The role you’re hiring for may no longer be open to foreign workers. It may already be one of the saudized jobs or subject to a mandatory saudization rate, even if the job title and responsibilities have not changed.
Before you recruit, the Saudi guide confirms whether the role remains open to foreign workers. Eligibility depends on the job title, profession, business activity, company size, and the decision’s effective date.
Is Your Next Hire Still Eligible? Check the Saudized Jobs Guide.
The Saudi saudized jobs guide lists professions covered by Saudization decisions, including the required saudization rate, whether a profession is reserved for Saudi nationals, the decision’s effective date, and its scope.
Unlike the broader Saudization policy, the guide covers active decisions specifying affected professions, sectors, and required localization rates. Before recruiting, it confirms:
- Coverage of the job title under a Saudization decision.
- Whether the requirement is partial or full Saudization.
- The decision’s effective date.
- Whether the decision applies to your company.
- The latest decision issued for the profession.
The Ministry regularly issues new Saudization decisions. Outdated information can lead to hiring for roles no longer open to foreign workers.
Could Your Selected Job Title Already Be Saudized?
That depends on the applicable Saudization decision. Some saudized jobs are reserved for Saudi nationals, while others still permit expatriate hiring under phased localization requirements.
A job title can later become subject to a new decision that restricts the role to Saudi nationals or changes the hiring requirements. Examples include:
- Accounting professions follow a phased Saudization plan reaching 70% by 2030.
- Engineering professions require 30% Saudization for companies employing five or more engineers.
- Procurement and supply chain roles require 70% Saudization.
- Healthcare professions, including laboratories, radiology, physiotherapy, nutrition, pharmacy, and dentistry, require 70% Saudization.
Recent decisions also reserved additional saudized jobs exclusively for Saudi nationals, including legal professions and 69 administrative support occupations under the Ministry’s April 2026 decision.
Confirm the job’s Saudization status before hiring. The applicable decision determines whether the role remains open to expatriates.
Does Every Saudized Job Apply to Your Company?
Not necessarily. Inclusion on the saudized jobs list does not mean the decision applies to your company. Each decision defines its scope by business activity, company size, workforce, and implementation date. The following factors determine whether it applies:
- Business activity: Does the decision apply to your business activity or only specific sectors?
- Company size: Does your company meet the required workforce or profession-specific threshold?
- Covered roles: Which job titles are covered, and what requirements apply?
- Implementation date: Has the decision taken effect, or is the grace period still in effect?
For example, engineering Saudization applies to companies employing five or more engineers, while procurement and supply chain Saudization requires at least three covered employees. Accounting Saudization has no minimum workforce requirement.
Is Ignoring Saudized Jobs a Risk Worth Taking?
Hiring an expatriate for a role reserved for Saudi nationals, or failing to meet the required Saudization rate, may result in penalties, operational restrictions, and limited access to government services. Potential consequences include:
- Regulatory penalties under the Saudi Labor Law and its implementing regulations.
- Fines for violating applicable Saudization decisions.
- Suspension or restriction of work permit issuance and renewal for significant violations.
- Violations identified during government inspections of job titles, Saudization compliance, and employee records.
Compliance starts before recruitment. Verify the Saudi saudized jobs guide before approving a job title to avoid hiring changes or compliance violations.
Does Compliance Start with the Job Title or Workforce Structure?
That depends on your business stage. A single hire may only require verifying the job title. For business setup in Saudi Arabia or expansion, review your workforce structure first, as Saudization decisions can affect multiple roles. Absher Business minimizes hiring risks by:
- Reviewing your workforce structure against current Saudization decisions.
- Confirming whether Saudization decisions apply to your business activity and company size before hiring.
- Verifying that job titles match official occupational classifications.
- Assessing compliance before business commencement or expansion to avoid workforce changes later.
Review the Saudi saudized jobs guide before recruitment and establishment file opening. It identifies the professions subject to Saudization decisions, helping you hire compliantly from day one and avoid workforce restructuring later.
Build your workforce right from day one. Absher Business reviews Saudization requirements during business setup in Saudi Arabia, helping you hire compliantly and scale without costly workforce changes.
