Housing Supervisor Saudization: Saudi-Only Role and Requirements

What is the housing supervisor Saudization rule?

Housing supervisor Saudization reserves the housing supervisor role for Saudi nationals in establishments that operate collective housing for 20 or more residents. It took effect on 1 February 2026.

MHRSD issued Ministerial Decision No. 62298 on 31 October 2025, in partnership with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing. The ministry says the aim is to provide motivating, productive and stable job opportunities for citizens across the Kingdom's regions. Law firm Clyde & Co summarizes the rule as 100% restricted to Saudi nationals. It sits beside the administrative support rule among the roles on our 100% professions list.

Which professions does it cover?

The rule covers one profession: housing supervisor. MHRSD's decision defines the role and a minimum wage in its procedural guide. We have not reproduced the occupation code or the full job definition because we could not verify them in the guide. Use the guide for the exact definition, and check what your supervisors actually do.

Which employers must comply?

The rule applies to establishments that operate collective housing for 20 or more residents. Reports describe the covered facilities as residential complexes, mobile cabins and residential buildings that meet the health, safety and technical standards set by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing.

Employers that may be in scope include contractors and construction firms with labor camps, hospitality and facilities management companies, and manufacturers that house workers on site. Housing below the 20-resident threshold is outside the rule. The trigger is the housing, not the size of the employer's overall workforce.

How do you calculate the requirement?

At 100%, there is no percentage to calculate. Every person who performs the housing supervisor role in covered housing must be a Saudi national. The practical questions are how many supervisor positions you have and whether each is filled by a qualifying Saudi.

The salary floor. Zawya, Okaz and People Matters report a minimum wage of SAR 5,000 a month for a Saudi housing supervisor to count. MHRSD's page confirms that the guide sets a minimum wage but does not display the figure on the page. We therefore treat SAR 5,000 as a reported figure and recommend confirming it in the guide.

MHRSD has not published how many supervisors a facility of a given size must have, in the material we reviewed.

How does this rule relate to Nitaqat?

They are separate tests and an employer must meet both. Nitaqat rates the whole entity by its overall Saudi share. The housing supervisor rule covers one role. Reports on the procedural guide say it applies whatever the establishment's Nitaqat classification. A Saudi housing supervisor can also count toward your Nitaqat percentage, subject to the usual counting rules. Employees in 100% Saudized professions face restrictions on changing their registered profession, as described in our Qiwa profession change guide.

Key dates

Reports state that establishments were given a grace period to reach the required level before penalties apply. See the Saudization calendar for other dates.

How do the decision, grace period and effective date fit together?

The rule has three dates that people often blur. The decision date is 31 October 2025, when MHRSD issued Ministerial Decision No. 62298. The grace period is the time employers were given to prepare, which reports describe without giving a length. The effective date is 1 February 2026, which MHRSD lists as the execution date. On the evidence we reviewed, the gap between the decision and the effective date is about three months.

MHRSD did not publish the length of the grace period as a separate figure in the material we reviewed, so we do not state one.

What happens if an establishment does not comply?

Reports on the guide say that failing to meet the localization requirement, or assigning housing supervisor duties to non-Saudi workers under other job titles, triggers penalties and legal action. Fine amounts are not published in the material we reviewed. See Saudization penalties and inspections for how enforcement works.

What should employers do now?

1. Identify every collective housing site with 20 or more residents and who supervises each.
2. Check each supervisor's nationality, registered occupation and salary.
3. Compare pay with the guide's minimum wage before counting a Saudi.
4. Check duties against titles. Do not rely on a different job title to keep a non-Saudi in the role.
5. Plan recruitment. Roles are location-bound, so look for Saudi candidates near each site.
6. Use available support. See Saudization support programs.

The 90-day readiness checklist turns these steps into a plan.

What does it mean for Saudi professionals?

The rule creates stable supervisor roles in accommodation across the Kingdom's regions, in line with MHRSD's stated aim. Experience in facilities management, hospitality, safety and people management suits the role. If you are a Saudi professional, ask employers how the role is defined in the procedural guide and what pay applies. The rule increases demand but does not guarantee any individual a role.

What does it mean for expat housing supervisors?

At 100%, covered establishments cannot keep non-Saudis in the housing supervisor role. Housing under 20 residents is outside the rule, as are roles registered under other occupation codes, and employees in 100% professions face restrictions on changing their registered profession on Qiwa. Our expat guide explains how to check whether a profession is affected.

What support is available?

Press reports on the decision mention recruitment assistance, training, qualification and job-stability support. Employers can look to the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) for programs. See Hadaf wage support and the rates database.