Pharmacy Saudization: Localization Rates by Pharmacy Setting

Pharmacy Saudization sets a minimum Saudi share for pharmacy professions, and it differs by setting. MHRSD, working with the Ministry of Health, applies 35% in community pharmacies and medical complexes, 65% in hospital pharmacy activities and 55% in other pharmacy-related activities. The rates have applied since 27 July 2025.

What are the pharmacy Saudization rates by setting?

There are three rates, and the one that applies depends on the licensed activity where the pharmacist works.

All three share the same conditions:

Argaam reports that the pharmacy decision is Ministerial Decision No. 103111. The procedural guide defines the covered job titles and the activities that fall into each setting, so use it to confirm where your pharmacy sits.

When did pharmacy Saudization start?

The pharmacy rates took effect on Sunday 27 July 2025. MHRSD announced their start together with a 45% first phase for dentistry and a 30% rate for technical engineering. Argaam reports that the pharmacy rules rest on Ministerial Decision No. 103111, dated 26 January 2025. MHRSD has not announced a second phase for pharmacy, while dentistry moved to 55% on 27 January 2026.

As of 8 October 2026, StrongYes has not found a later MHRSD change to the pharmacy rates. Confirm the current position in the rates database.

Which pharmacy setting does my business fall into?

The setting follows the activity licensed for your establishment, not the job title of the employee. A pharmacist working in a hospital pharmacy counts toward the 65% rate, while a pharmacist in a retail pharmacy counts toward the 35% rate.

Employers with more than one setting should calculate each separately. A medical complex with a pharmacy, for example, is named in the 35% category, while a hospital's pharmacy department is in the 65% category. MHRSD's guide defines the boundary, and registered occupations should match actual duties. Our guide to mapping job titles to Saudi occupation codes explains how to check.

How do you calculate the pharmacy requirement?

Multiply the number of workers in the covered pharmacy professions by the rate for your setting, then round. MHRSD guides for other decisions round to the nearest whole number, with halves rounding up. We have not confirmed the pharmacy guide's rounding rule, so treat these figures as illustrations.

Only Saudis paid at least SAR 7,000 a month count. Our salary thresholds guide compares this floor with other decisions.

What happens if a pharmacy does not comply?

MHRSD states that establishments that do not meet the decision face statutory penalties for violators, and it published procedural manuals on its website to clarify the details. The Ministry of Health supervises pharmacy compliance. Our guide to Saudization violations and penalties covers how enforcement works across decisions.

What should pharmacy employers do now?

1. Count workers in the covered pharmacy professions and check whether you reach five.
2. Identify your setting for each licensed activity: community, hospital or other.
3. Check the salary of every Saudi you count against SAR 7,000.
4. Calculate the gap using the rate for each setting.
5. Plan hiring and development. MHRSD points employers to recruitment assistance, training support and employment support through Hadaf. See Saudization support programs.

What does it mean for Saudi pharmacists?

The required share is highest in hospital pharmacy, where 65% of covered roles must be Saudi, followed by other pharmacy-related activities at 55%. Community pharmacies need a lower share, but they employ many pharmacists. Saudi pharmacists earning at least SAR 7,000 count toward the rate, which shapes employer pay offers. The rule raises demand but does not guarantee any individual a role.

What does it mean for expat pharmacists?

The rule caps the non-Saudi share at 65% in community pharmacies, 35% in hospital pharmacy and 45% in other activities, for establishments with five or more workers in pharmacy professions. Pharmacies with fewer pharmacy workers are outside this decision. Our expat guide explains how to check whether a profession is affected, and the healthcare Saudization overview covers the other health decisions.

How does pharmacy compare with dentistry?

Both rules were announced together and are supervised by the Ministry of Health, but pharmacy has three rates, a higher headcount threshold and a lower salary floor.

A worked example: a hospital with an outpatient pharmacy

A private hospital runs an inpatient pharmacy with 10 covered workers and a separate outpatient community-style pharmacy with 6. If both fall under their own setting, the hospital activity needs 6.5 Saudis (7 with half-up rounding) and the community activity needs 2.1 (2). The licensed activity decides which rate applies, so the hospital should confirm with MHRSD's guide how a combined pharmacy department is classified before it plans headcount.

This is an illustration. Rounding and classification are the two points to confirm in the guide.

What is still to be confirmed?

• The rounding rule in the pharmacy guide. We use half-up rounding, as in other MHRSD guides.
• The exact boundary between the 55% "other activities" setting and the other two.
• Whether the five-worker count is taken per establishment or across an entity with several licenses.

For other health rates, see healthcare Saudization.

Common questions about the pharmacy rates

Does one pharmacist at a chain branch trigger the rule? The rule applies to establishments with five or more workers in pharmacy professions, so a branch with fewer than five is outside it on that reading. Check whether the guide counts per branch or across the entity.

Do pharmacy technicians count? The announcement refers to pharmacy professions defined in the guide. Whether a given technician role is covered depends on its registered occupation, so check the list.

Does a Saudi on SAR 6,500 count? Not toward the rate. The minimum wage for pharmacy professions is SAR 7,000, and a Saudi below it is employed but not counted.