Official Saudization Sources: MHRSD Decisions, Guides and Qiwa Services
Official Saudization decisions and procedural guides are published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) on hrsd.gov.sa, under Knowledge Centre, Decisions and Regulations. Employer services, including the Nitaqat calculator and the Saudization certificate, run through Qiwa. Support programs sit with the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf). Professional bodies publish licensing rules for regulated occupations.
Where do I find official Saudization decisions and procedural guides?
Start with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) at hrsd.gov.sa. Its Knowledge Centre has a Decisions and Regulations page with five sections: regulations, rules and guides; ministerial decisions; the Labor Law; domestic workers; and a link to the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations, which opens on an external system.
For Saudization work, you will mostly use ministerial decisions and the procedural guides. Procedural guides are usually published as PDF files, in Arabic first. Our Saudization rates database cites the exact decision and guide for each rate.
Which official sources should I use, and for what?
| Source | What you find there | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| MHRSD Decisions and Regulations | Ministerial decisions, regulations, rules and guides, the Labor Law page | To confirm a rate, a covered occupation or a decision number |
| MHRSD media center (hrsd.gov.sa) | News releases announcing new decisions and effective dates | To date an announcement and see the headline rate |
| MHRSD ministry services | Service pages, such as the Nitaqat Calculator and certificate issuance | To see what a service does, its fee and its channel |
| Qiwa (qiwa.sa) | Employer services: Nitaqat calculator, work licenses, contract documentation, certificates | To calculate your band and manage workforce records |
| Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) | Support programs, including Tamheer, employment support and other schemes | To apply for wage, training and hiring support |
| General Organization for Social Insurance (gosi.gov.sa) | Social insurance, subscription and wage records | To check the records that your headcount and wages rest on |
| Bureau of Experts (laws.boe.gov.sa) | Official translations of Saudi laws, including the Labor Law, Royal Decree No. M/51 | To read the law behind employment obligations |
| National Labor Observatory (nlo.gov.sa) | Labor market reports, studies and dashboards | To size a labor market trend |
| General Authority for Statistics (stats.gov.sa) | Labor market statistics, such as unemployment | To cite national labor data |
| Saudi Council of Engineers (saudieng.sa) | Membership, classification and accreditation of engineers | For engineering professions, see engineering Saudization |
| SOCPA (socpa.org.sa) | Accountants' professional membership and exams | For accounting Saudization |
| SCFHS (scfhs.org.sa) | Health practitioner classification and registration | For healthcare roles |
| National Portal (my.gov.sa) | Single entry point to government services | To locate a government service by name |
Tender platforms, such as Etimad, set their own document requirements. Ask the tender owner which documents it needs, for example whether a Saudization certificate is required.
What do the Qiwa and Nitaqat pages tell me?
Qiwa holds the employer-side services. MHRSD lists its Nitaqat Calculator as a free electronic service that helps an employer find its current or expected Nitaqat position. For the 2026 edition of the rules, the reference is the Developed Nitaqat Program Procedural Guide, which MHRSD published as a PDF in January 2026. Our pages on how Nitaqat is calculated and the Nitaqat calculator walk through the method.
How do I read a ministerial decision?
Read four dates and a scope. Each answers a different question, and mixing them up is a common mistake in Saudization coverage.
| Item | What it tells you | Project management example |
|---|---|---|
| Decision date | When the minister signed the decision | 13 August 2026 (Decision No. 41454) |
| Announcement date | When MHRSD told the public | 16 August 2026 |
| Grace period | Time to prepare before enforcement | Six months |
| Effective date | When the rule starts to apply | 14 February 2027 |
| Scope | Occupations, establishment size and any salary floor | Three occupations, three or more workers |
Then read the procedural guide. It carries the details that the announcement leaves out: the occupation codes, the rounding rule, whether a salary floor applies and how the rate relates to Nitaqat. The project management rule shows how one decision plays out across all of these.
What MHRSD says
- Decisions and regulations are listed on the Knowledge Centre page of hrsd.gov.sa.
- Employer services such as the Nitaqat Calculator run through the Qiwa sign-in.
- Penalties follow the Schedules of Violations and Penalties issued under Ministerial Decision No. 112377 dated 21/08/1447 AH.
Our analysis
- Media reports often quote the announcement date as the start date. Check the effective date in the guide.
- Where Arabic and English texts differ, the Arabic is the reference.
- A news release is a summary. The guide is where coverage and counting rules sit.
How does this hub verify Saudization rules?
We check every rate, threshold and date against an MHRSD decision or guide where one exists, and we label what we could not confirm. The full approach, including how we rank sources and handle corrections, is on our methodology page. Dated changes are tracked in the Saudization calendar and the change log.
What should I do when sources disagree?
- Prefer the MHRSD decision or procedural guide over any news report, law firm note or vendor page.
- Prefer the Arabic text over a translation.
- Check the document date. MHRSD can issue an updated guide.
- Where the ministry has not published a point, say so, and ask Qiwa or MHRSD through its channels.
Law firm notes and media coverage help with interpretation and timing. They are not a substitute for the decision itself. This site is not legal advice, so confirm decisions that affect your business with the ministry or a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
01Where can I find official Saudization decisions and procedural guides?
On the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) website, hrsd.gov.sa, under Knowledge Centre, Decisions and Regulations. That page lists regulations, rules and guides, and ministerial decisions. MHRSD also posts announcements in its media center and publishes procedural guides as PDF files.
02Which website calculates my Nitaqat band?
Qiwa. MHRSD lists the Nitaqat Calculator as a free electronic service for employers, reached through the Qiwa sign-in page. It uses the number of workers, the establishment's economic activity and its number of employees to show a current or expected Nitaqat position.
03What is the difference between a ministerial decision and a procedural guide?
The ministerial decision sets the rule, such as a rate for a profession. The procedural guide explains how MHRSD applies it: who is covered, how to calculate, and how counting works. Employers need both, and the guide often holds the details that the announcement leaves out.
04Is the Saudi Labor Law available in English from an official source?
Yes. The Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers hosts an official English translation of the Labor Law, Royal Decree No. M/51, at laws.boe.gov.sa. MHRSD also links the Labor Law from its decisions and regulations page. The Arabic text is the legal reference.
05Which official body sets rules for Saudi engineers, accountants and health practitioners?
The Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) for engineers, the Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA) for accountants, and the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) for health practitioners. They set professional classification and registration, separate from MHRSD's localization decisions.
06Why do the announcement date and the effective date of a Saudization rule differ?
MHRSD usually issues a decision, announces it, then gives a grace period before it takes effect. For project management, the decision is dated 13 August 2026, the announcement 16 August 2026 and the effective date 14 February 2027. Always plan around the effective date.
Sources
- MHRSD: Decisions and Regulations (Knowledge Centre). Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
- MHRSD: Nitaqat Calculator (service page). Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
- Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf). Human Resources Development Fund.
- MHRSD: Developed Nitaqat Program Procedural Guide, 2026 edition (Arabic). Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, 2026-01.
- MHRSD: Procedural Guide on the Decision to Localize Project Management Professions (PDF). Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, 2026-09.