHRSD also looks at actual duties. Ask HR to confirm both match |
| Can my employer correct my profession? | MHRSD's Qiwa service lets an establishment correct an employee's profession to match actual duties. Some changes are restricted, for example for entities in Low Green or Red Nitaqat |
| Does a 100% rule apply to roles I hold today? | Only if your registered occupation is on a 100% list and your employer meets that rule's trigger. Check the list and the effective date |
| Where do I see the official lists? | Each profession page on this site links to the MHRSD source. Start at the rates database |
For employers' side of the same checks, see the employer guide and the guide to mapping job titles to occupation codes.
Can foreign companies hire expatriates in Saudi Arabia under Nitaqat?
Yes. Nitaqat sets a minimum Saudi share and does not ban expatriate hiring. What changes with the band is access to services: Low Green suspends new visas and profession changes, and Red also suspends work permit issuing and renewal. Profession rules cap the non-Saudi share only in the named roles. See Nitaqat bands and the employer guide.
How does Saudization affect expatriate work permit renewals?
Renewals depend on the employer's Nitaqat band. A Red entity cannot renew work permits, while on the sources we checked Low Green and the three higher bands can. Read Low Green and Red restrictions for the detail. This site does not give immigration advice, so ask your employer about your own permit.
What changes are coming?
Dated changes still ahead include the accounting rate rising from 40% to 50% on 27 October 2026, the 15% rule for gyms and sports centers on 18 November 2026, tourism phase 2 on 3 January 2027 and the 70% project management rule on 14 February 2027. Nitaqat targets also rise across the 2026 to 2028 cycle. The Saudization 2027 overview tracks what is coming. If you are a project manager, read what changes for expat project managers.
How can I stay informed without the noise?
Rely on primary sources. MHRSD publishes each decision with a procedural guide, and our changes tracker logs new decisions with the source. This site is an information resource, not legal or immigration advice.
Frequently asked questions
01Can foreign companies hire expatriates in Saudi Arabia under Nitaqat?
Yes. Nitaqat sets a minimum Saudi share and does not ban expatriate hiring. What changes with the band is access: Platinum, High Green and Medium Green entities can request new visas, Low Green suspends new visas and profession changes, and Red also suspends work permit issuing and renewal. Profession rules cap the non-Saudi share only in named roles.
02How does Saudization affect expatriate work permit renewals?
Renewals depend on the employer's Nitaqat band. Under the 2026 program a Red entity cannot renew work permits, because MHRSD suspends issuing and renewing them for non-Saudi workers. On the sources we checked, Platinum, High Green, Medium Green and Low Green entities can still renew. Check Qiwa for your employer's position.
03Does Saudization mean expats will lose their jobs?
Not as a general rule. Profession rules set a Saudi share for named roles, so they limit the non-Saudi share in those roles at employers above the threshold. Most occupations have no profession rule. Where one applies, the effect depends on your employer's current headcount and plan.
04Which professions are 100% Saudi?
Recent 100% rules cover 69 administrative support professions, housing supervisors in collective housing for 20 or more residents, administrative roles in wellness centers and spas, and front-desk roles in tourism phase 1. Older decisions also set 100% for some roles in malls, cinemas, aviation and real estate, and for named customs clearance roles. Check the official title of your role, because coverage follows occupation codes, not informal titles.
05What does the iqama profession have to do with Saudization?
Your registered profession is the occupation your employer holds on record. MHRSD's guides say coverage follows the listed occupational titles and actual duties, and compliance is monitored using the occupations recorded in social insurance data. It is the first thing to check.
06Does my employer's size matter?
Yes. Most profession rules apply only when an establishment has a stated number of workers in the targeted roles: three for procurement, marketing, sales and project management, five for engineering. The 69 administrative support professions apply from one worker. Below the threshold, the rule does not apply.
07Who should I ask if I am unsure?
Your HR department holds your registration and knows the entity's headcount. For the rule itself, MHRSD publishes decisions and procedural guides on its website, and Qiwa support can answer questions about records. For personal immigration questions, speak to your employer or a qualified adviser.
08Is my profession affected if I am an expat in Saudi Arabia?
Check your registered occupation against the current and announced profession rules. If your role is covered, your employer has to meet a Saudi percentage for that role; a 100% rule means the role is reserved for Saudi nationals.
Sources
- MHRSD: Procedural Guide on the Decision to Localize Project Management Professions (PDF). Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, 2026-09.
- MHRSD: Localization decisions for engineering and procurement professions. Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, 21 January 2026.
- MHRSD: 60% Saudization in marketing and sales professions. Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, 26 January 2026.
- Al Tamimi & Company: Saudi Arabia's 2026/2027 Saudisation Overview. Al Tamimi & Company, 22 September 2026.
- MHRSD: Change Expatriate Profession service (Qiwa). Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
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.